A Serbian Film - Is it as bad as it sounds?

[peteyt]

Just wondered if anyone has seen a Serbian Film. I saw it in my local HMV and with no idea of what it was I thought I'd look it up. The DVD seemed to stand out.

I was then watching a documentary on the Video Nasties, as I'm doing my dissertation on violence in cinema, focusing on the horror genre, how it's changed, the reasons why etc. A popular director mentioned the film and so I looked it up.

Sounds pretty bad, and the words newborn rape certainly put me off.

Has anyone actually seen this?

[Special]

i'm sure it's banned in some countries

[Fez]

Important but revolting film, encompasses the situation with the Serbian people. The imagery at play is often not imagery but literally what happens in the country. I wouldn't watch it, I haven't, but it shouldn't be seen because of its revolting content alone.

[peteyt]

It's available here but cut.

It's one of those films that I don't want to watch but at the same time curious about.

[Misawa]

I reviewed (http://www.screenjabber.com/a-serbian-film-review) it back in August. I was attending Film4 FrightFest as press where it was showing, but the BBFC demanded four minutes of cuts right before it was scheduled to show, so it had to be pulled. The legal release in the UK has over five minutes of cuts (which is huge) and so the film is very, very different to the fully uncut and original version that I saw (I was able to see it before it was cut - and legally). While it is highly disturbing and the baby scene is pretty shocking (which you don't see in the UK version), it's a very important film bursting with political metaphors about the oppression of the Serbian people. Even the baby scene is a huge metaphor. It's worth a watch but sadly you'll have to see the butchered cut. I got an invite to the premiere back in December but I declined. I've no intention of seeing it in its cut form, even though I own the Blu-ray.

[peteyt]

Is it legal to obtain an uncut version from overseas?

[Misawa]

No, it isn't. Without teh cuts it's totally illegal to possess in the UK. We desperately need to go the US route and be able to sell unrated DVDs.Cuts should not be happening in this day and age.

[peteyt]

This film sounds good and bad but I hate watching cuts. So if I did watch I'd probably wait

[Misawa]

Wait for what?

[Ashley]

A friend of mine watched it and said that she kept visualising disturbing things from it for about a week after and that it was affecting her sleep and concentration. I wouldn't watch it.

[peteyt]

Do you think it will ever get uncut - a lot of films eventually come out uncut

[Misawa]

No. I Spit on Your Grave from 1978 still has three minutes the BBFC won't pass, and that was resubmitted in July of last year, and that's positively tame by today's standards.

[Stephen]

A friend of mine watched it and said that she kept visualising disturbing things from it for about a week after and that it was affecting her sleep and concentration. I wouldn't watch it.

in otherwords it gave your friend nightmares lmao

[Toilet]

I enjoyed it, it was a great. The baby scene was incredibly fake though.

[Nuxty]

I am horrified, I've just seen a trailer for this film and I would not recommend anyone to see it. Its vile in my opinion and I can't believe that a film so graphic was even allowed to go into production.

[Misawa]

Daily Mail reader?

It's an important film with all its content justified. Anyone who says otherwise is idiotic.

[peteyt]

I've got the DVD today, even got ID'd for it and I'm 21 - apparently they have to be strict with that film. Sadly it's cut but I'm going to watch it as It will help with research for my dissertation.

[Misawa]

Someone complained about it and police stormed a Blockbuster and took all the copies away with them, but were forced to bring it back when it was found to be legal to distribute. The back of the box even carries a warning.

[peteyt]

Yeah I read that. Read in the DVD booklet that when getting it enlarged and stuff, in Germany I think, they had to get cops as the people doing it thought it was a snuff.

And sadly a lot of horror films warn you of how bad it supposedly is. But this film looks like a real contender. Just going to watch.

[Stephen]

what you watching it now??

and lalala just a warning to not look in the spoiler if you dont wanna know some things about it or dont want to feel sickened by my sickening post
but are the extreme bits in it mainly just the child scenes? Or is it basically just based around torture porn? I heard that a woman gets herheadcutoff while engaged in a certain activity? If that does happen then does it cause erectile dysfunction for a small period of time after watching the film?

thanks

[Misawa]

A young girl is seen in the background of various dreamlike sex scenes; gives the main character oral sex; a man beats a woman as he has sex with her, then cuts off her head with a machete; a woman gives birth and a man rapes the baby literally two seconds later; generally graphic violence throughout including a scene where the main character kills a man by impaling his eye with his erection; another scene involves the main character having sex with someone under a sheet at the same time as his brother with another person, but then the sheet is taken off and it's revealed that his brother is raping his wife and the main guy is raping his son

They're the most extreme bits as far as I remember that I know have all been cut in some way or another, but I did see it half a year ago. If you find the official BBFC cut requirements list online, it's huge.

[Stephen]

oh that doesn't sound too bad then

[peteyt]

Would it be wrong to obtain the uncut version.

I'm against illegal downloading, producing my own films and all, but at the same time, would the director want us downloading it. I have bought a legal copy to

[Misawa]

No, they wouldn't want you to download either version, even if they refuse to see it cut. And nor would the lovely guys at Revolver Entertainment. Your only legitimate chance of viewing it would be to find it at a festival - most likely in London - that has been given access to screen it uncut, which has so far only happened one at Raindance, when it was billed as a "private screening", which is the only way they can show cut movies.

[peteyt]

Sadly I've went against my usual rules and obtained it seen as I have paid for a copy and I'm using it for research purposes. Just want to see the differences so I can analyse it

[Misawa]

You illegally downloaded an illegal film.

[peteyt]

Well I don't see it that way - I've paid for a copy so its not as if I'm stealing it they have my money. I never download myself but I need to watch this for research purposes as I'll not be able to see it uncut

[Stephen]

don't argue with misawa and you shouldn't of told him you downloaded an illegal film. The police are most likely on their way to your house now

[Misawa]

Indeed, though while you purchased the legal version of the film, it's still 100% illegal to possess the uncut version.

[Stephen]

what are the chances of him getting caught though :P

[peteyt]

but then if its illegal wouldn't that mean its illegal for film festivals to hold a copy

[Misawa]

He won't get caught, I'm just saying.

No, the only way to screen it uncut legally is to actually get permission from both the BBFC and the local council. It was pulled from FrightFest because Westminster Council said no. The only way Raindance did it was because the distributor slipped through the pipes and said it was a private screening for 200 or so people.

[Sulai]

If you can understand the films meaning... it's a good film. I saw the uncut original version and personally found it to be interesting and in some ways brilliant.