SYNOPSICS
Kako je poceo rat na mom otoku (1996) is a Serbian,Slovenian,Croatian movie. Vinko Bresan has directed this movie. Vlatko Dulic,Ljubomir Kerekes,Ivan Brkic,Predrag 'Predjo' Vusovic are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1996. Kako je poceo rat na mom otoku (1996) is considered one of the best Comedy,Drama,War movie in India and around the world.
Although being one of the first movies to take humoristic approach towards violent break-up of Yugoslavia, this motion picture is partly based on real events that took place in September of 1991. Few months after Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia, Federal military installations are still present with previously recruited Croatian boys trapped inside. One such installation is a garrison on a small Dalmatian island, commanded by Major Aleksa Milosavljevic. Besieged by local militia, Major Aleksa threatens to blow up ammunition depots with half an island in case of any hostile action. During the stalemate, art historian Blaz Gajski comes from Zagreb in order to rescue his son from the barracks.
Kako je poceo rat na mom otoku (1996) Trailers
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Kako je poceo rat na mom otoku (1996) Reviews
Charming Black Comedy
A charming black comedy that illustrates the complexities of Yugoslavia's division on the simplistic small town level. National troops have ordered a bunker to be set up, calling on the many of the local sons (who are serving as soldiers) under the command of a local businessman. The neighborhood branch of the resistance, led by the local plumber, tries desperately to disarm the camp peacefully so the boys can all get home for dinner. An old man stumbles onto the scene in search of his son, because he simply has to go home (we never find out why). He naively wanders up to loaded guns and armed soldiers explaining "his wife will get really mad." He teams up with the resistance, and a brilliant scheme results to disarm the self-destructive bunker. The script is tight and full of political satire, and never borders on talky or grandiose. The array of colorful characters in the town are extreme, crazy, but utterly believable, human, and vital to the story. The intense caper is pulled off with such masterful suspense-filled direction that is reminiscent of Chinatown or the Dirty Dozen.
Most popular modern Croatian movie, a must-see
During the Serbian aggression in Croatia, especially from 1992 until the end in 1995, Croatian national cinematography forgot about comedies at all. I remember it was 1996 and everyone were talking about the film. I was in 5th or 6th grade and all guys from the class decided to go to the cinema. It was something strange for national production, the entire cinema was crowded, all were laughing and all had a good time. Now, when I'm university student, I'm looking at the film more as a tragedy, than a comedy. Under the laughter, there is much tragedy, you have the Serbian commandant which is ready the blow up the Croatian town in which he has lived for years, just for the Yugoslav state which is dead, on the other hand, Croatian local commandant is ex-communist who is ready to do anything, but nothing smart, and only thing which is holding him from making a complete disaster is his deputy, who is smart, but not the boss. Nobody gets killed, only a poet. Intellectual gets killed, while saying a pessimistic poem of Croatian poet Antun Gustav Matos in which Croatia is being hanged in the begging of 20th century. Nothing really changes in Croatia. Everyone is trying to hang Croatia.
Funny
Good movie. Lots of good jokes, probably not so funny for someone outside Central Europe. All in all, one of the best products of Croatian cinema in recent years.
yes, you can associate humor with the former Yugoslavia
I saw "Kako je poceo rat na mom otoku" (called "How the War Started on My Island" in English) at the 1999 Portland International Film Festival. This movie does the unthinkable: it tells a funny story relating to Yugoslavia's dissolution. And it does a good job. Based partly on a true story, it focuses on a bunch of people besieging a military installation on a Dalmatian island, demanding that Yugoslavia's army leave. Much of what happens seems to be there for comic relief, such as when a soldier shows how he had sex with a woman. But overall, it's a really good, really funny movie. And we can still say that, even knowing what ended up happening after Yugoslavia dissolved.
Truly an example of a good war film
Considering this is a film about the Yugoslav wars, particularly the Croatian war for Independence, made in a Balkan nation shortly after the war, I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a typical war film, focusing on demonizing the "other side" (Serbs, Bosniaks) and rewriting the history books like "Undeground" or "Pretty Village, Pretty Flame". But instead the film does not vilify anyone nor create a victim complex. The film is focused on a group of Yugoslav soldiers who plan to join the effort of fighting for the country's (Croatia) Independence, defecting from the Yugoslav army. Other Croats seem to view it their duty to uphold Yugoslav unity and stay. Without spoiling anything, the viewpoints of both pro-Independence Croats and pro-Yugoslavia Croats is given a humane view. Betray your fellow soldiers or your fellow people? The film is neither anti nor pro Yugoslavia. Truly a breath of fresh air in terms of a war film. Carnage is into the focus, but the complicated life decisions each character is making as the war unravels.