By SAM JONES
It’s fascinating to see the amount of debate that A SERBIAN FILM is triggering. There’s been a few films in recent years that have shocked the horror community with their unrelenting brutality and extreme images with movies such as the Mordum Underground films, Philosophy of a Knife and Grotesque upping the ante of video violence and pushing even the most hardened horror lovers limits. Ok, A Human Centipede gained a little more ground but that was down to a carnival sideshow gag, like the horror equivilent of violating a pie in a teen comedy. These films are niche, deliberately cult movies, produced for a small following of dedicated fans across the world. They haven’t permeated the mainstream consciousness in the same way that A SERBIAN FILM has.
This is bourne out by the discussions both pro and anti taking place on messageboards outside of the usual horror geek ghettos. It’s not just gorehounds asking whether their favourite genre has taken a step too far or dedicated cineastes picking apart the metaphors and making sense of the filmmakers taboo breaking screen choices. Put it this way, there’s not much talk about Tortured Vomit Dolls on golfing forums and trying to find an indepth chat about Guinea Pig flicks on aviation boards will probably come up empty handed. But A SERBIAN FILM is popping up everywhere, on local football supporters forums, Mumsnet and the mainstream movie mag affliated discussion spots.
Why is this? Could it be that, in spite of the understandable horror of the parents on Mumsnet, the films cinematic quality and strong moral centre keep people coming back to ponder it’s implications when other gore flicks which say nothing can be wiped from the memory? I wasn’t expecting the film to get an easy ride on messageboards outside the film community but what is refreshing is that, aside from a few wayward posts connecting the nonexistent dots between UK paedophile rings and extreme horror movies, the chat is quite balanced between those who seek to ban what upsets them and those who look at the bigger picture.
Of course, one of the ideas of this site is to offer anyone new coming to this film a balanced view of what is a very tough if worthwhile piece of art. Cult Labs doesn’t comdemn anyone for not wanting to see the film or for speaking out against it. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing and the sheer variety of sites taking an interest in not just the film, but issues of openess and censorship is heartening. Sometimes I think that, in a time when mainstream cinema is increasingly bland and dependent on established brands to attract customers and when it’s become less expensive for independents such as the talented team behind A SERBIAN FILM to create a slick looking, professional product, a film such as this can bypass the old channels that would have kept it among cult circles.
It’s a double-edged sword. A larger audience means a larger group of people who’ve seen and understood the message of the work but also means more trouble from those who would seek not just to condemn the work but also to quash it completely. Clearly, calling for a ban is wrong and usually draws people to a film rather than pushing them away. When Mike Reid decided to ban Frankie’s Relax single, it rocketed to the top spot and UK horror fans hold some pretty terrible movies close to their hearts because they were once considered taboo.
Whatever the opinions expressed are across the web about A SERBIAN FILM, it remains a film that cannot be easily put a neat box. Good luck filing it alongside the glut of US torture flicks clogging up the retail horror sections, because it’s a blood splattered square peg that just won’t fit. This is why the debates are raging, because a simple piece of splatter-porn could be watched, tutted over and forgotten whereas A SERBIAN FILM will still be discussed in years to come.
