Mehanizam

The movie begins slowly. Then it becomes very violent. Then it ends. If Mechanizam had been made anywhere else, it's violence, dialogue and style would have been criticized and ridiculed. But coming from Serbia, with its tumultuous past years, the violence becomes "acceptable". So that I will not criticize what in my eyes, was tasteless and gratituous, but to others, may be a legitimate allegorical expression whose extremity was necessary to make a point. Style - well, I didn't like it. The camera pans sideways, strange sound effects are used, the violence is focused on over and over again. Up close and personal, as if viewing excessive movie gore will help the viewer to understand the atrocities of Yugoslavia. As for dialogue - it can be divided into two kinds. Some was intended to be funny and cynical, and sometimes, but not often, it was. Perhaps the subtitles were to blame. Some of it was clearly intended to be "meaningful" - especially the comments about the mechanism. I thought them very simple, and not entirely convincing. A counterexample - I don't think that the ideas in "Fight Club" were so terribly sophisticated, but the movie served to illustrate the ideas that were voiced. The ideas of "Mechanizam" are accompanied by a plot that sends the viewer straight to nihlism and apathy, not to mention disbelief. I hate to sound like I found the movie without redeeming qualities, but I find myself with little choice. I hope its director will seek other directions in his future projects.