Dom za vesanje (1988) aka "Time of the Gypsies"
November 14th 2009 06:18
Directed by:- Emir Kusturica.
Starring:- Davor Dujmovic, Ljubica Adzovic, Bora Todorovic.
Mr Kusturica and his merry band of Eastern European mayhem. I have been a fan of this director for quite some time, liking his high energy, zany piano according projections in films such as Underground and Life is a Miracle. Amidst the frivolity, there is often a twist of darkness that makes you both cringe and smile.
Although an earlier Kusturica film, Time of the Gypsies is no exception. The story focuses on Perhan, a gypsy boy who lives with his grandmother, his brother and his sister. Perhan is just like any other ordinary boy, except he takes delight in turkeys, plays the piano accordion delightfully, and can move objects with his mind. It seems magic runs in the family, as Perhan's grandmother has the power to heal, and his brother can make houses lift up in the sky. Perhan is however, not without problems. His sister is ill, his girlfriend's mother disapproves of his existence, and his brother is literally gambling their house away. Perhan then decides to decamp, heading to Italy to make some money for his sister. It is here that he experiences an inversion of his soul that leads him down a dark and nebulous path towards his destiny.
The film's pace is set in Perhan's home, with a moaning sister, an excitable turkey, and a brother who curses the gods for his luck with the dice (all while singing praise for Germany). His grandmother, meanwhile, can be heard uttering phrases such as “blood is the highest secret”, while Perhan himself is off taking kissing lessons from Richard Gere films before attempting to hang himself from a large bell.
This surrealist perspective, so familiar with Kusturica films, is beautifully done here, with the camera making you feel as you are a part of the whole experience. At times we are shown the world through the eyes of a turkey, and the numerous visions that Perhan experiences are done with sensuality and grace, yet do not take themselves too seriously. The chimerical is often interwoven into the real, making you feel the relation is innate, as Merdzan says “a Gypsy without dreams is like a church without a roof”. The music, in the style of Balkan Gypsy, helps with this mood, which swings smoothly from sincerity to hilarity.
The actors, all unknown to me, put in some cracker jack performances. I especially liked Perhan's grandmother and brother, who were so absurdly earnest that I couldn't help but be amused. At times I felt like someone was scraping their nails down a blackboard in front of me, and moments later I was being tickled and then hugged warmly.
With the main characters in this film, we see both dark and light, love and greed. Innocence is thrown to the wolves, and the result is mayhem. Here, as with other Kusturica films, I felt I was being reminded that life is one hell of a journey, and it doesn't have to be taken too seriously.
Four exotic bananas out of five.
Starring:- Davor Dujmovic, Ljubica Adzovic, Bora Todorovic.
Mr Kusturica and his merry band of Eastern European mayhem. I have been a fan of this director for quite some time, liking his high energy, zany piano according projections in films such as Underground and Life is a Miracle. Amidst the frivolity, there is often a twist of darkness that makes you both cringe and smile.
The film's pace is set in Perhan's home, with a moaning sister, an excitable turkey, and a brother who curses the gods for his luck with the dice (all while singing praise for Germany). His grandmother, meanwhile, can be heard uttering phrases such as “blood is the highest secret”, while Perhan himself is off taking kissing lessons from Richard Gere films before attempting to hang himself from a large bell.
This surrealist perspective, so familiar with Kusturica films, is beautifully done here, with the camera making you feel as you are a part of the whole experience. At times we are shown the world through the eyes of a turkey, and the numerous visions that Perhan experiences are done with sensuality and grace, yet do not take themselves too seriously. The chimerical is often interwoven into the real, making you feel the relation is innate, as Merdzan says “a Gypsy without dreams is like a church without a roof”. The music, in the style of Balkan Gypsy, helps with this mood, which swings smoothly from sincerity to hilarity.
The actors, all unknown to me, put in some cracker jack performances. I especially liked Perhan's grandmother and brother, who were so absurdly earnest that I couldn't help but be amused. At times I felt like someone was scraping their nails down a blackboard in front of me, and moments later I was being tickled and then hugged warmly.
With the main characters in this film, we see both dark and light, love and greed. Innocence is thrown to the wolves, and the result is mayhem. Here, as with other Kusturica films, I felt I was being reminded that life is one hell of a journey, and it doesn't have to be taken too seriously.
Four exotic bananas out of five.
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