Ordinary People Vladimir Perisic

In war contexts, society tends to block reality for a while (especially when there is secrecy and human rights violations), and then, when the truth appears, everybody wants to find somebody to blame. This is happening in Serbia, after the traumatic war they suffered some years ago.

Ordinary people, by Serbian director Vladimir Perisic, is a powerful movie about war, violence, death, and especially, about the issue of responsibility in these contexts. The title refers to the characters of the movie, a group of soldiers who have to face a terrible day of service in the middle of the war: they do several summary executions, even though one of them, Drazen, the new member of the troop, is against this practice. Progressively we see his change of attitude towards the killings, and come to understand that a “normal” guy, after facing these terrible actions, has to deal with his conscience for the rest of his life. Without victimizing his characters, Perisic approaches the subject by posing many questions about the real responsibility for war crimes.

The movie, which was part of the Atelier in 2005 and is now being shown at the Critics’ Week, is Perisic’s opera prima. This is striking, because the film is shot with a great maturity, respecting its characters and giving them space to carefully observe their reactions. At the beginning, the slow tempo conveys an atmosphere of uncertainty, which then gives way to an oppressive and uncomfortable environment. Drazen is an example of what war does to people, and the final scene makes us think about what is happening now with these so-called “war monsters”. Are they able to sleep at night?

Natalia Ames