Sablja

At the beginning, I was hooked. The cinematography is good, there is some good acting, I like how Dragan Micanovic delivers the role of Zoran Djindjic.

I have also watched an interview with the directors, where they have explained bringing in the characters which don't exist in real life. They have hyped the show nicely, so I decided to give it a shot.

My first negative remark - the wrong choice of actor for the role of Legija. There is a lack of any physical resemblance, which could even be okay - if the tone of voice, mannerisms and the attitude were even remotely similar to the real-life Legija. This is not the case.

Then, the creators are also trying to send a message about Serbia's democratically elected and one of the most progressive politicians being murdered by the mafia - but the show is government funded. And the government is run by - well... Guess who. The mafia remaining even after the 'Sabre'.

Some parts of history are ignored on purpose, since the creators didn't want to make a fuss or get a lawsuit, others maybe because the Serbian national tv wouldn't really want to show them.

The last straw was a sudden change of character with one of the main characters - Boris, the police inspector. Not to spoil but - he makes a complete, nonsensical 180 near the end of the show, without enough previous motivation.

I have expected a lot from the show, and I have not been dissapointed by the acting, by the scenery and production (clearly a lot of money was put into this). However - the writing and parts of the casting, as well as the obvious censorship has dissapointed me.

Watchable, but wouldn't watch it again.

A series with a lot of potential but ultimately failed to meet expectations. It could have been an incredibly important show, but instead, it ended up being just an ordinary series, similar to other productions by Radio Television of Serbia.

After an intriguing start, the story completely shifts towards imaginary tales of fictional characters.

This was a missed opportunity to portray real events, which are far more interesting.

So, you're left entirely at the mercy of the creators of the show, watching their made-up stories and characters. In my opinion, the storyline they came up with is below average.

Personally, I don't enjoy other series of a similar style produced by Radio Television of Serbia either. If you like Juzni vetar or Klan, then this might be the series for you. I, however, was expecting something more serious.

The show faithfully weaves through the chaotic aftermath of assassination of prime minister Djindjic, following several viewpoints - the press, the police, the politicians and the criminals.

The production and camera work are both great and the actors are very convincing, nailing the speaking style of all protagonists and antagonists.

The main problem is the number of characters. There are so many, many names and characters it becomes hard to follow the various motivations and connections. I would say that Sablja requires significant previous knowledge of Serbian 90s and 2000's politics and the vast crime scene that held the country in it's grip to fully understand what's going on.

The show tries to tell it all and it's clearly aiming at the local audience, since they will have no problem identifying who's who. And more importantly, why.

The topic of Djindjic assassination has been explored in length in various documentaries and both the good guys and the bad guys are all household names in Serbia. And this may be what gets foreign viewers confused. Motivations for the assassination are very superficially covered and unless you're a history buff that followed the collapse of Yugoslavia, you'll be hard pressed to understand what is really going on here.

I think a shorter character list would've benefited the show and made it more accessible. But the Djindjic assassination is still a very touchy topic in Serbia and this being the first attempt at making a dramatized tv show about the events, it's understandable that the director didn't want to cut any corners.

Despite having some masterful performances (Micanovic, Bandovic, Jasna Djuricic) and few fairly dramatic moments (even to those who've lived through the actual events of the show) - to show doesn't pack a punch is absolutely had to, and by the end of a very short series that feels rather rushed for the scope of the events it tries to portray - goes out with a whimper.

Not only do we have very basic 'get it over with' rendering of some of the most dramatic events in modern Serbian (even European) history and especially in the context of the show's title, but half way through the show we have considerably less believable and infinitely less dramatic fictional events taking over the show instead of actual, even fiction worthy stuff that indeed happened.

Fictional characters, amalgamated ones, were supposed the more relatable bridge into the often intertwined but largely foreign worlds of politics, organised crime, police and secret service etc. Instead, by episode 5 they become the whole focus of the story and actual events fall into the barely noticeable background.

To make things worse, out of three protagonists two are irredeemable and third is absolutely dislikable, insufferable even so watching their stories unfold seems like a chore, the most exciting one - the mafia kid, is the shortest out of three.

It came from the intent not to make universally despised mafia nor the politicians the protagonist of the show - an odd choice considering what the show is about, but it turned out to be bad idea and ended up completely moving the show away from the actual title operation 'Sabre' and into some random and generic fictional conspiracy involving equally fictitious and rather unremarkable characters.

In turn it turns a potent show into a generic mediocre crime drama that is never too bold or unpredictable. Simply put - not what we came here for.

The series tells a story through several fictional characters (though some of them display attributes of real-life figures) about the period and atmosphere in the country before and after the assassination of the Prime Minister. It brilliantly portrays that time and the connection between politicians, security services, and organized crime.

The era is described exceptionally well. Of course, not all real-life figures are included, but even this simplified version is a hot mess for those who didn't live through that period. It's important to consider that in reality, around 30 people were on the wanted list, and when you add the internal and external political dynamics, you get a chaos that cannot be fully depicted in a series.

Some fictional characters are designed to combine elements of multiple real-life individuals, which is a good approach to showcasing the values people stood for during that time.

It's an excellent series for those seeking a dramatic narrative. However, if you're looking for factual accuracy and detailed insights, it's better to watch one of the many documentaries on the subject.