The Rats Woke Up

I realize that storytelling is not what this movie intended to do, not even characterization, but simply attempt to represent one dark period of our past. And it does it really well. But that does not change the fact that this movie is boring to death. I may be stupid, but for me, this is just one more in the long line of completely redundant accomplishments in YU/Serbian cinematography. Recommendation to those who suffer from insomnia.

4/10

This is a dark and unsympathetic film about a man that's trapped in this miserable life without any chance to make any meaningful changes. He has quite a few secrets about his past and he is mercilessly haunted by them. He has absolutely no idea how to make his life bearable...

But it's not the main protagonist that we watch. It's the general atmosphere and the ultimate bleakness of the circumstances that surround him. We see the world of terrible poverty, police state paranoia, and the gradual spiritual and moral death of the people in that kind of surrounding. Still, this is a movie that's made in the mid-60's so we can see some things that were banned at the time (and before): political issues in the communist Yugoslavia (pro-Russian Stalinist political prisoners and activists), homosexuals, hookers, alcoholism, crime ...

This year (uh, 2008) movie finally appeared on DVD, I'm not sure but I think it was banned until 90's and then it was shown on TV just a few times, so when I saw the DVD I bought it instantly. But it's still a poor quality in both sound and video aspect. But still it's highly recommended as a important film in the Serbian cinema history.

Film 9/10 DVD 7/10 8/10

Buđenje pacova English translation : The Rats Woke Up Year 1967 Awards: Best Director in Pula, Silver Bear for Directing in Berlin