The Red Colored Grey Truck

First off i expected this movie to be really bad...since the beginning of the movie is kind of cheesy ( all stab each other at same time) typical balkan comedy.

Srdjan todorovic plays RATKO a naive bosnian who gets out of jail for, after he gets out he does the same thing that got him in jail stealing trucks ( his obsession with Mercedes is a typical bosnian thing where i am from which adds humor to the movie) he steals a red Mercedes Benz truck. on his way to nowhere he meets the girl off his dream together they embark on the adventure across Bosnia. meeting soldiers, thugs, common folk. they movie is filled with humor and srdjan todorovic does a great job playing ratko the naive bosnian.

10-10 no doubt!

The main theme is the contrast between the unemotional stiff male Ratko and the brisk expressive Suzana. It is true that the unorganised setting have references to the Balkan filmmaker Kusturica. Yet in my understanding Ratko is modelled on the roles in films by the Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki. The use of elementary colours are important for both Koljevic and Kaurismäki, e.g. in this film, the bright red truck. There is a contrast between a chaotic situation (war, ex con, stolen truck) on one hand and at the other hand Ratko's unemotional attitude and the elementary colours. In a way the contrast between Suzana and Ratko corresponds to the contrast between the external chaos and Ratko's simplicity. Ratkos calm comes from within himself and not from the exterior situation. In the film there is some action that is provided by the truck odyssey. Yet, the film is a still life picture since no real changes take place.

The director (and writer) of this movie was clearly influenced by a great director Emir Kusutrica when making this great road movie. Again like in so many similar movies (that have a sub-story of collapsing Yugoslavia) the bitter-sweet humor that has been associated with Serbian mentality is what drives this movie forward and makes it a very enjoyable affair. It is obvious that the main actors have made a great effort in preparation and execution of their roles so the Slovenian actress (Aleksandra Balmazovic) is totally believable as a genuine Beograd born lost generation city girl and Srjdan Tododrovic as a naive faith driven Bosnian Serb.

Like Kustorica S. Koljevic uses magic realism to tell this story but unfortunately uses it in some places to cover for normal character development, this goes especially for Aleksandras character who falls in love with Ratko on a very thin basis (Stockholm syndrome? or maybe the python?). Ratko's idealism is much more believable and thus his utter love for Suzana.

Even though there are many similar movies in Serbian cinematography this one is still very refreshing in a sense that it is just a bit more optimistic than usual: there can be true love in terrible situation and also one can break the restraints of his/hers background and even a morbid looking faith (the war that is coming like a thundercloud) if he/she is just enough perseverance.

In any case it is a great movie, a very successful debut for Director and Art Director, with great acting (especially Srdjan Todorovic) and a story that entertains you and at the same time has something more to say... if you listen.

I had the honor to see this movie on the screening for friends and colleagues before the actual premiere. Although I am not a fan of this kind of movies so typical for our production (movies like `Lepa sela lepo gore', `Rane' and Kusturica's movies) I liked it very much. It must be because it is mainly a love story and the scenery is the first day (June 1991.) of the civil war in ex Yugoslavia. The main character is Ratko (played by Srdjan Todorovic), an ex con, from some Bosnian `never go there' place. His most important characteristic is that he is a daltonist, whish gives him, in a symbolic way, ability to see things differently then `majority around him' (that is also an explanation of the movie title). On the beginning of the movie Ratko will meet a city girl (played by Slovenian actress Aleksandra Balmazovic), who is totally different person then him. On their strange voyage they will fall in love with each other and find the way to beat all differences.

My compliments to all the crew led by Srdjan Zika Todorovic. Bogdan Diklic is phenomenal as always in a great episode role. The director Srdjan Koljevic is better known for his screenplays for movies: `Strsljen', `Kazi zasto me ostavi', `Ubistvo sa predumisljajem', `Normalni ljudi', `Nebeska udica', `Natasa'. This is his first time to be in the director's seat. Director of photography Goran Volarevic is also a debutant. My compliments to both of them.