User reviews

MIRAGE (Iluzija), is a Macedonian film from first time director Svetozar Ristovski, about a boy who is bullied at school, neglected and emotionally abused at home, and without a friend in the world. His teacher gives him hope by encouraging his writing, but eventually he is pushed to the brink. I knew I was going to enjoy this movie immediately as it opened with one of my favorite quote from Nietzsche: "Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man." The movie is about how children can endure physical violence, but not false hope.

The director uses some clever metaphors in the film. Although trains constantly pass through the sleepy Macedonian village, they never stop there. Marko, the child star of the film, seeks refuge in a train graveyard, living in an abandoned train car that will never go anywhere.

There is nothing new about the story, as it's been told time and again in many different languages. What makes it worth watching is an honest look at Macedonian life, it's struggle with poverty and American occupation. But what really made the film for me was a phenomenal performance by 12 year old Marko Kovacevic as Marko. He blew me away. I had the chance to meet the young talent after the film, and he's as cool as he is shy. I would certainly recommend seeing this film for his performance alone. (8/10)

Mirage is about a young boy named Marko who has some writing talents that lives in Macedonia during the wars. He is constantly being beaten by his sister or the local bullies at school. His mother is totally subservient to everyone in the household, and his father is a drunk on strike against the business where he was employed. They are poor by American standards. His peaceful place is hijacked by an ex-military guy of some kind that briefly enters Marko's life and teaches him how to shoot a gun. He also teaches Marko that there is no hope. Marko takes this lesson to heart and acts accordingly. This is a very well made film, but extremely depressing in that a feeling and talented child is totally mishandled by the adults around him.

"Mirage" focuses on the experience of a 12-year-old boy living in contemporary Macedonia. This film shows the extraordinary vulnerability of boys -- those beings who will become "our men" -- to the savagery of abuse and hypocrisy, at home and at school, and in society. All of these assaults are, like war itself, direct attacks on all children, of course, but especially on boys -- something we are just beginning to wake up to understanding. Here we see all the promise and hope and persistence that boys offer freely and without strings attached being battered, humiliated and finally overwhelmed by meanness born of resentment, cowardice where there should be tender, savvy guidance, and neglect by distracted, emotionally (and economically) impoverished parents. Macedonia, yes, -- but the setting could have been any neighborhood in the United States that is clouded by poverty. The lead is a awesome performance -- just heartbreaking -- by Marko Kovacevic. We watch this this boy, this surprise in the midst of banality and misery that every boy springs on us and which should delight us and perhaps could save us -- we watch him methodically terrorized and hurt. We see his hope and optimism annihilated. At first, sheer bewilderment at unremitting harshness forces his head to hang low -- again and again -- until, finally, it rears up after "just too much" and he looks at us, and acts. By then he is an early version of Paris (played by Nikola Djuricko), the man he will become, who was able just barely to promise Marko a way out -- but then lets him down. For starters, let this film be seen by every school teacher in the United States, then every father, and if the schools themselves can find the courage, by every kid in junior and senior high school in America.

There are human destinies, stories, situations that we could expect to happen in certain poor Asian or middle American countries. At least this is something we are used to consider "normal", "natural", this was a steady state for decades.

But modern world has brought changes. Not changes like that were brought by 20th century, when American slavery or Dickens' England disappeared. Nothing disappeared with 20th century, on the contrary – life that seemed to be reserved for Guatemala, Haiti or Indochina today can be found in Europe.

Life has never been easy in Eastern Europe. During socialism years poverty and hard life were mostly hidden, movie makers were forbidden to show dark side of life (it was impossible to accept that life can be rough in perfect society). Therefore the world never got a realistic view of life in these countries, especially in rural distant regions.

Today there is freedom to show everything - and life hasn't become any easier. In fact, even those rare good qualities vanished, among them hope. Old people accept what life brings as they always have. Adults became resigned, they can't expect even what their ancestors got. But youngsters don't have a picture of old world that had some values of their own, they see world as shown on MTV, they grow up with values brought by commercials, and every time they open their eyes reality makes them despair. And resigned adults don't try to input any other values, cause they don't believe in them either.

"Iluzija" is just one in a line of dark and hopeless stories showing this new world, that globalization gave to Macedonia (or Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Bosnia...). Romanian "Maria" tells us a true story of a woman that had to enter world of prostitution (with hints that it is the only destiny her daughter can expect, too); also showing infants been sold to families from the west. "König der Diebe" deals with selling older children to merchants from Germany (though it could be any other rich country) for illegal jobs like stealing and prostitution hidden by pictures and promises for better life. And, tragic as they are, these movies show people – both adults and children – that still have some hope. "Iluzija" is beyond that: you can't steal because everyone is poor, prostitution is limited to few able to pay (UN soldiers) and you can't even sell children cause there's no one to buy them. So if Barbu and Mimma in "König der Diebe" followed Caruso with enthusiasm and faith, and finally returned home understanding that it is still a safer and better place than promising West, Marko in "Iluzija" dreams of leaving, but everyone who could open him the exit door lets him down – from teachers to criminals.

And there is at least a bit of good in most characters in "Maria" and "König", we can't find a single character that we would actually like. Even Marko - we can understand or feel sorry for him, but would you like him to be your neighbour, to be your son's classmate? Life in Macedonia is most likely a bit better than in Romania or USSR countries. Being a part of Yugoslavia Macedonia had some more freedom, and there are some traditions (black wave from Serbia in late 60's) that Macedonian authors can lean on, so they are more sharp and radical than their colleagues from Soviet influence zone. "Iluzija" also shows deep political disruption between old left-wings from Yugoslavia years and right-wing mix of nationalist, pro-American democrats, (rare) new enriched people; and the national split – though the only Yugoslavia nation that wasn't in war against Serbia Macedonians have problems with large Albanian minority, and the teacher who is Bosnian is also a suspect, because both Bosnians and Albanians are Moslems... In this society bullying among children seems to be an inevitable consequence. This movie is hard to watch, but the authors must be praised for being brave not to avoid any dark side of life in their (and not only their) country.

One thing to add... If each word would be correctly translated, MPAA would probably let it free to watch for persons over 50. But I don't think English is rich enough. No language contains so many obscene words and idioms as Balkan languages. As much as I've noticed, only cats and dogs didn't use four-letter words in every minute on the screen. Yet this is also the part of reality.

One of the most amazing films I have ever seen in my life. I have not been so in tune with a film in a very long time. Every aspect of this film screams 'well-done.' The movie pulsates, after the train scene its just spectacular.

Marko Kovacevic is sensational, he deserved to be recognized for a youth acting award. He is simply amazing on screen and not since young Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun, have we seen such a genuine, in your face work of cinematic genius.

Stunningly done, the cinematography is professional and tangible. The on screen chemistry between all characters is very well directed. kudos to Macedonia.

i've seen this movie recently, on Belgrade Film Festival (FEST), and i was delighted. although nobody expected it (numerous movies were shown on FEST, from across the world, some of them hailed by film critics - like "Vera Drake", directed by Mike Leigh), "Iluzija" was the best film shown of festival, and not only because of the "clever metaphors", or actors performances (although both of this elements are excellently controlled), but because of straight, concentrated, well-narrated story, with clear and precise beginning-middle-end structure, and with lots of details that are creating dangerous and mean universe (picture of Balkan under NATO "protectors") of the movie. of course, viewer who knows facts about Macedonia-Balkan-ex-Yugoslavia can see some of the best artistic comments on reality of the countries in so-called "transition", and also political-incorrectness (if you consider the critic of EU-USA attitude on "small countries" to be uncorrected). and when you are thinking about the movie in-whole, you can realize why's there a Nietzsche quotation on the movies beginning. but, there's a lot of philosophy in it, so we are leaving that story for another time, and another place...