Around this time last year I became embroiled in a heated censorship debate that began after I wrote a story about an illegal Melbourne Underground Film Festival screening of director Bruce LaBruce’s LA Zombie, which was slapped with an RC (Refused Classification) rating by the Australian Classification Board. Under the headline ‘Cops didn’t show, but maybe they should have: gay zombie porn sickens‘ I wrote an on-the-scene account of an evening emblazoned in my memory for all the wrong reasons.
Twelve months later another film arrives that douses itself in representations of sexualized violence so extreme, and so disgusting, that even the most liberal cinephiles will feel compelled to take a cold shower and wash their eyes out afterwards. As one person on Twitter observed, after I wrote in a post-screening tizzy something along the lines of wanting to hurl myself in the direction of the nearest high-powered hose, “once you see it you can’t un-see it.” If you could “un-see” a film — pop a pill and hey presto, there’s ya memory wiped — the censorship debate, perhaps, would not exist.
But exist it does. A Serbian Film, which opened this year’s MUFF, was initially banned by the ACB in November 2010. Its distributor shaved two minutes off the running time, re-submitted it for classification, and it was banned again in February. A second censored version was passed in April and released on DVD nationally this week in every state except South Australia, where it was refused by the state’s Classification Council. The Federal Government has asked the ACB to review its decision.
The film begins with a scene in which a young boy watches his father starring in a porno. It goes down hill — down, down, down hill — from there, to places you don’t talk about at dinner parties. To places you don’t talk about in grubby lane ways thick with the stench of urine or grimy honky-tonks that serve bootleg absinthe. In other words, to places you don’t talk about — at least not in any kind of detail — anywhere.
This is why — surprise surprise — A Serbian Film got in trouble with the censors: because it is a revolting experience. The story follows a porn star renown for his ability to “humiliate women” and then “bring them back.” He is offered a lucrative contract by a shady employer, the best paying gig of his life. When he enters a home for abandoned and orphaned children, and two bulky men follow him with cameras, the experience begins to slide into morally irredeemable territory.
The porn producer argues that victims feel the most and sell the best. There are scenes involving sexualised violence designed to push the boundaries of public tolerance and then some. Well, mission accomplished. But what a pathetic impetus.
A Serbian Film is shot and edited well, with a musty off-colour look and an atmosphere carefully and eerily handled. It’s not a cheapo production on a technical level and there’s certainly craft in the way it was put together.
But that doesn’t come close to redeeming the film as a worthwhile experience. The screenwriters pathetically try to convince the audience that the protagonist is a victim, part of a muddled message about how the worst perpetrators are also sufferers in a landscape in which there are no winners — only people who lose more than others.
Well, big deal. The film embraces its own gratuity as much as it might like to think it surpasses it or adds a worthwhile commentary. It is aware of what it is doing and the kind of filth it embraces. Contrasted with La Zombie, another wretched experience tailor made for wingnuts to oppose and sickos to champion, A Serbian Film is self-consciously smart where LA Zombie has a kind of under grad naivety, a stoopid experiment in button pushing gone bad.
No amount of flimsy academic posturing or faux Freudian analysis can come close to legitimising A Serbian Film, and nor could it with La Zombie. Like most films that draw the ire of Australian censors, the general public, hardly seduced by the idea of tasting the cinematic equivalent of regurgitated bile, will not be campaigning for its release. Even civil libertarians will pause to consider what they’re fighting for and whether it’s worth it. Does this film deserve to be banned? I’ll leave that to the viewer to determine, though I strongly suggest they ought not bother. Does it deserve to be watched? No. No. And no.
A Serbian Film is currently available on DVD in every state and territory except South Australia.
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20 Comments
Sensing you might need another colour on the rating scale.
Thank goodness we South Australians are protected from being able to decide for ourselves. I haven’t read anything that would convince me to bother with it but now I don’t have to worry at all.
Could we get back to the gay zombie porn?
I just read this rubbish above. You are a wowser (again), Luke! So you are pro censorship for LA Zombie and A Serbian Film? What else do you want banned on your personal whim, My Lord? Me I like to let grown adults decide what they want to view in the arts, cinema or literature, etc, as long as it is made legally without anyone getting hurt, etc. Do you think normal X rated porn should be banned as it is now in each State but the ACT, you prude? A Serbian Film is difficult, I will admit. Our theme at MUFF “Destroy All Movies” touched on that. I have seen it 3 times now and it is a film not without artistic merit. It has received many positive reviews from both art house and populist critics for its portrait of horror and terror and its clear metaphor for the Balkans conflict. Whether that justifies its extremities is another matter. It IS disturbing. But maybe that is indeed the point. Some films should occasionally disturb you! No one has the right not to be offended! If you don’t like the sound of it, of course, don’t see it. MUFF just gave it Best Film on Saturday Night at Jimmy The Exploder insistence at our award ceremony. He was our jury head. So that’s my thoughts on all that. Cheers Richard W
I don’t get it, my review highlights A Serbian Film for what it truly is (disturbing, morally criminal) like yours does, but I think you really missed the mark here, the closing two paragraphs are an unnecessary soapbox that simplifies what cinema is/should be. To be honest, the unreal representation of everything in Serbian Film (plastic imagery, curious communication, wooden dialogue, illusory rooms/places) makes it quite palatable and even funny as it has gone beyond what is reasonable to be offended about, to take it seriously is to fall into its trap. In fact, by comparison Snowtown was way more reprehensible, thoroughly un-entertaining and bleak/real in its depiction of horrible murder, hopeless scenario and dreadful outcomes, and yet that is not lambasted.
Thanks for the feedback. Some interesting talking points and a couple of points/questions I want to make.
RICHARD: I find it odd that you would slap me with the “pro censorship” label in response to a review in which I deliberately (and, I thought, fairly obviously) avoided passing a judgement on whether or not it should be censored. The end of my review reads “Does this film deserve to be banned? I’ll leave that for the viewer to determine, though I strongly suggest they ought not bother. Does it deserve to be watched? No.” This is a clear way of saying: decide yourself re: censorship but heed the warning: in my opinion the film isn’t worth an hour and a half of your time. Far from it. So you calling me “pro-censorship” and “a prude” is not fair cop. I also observed that “there’s certainly craft in the way it was put together” which makes the point clearly that I saw some artistic value in it on some level.
My question to you is this: in a recent interview, with ABC Radio, you were quoted saying about the film “I personally think it does cross the line and I literally was not going to play it but I went, no, no, that’s the reason I should play it.” (transcript here: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3296780.htm)
Could you extrapolate on what you meant by “cross the line?” And if my interpretation of your comment is correct, and you decided to play the film because of its shock value and not its artistic value, then, my man, I don’t see such a large gulf between your opinion and mine. Other than you believe it’s worth watching and I don’t.
KWENTON: If you don’t “get” my review, I’m afraid your comments (I haven’t read your review but would like to) also befuddled me. In the first sentence of your comment you say your review highlighted A Serbian Film “for what it truly is” which is “disturbing” and “morally criminal.” The very next sentence you describe the film as “quite palatable” and “funny.” Which is it? If it’s all four that’s an oddly contradictory combination: a disturbing and morally criminally film that is quite palatable and funny (!?). You can champion or criticize A Serbian Film, but the idea that this is not a film that asks us to take it seriously is ridiculous.
Hi Luke,
The post MUFF attack dog!
Well, I’m glad you clarified your position RE: Censorship. It just seems with last years article suggesting Police should have turned up (…they did eventually at my house!) that you agreed that LA Zombie should be banned. Same here with your reactionary “Morally Irredeemable” tag line over A Serbian Film.
“Could you extrapolate on what you meant by “cross the line?” Sure. This film is an extreme Horror film that deals with the full terrors of the Balkans War as metaphor. Maybe it does go to far in its shocking scenes. But maybe that is the point. Maybe confronting the true horrors in our world (or that world) we can perhaps better defeat or prevent them. The film is traumatic, sure, but maybe a film about the war or history there should be. A film intellectual at our Censorship Forum said the film is really about how we perceive Serbians as total monsters and war criminals. Which is an interesting take. These lines of thinking informed my decision to play it. Some films should shock, too, and this one most people agree succeeds on that front. Is it shock for shocks sake? I like to let people decide for themselves, as I hope you do. Hence the MUFF screening.
I did not make the decision to play it lightly and did so after consulting other industry friends for advice. That’s it really.
If I seem aggressive and defensive it’s that you attack MUFF two years in a row over our movie Free Speech flag ship without doing any pre festival coverage, giving us credit as Free Speech campaigners or letting people know what’s else is on at MUFF, etc. If your intention is only to attack MUFF, a small Indy festival that champions local and OS low budget cinema, that’s cool, just say so.
Otherwise perhaps be a little fairer.
Cheers
and
Best Regards
Richard Wolstencroft
PS Answer me a question: Where do you stand on X rated films being legal in all states?
Rich, being a bit precious mate. Your complaint has bugger all to do with any reasonable reading of the review. Appreciate your commitment to film, MIFF etc, but you’re doing yourself a disservice by using this review to square up. Perhaps writing your own opinion piece would best serve you, I imagine it would be better considered.
What is it with Eastern Europe & these sorts of films? I’ll watch it out of a morbid curiosity but don’t expect to be culturally enhanced by the experience.
……and yes – complaining about things that weren’t written in Luke’s review is a bit precious.
sorry but ( and i am loving the ethics Vs censorship tug of war ) who really needs to see a baby being raped , who are you, what do you look like , do you present as a desensitized ,sanitized ,feelingless spectator who just watches and watches , are you emblazoned with a new perspective or perhaps another level of desensitivity that continues to deliver the courage to watch anything , and i mean anything.
Have to concur wordwhore. Graphic scenes of newborn baby raping, torture and rape of children men and women. There are some countries where this is a brutal and banal daily occurrence. There seriously are people who would die in ditch to defend “our right” to see it as entertainment?
Somehow freedom of expression, freedom from political and racial oppression and the support of free speech have devolved into WAH WAH YOU CAN’T TAKE AWAY OUR TORTURE PORN TOYS.
That is the bottom line. There is no noble pursuit. Few select people like to jack off to this type of crap. Or dress it up like they are edgy and artistic for applying some crappy subtext.
Please, you are not fooling anyone.
Whatever. You do not understand the film. The issue here: the censors passed it. I played it. So what? If you think it should be banned take it up with the Censorship Board. Luke, no response? Or is that you posting above anonymously? You strike me as the type to do that. Luke Buckmaster, I conjecture, you are a controversy hound only interested in getting your own name out there (apropos YOUR own narcissism) via attaching it to various controversial local film stories (Richard Moore, Me, Schembri, etc). I have heard this from more than a few industry pros. But hey that’s OK. Go well all. Viva Free Speech. And “fuck you” to to forces of censorship. That’s just how I feel. I understand others feel differently. It’s just that they are WRONG. Cheers Rich
I gotta say I’m finding some of the comments here pretty funny.
I really don’t understand what Richard Wolstencroft is going on about here. I read over this thread a couple of times and I don’t see Luke Buckmaster attacking free speech or condoning censorship. All I see is him calling crappy film crappy. Which actually I kinda agree with.
First and foremost my most significant problem with A Serbian Film was that I didn’t find it traumatic. I ultimately found it completely silly and THAT was the problem. I agree with Wolstencroft that films about serious topics should be shocking and traumatic but the main sin of A Serbian Film was that it wasn’t either of those things. I laughed out loud at one of the ‘shocking’ moments near the end as it was so ridiculous. The film is too slick, too ‘hollywood’ in its aesthetics, to be affective in any way and the ultimate ‘metaphor’ that has been attached to the story just doesn’t work for me. It’s not a film about war, or serbian history or any of that, but rather it is a modern day exploitation film that is pretty average and has pretensions of greater meaning. It’s a film that uses shock tactics under the guise of bullshit metaphor simply to get attention and press (not unlike the equally pointless HUMAN CENTIPEDE).
I’m not pro-censorship, and I don’t believe any film should necessarily be banned but I do find it amusing that most films that do end up getting RC are actually pretty shit (LA ZOMBIE, KEN PARK, BAISE MOI). If A Serbian Film was banned I wouldn’t be upset simply cause it’s crap. Everyone has the right to stand up for whatever they believe and if you really want to champion crappy films like this and LA ZOMBIE then go ahead but there really are better films out there to bother with
Thanks for your feedback Richard but what you’re doing in your last couple of comments is conflating the issues; mixing your perception of me and my coverage of your festival with discussion of the film itself. Nobody is having a go at you for screening A Serbian Film. And, I will reiterate this point, once again, I am not and did not argue for the film to be banned.
To respond to your previous comments: you said I have attacked MUFF two years running, and, while I reject that completely, I can at a push understand where it’s coming from. But time for a reality check: I have, in two years, reviewed only two MUFF films. Both of them (LA Zombie and A Serbian Film) I loathed. Both are intentionally shocking and divisive. Both, I assume, were made with the intention of getting tongues wagging, stoking the fires of controversy.
As evidenced in this blog, mission: accomplished. I think passionate discussion of a film’s merits (or lack thereof) is something that should be encouraged, not discouraged. Last year, with regards to LA Zombie, I published on this blog, in the interest of further promoting discussion, a review from somebody who loved the film. It is the only time in the history of this blog I have published a post written by somebody else and it was deeply complimentary of the film you screened.
So I don’t think it’s justified for you to write “be a little fairer.” These are two shocking films designed to spur discussion. I’ve written about these two wretched experiences and called them as I see them. What is wrong with that?
I do hope next year to explore the MUFF festival with more depth, but no promises. Your festival arrives right after MIFF, which is traditionally an exhausting period, and readers outside of Melbourne find it of limited interest given the underground nature of the festival.
As a person organising a film festival off the smell of an oily rag, you have, in that capacity, my respect. But keep selecting shocking films to screen (I would expect no less) and guess what — you’re going to get some fiery and opinionated responses. That’s par for the course. One can’t afford to be precious.
I’m not being precious. Say what you like. I don’t care. I was defending the film A Serbian Film as provocation and cinema, our decision to play it Opening Night at MUFF 12, addressing a sense of bias/animus I felt emanating from you since you first bushwhacked me post LA Zombie screening and that’s all really. Go in peace, my son. Cheers Rich
I think that by deliberately programming “A Serbian Film” at MUFF on the very idea that it is provocative cinema would imply that you know people are going to have severe opinions on it. It shouldn’t surprise you that someone would hate the film just as it shouldn’t surprise you that someone would love it. The mere fact that one person who did hate it was a local film writer shouldn’t have anything to do with it. Are you going to attack every other person on the internet who didn’t like the movie and tell them they didn’t “get” or “understand” it. Luke isn’t saying the film should be banned, but merely saying that any future viewers should perhaps think twice about choosing to watch it.
Get a room, Glen. Yes I am going to attack everyone. Lol. Yes I was being provocative. Yes I knew people would hate it. Luke’s reaction was fine. Just having a chat. I do like fucking with him a little. Lol. Because I’m a cheeky bastard. I essentially a Yes man. An eternal optimist about nature’s eternal pessimism. Toodle oo. Tricky Dicky
You still avoided the question of your thoughts on X rated films, Lukey Poo? Agree with the State ban, legality of in Oz? Or disagree, bitch? In a related matter Jon Hewit’s X enters Top 20 on imdb ratings. Go Jon! Best R