War Live

2000
6.7| 1h41m| en| More Info
Released: 01 November 2000 Released
Producted By: Cobra Film Department
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Belgrade, 1999. Producer Sergei and his film crew are in a disastrous situation - the film they're making is under threat - there's no money, the crew are dissatisfied - and NATO bombing is just around the corner. Then a member of the State Security Service (Mileta) comes looking for American co-producer Harvey. Anxious and worried, in the midst of the bombing that's begun, Sergei hides Harvey from what he thinks is awaiting him - arrest. During the night, he thinks up a plan. He announces the start of filming on a new, patriotic film - in which the main role will be played by Harvey. The plan works - the State supports the film and Mileta, as the State's representative, joins the crew. However, the underlying conflict between Mileta and Sergei explodes during the first screening. Mileta accuses them of being artists, and not being patriots.

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

Cobra Film Department

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Images

Reviews

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
tuckerbjones I've seen a lot of movies from the Western Balkans in the last two years (about 30 out of the last 40 movies I've seen are from the former Yugoslavia) but this one stands out the most. This is the only movie on IMDb that I've given a 10-star rating. The movie seems to be pretty fair to both the Americans and the Serbs, with each put into moral dilemmas and not necessarily making the best choices. The consequences of the war on everyday people in Belgrade are also evident, with several named characters dying throughout the film. Other reviewers say that this movie is made to make Serbs look like powerless victims, but that's actually how the majority of Belgrade residents viewed themselves. Whether that's accurate or not is up for debate. Still, the movie is made by Belgraders about Belgraders, so expect some mild bias. I found that only a few of the main characters were really flat while most of the core crew was fairly well-developed. Each grappled with issues of divided loyalties.Other reviewers have mentioned that the movie seems incomplete and that the editing is at times choppy and hard to understand. This is absolutely true. However, the moment when the editing gets choppy is the moment when the editor character dies. The movie is quite meta; the audience is meant to believe that the characters in the film actually produced the film and so as the on-screen film team falls into chaos, so does the clarity and production quality of the movie that the audience is watching. I found that this added to the movie, while other reviewers think it took away from it. Your call. I honestly wasn't expecting a masterpiece. Movies about movies, just like poems about poetry, songs about singing, or other art about art, can easily become self-indulgent and plain boring. However, Rat Uzivo/War Live is indeed a masterpiece. It manages not to be excessively self- indulgent but instead meta in all the best ways. (Also, I was amazed to see the logo of the Durham Bulls, my local minor league baseball team, on the hat of Harvey the American. Unexpected moment of North Carolina pride.)
bakovljev The first two thirds of the film were excellent and most watchable. Sadly, the editing of the last part is rushed and leaves one confused, unsure of what it really is trying to say.Anyone who is fearful of this being a propaganda movie will be happy to learn that the central (bad guy) character represents the prevailing regime. I cannot possibly agree that it is a Serbian nationalist flick.For a glimpse of what it may have been like to be in Belgrade whilst bombs were dropping around you, this is a great and interesting portrayal. It may not have been the bombs themselves causing havoc, but politics, opinions, love, hate, alcohol etc. The drunken scene in the restaurant with the bombing in the background is terrific.
Jasmine Jade I can't believe this terrible film was made by the same people who made Lepa Sela Lepo Gore. Watch that and skip this. The plot is muddled and the characters are mostly two-dimensional stereotypes. I suspect the editor went on vacation halfway through the film because quick, choppy cuts start to appear that only confuse matters rather than elucidate them. The ending doesn't make sense either.This is predominantly a propaganda film made so Serbs can feel sorry for themselves and vilify America for the NATO bombings of 1999. They do this by perpetuating lies about Serbs being our allies during WWII, claiming the whole world is unjustly against them, and completely ignoring everything said and done by Slobodan Milosevic, like waging war on three neighboring countries. They seem intent on making a political film but only show a few seconds of Milosevic on a TV screen with no sound. A nationalist agenda obviously superseded any consideration of art which was not the case with Lepa Sela.Regrettably, I recommended this film to a teacher when it played last week at the Seattle International Film Festival. He also cited the bad editing and confusing plot, and I had to apologize for the bad advice. You've been warned.
Harry323-1 Fascinating look behind the headlines of contemporary Belgrade. Character Harvey, played by Daryl Haney, gives frighteningly funny and dark performance as American ex-pat. Surprisingly high production values all around, capped off by tense script and timely subject matter. Recommended

Similar Movies to War Live