Despite receiveing
two European film awards after the mixed international reception of The Day That Shook The World, his
follow-up to the partisan epic The Battle
of Neretva, Yugoslav director Veljko Bulajić reset his sights on creating a
wonderfully designed fantasy film of which holds a very subtle criticism of the
Cold War despite being steeped in folklore.
The story itself is a fantasy rendition of an old story about the
mysterious self proclaimed emperor of Montenegro Šćepan Mali, who succeeded in
modernizing Montenegro in the second half of the 18th century.
Unlike the 1955
version which remains historically accurate, The Man to Destroy surmises the main character Farfa is an agent of
Hell sent to Montenegro for one year to convince the population he is the
Russian emperor Peter III with the aim of restoring the balance between good
and evil upon his return to the Russian throne. Zvonimir Črnko shines as Farfa, portraying the
struggle between following orders and independence amid schooling little demon
children about moral equilibrium. Through Farfa, the film provides a profound
criticism of the relations between East and West, a daring move for a film
during Tito's reign.
Born in Montenegro, it
becoms clear this was Bulajić's dream project thanks to the elaborate
production design. Every set and
location screams authenticity including Hell, among the most detailed facets of
the film with snake pits, punishment rooms with Genghis-Khan on a wooden horse
whipping four women to pull while bedding a nun, and special attention given to
the makeup and costume design of the demons including Beelzebub himself.
Aiding the
proceedings is Jože Privšek's superb original score, prodiving the story with
the feeling of an epic scope. Branko
Ivatovic's cinematography creates the grandiose atmosphere in Hell and on
Earth. The supporting cast itself is solid including but not limited to the
actors playing the demons and sinners in Hell, giving viewers an ensemble
glance at the warring lives between the forces of light and darkness.
All in all, this is a
must see for every cult horror fan or a connoisseur of Ex-Yu films. The atmosphere and production design clearly
showcase the inspiration for the low budget sword and sandal films of the early
80s. Moreover, Bulajić's dark fable suggests we as human beings must break away
our ideological shackles and think independently if we're ever to we can help
ourselves and the people around us.
Score:
- Hrvoje Grahovac
- edited by Andrew Kotwicki