The Parade2011

To my mind, Serbian filmmakers have mastered black comedy in a way that few others have. An affective rollercoaster, by turns hilarious, profound, and downright terrifying. Characters are fleshed out where it matters and the performances are all solid. Great care is taken in framing, and there are a lot of really nice establishing shots that would be easy to miss. Indeed, the small details make the movie, complicating and elevating otherwise quotidian images, such as two characters making the sign of the cross.

I'd advise watching with a friend who speaks Serbian, as the captions used here do not always catch the literal meaning of the dialogue. Sometimes, this more figurative translation is useful and interesting, providing an exogenous audience with subtext it might not otherwise have: for example, the police chief's fear of a pride parade is not that everyone might ask for human rights (the more literal translation), but that "gypsies and Albanians" might. Other times, this translation simply adds another layer of comedy: for example, the caption "ciao" instead of the more literal "eat shit." These differences are not flaws; rather, the fact of these discrepancies enriches the thematic, tonal and political nuances of the film.

Amazing! This movie manages to be hilarious, charming, deeply moving, and very emotional all at once. One of the best movies I've ever seen, it tackles the extremely difficult task of appealing to homophobic audiences with its humor about macho uber-hetero Balkan men, drawing them into the hilarity, and ultimately moving them to change their minds (at least that is the Writer/Director's stated goal). Each character is so embodied and specific that their interactions are some that I plan to show to different friends again and again.

Funny but serious and moving at the same time. Very well done.

EXCELLENT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT