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Riding the Black Wave...Zaseda (1969)


Zaseda.. The Ambush (1969) Yugoslavia. Serbian director Živojin Pavlović

Excellent compelling film set post Second World War about the re-education and re-construction of the northern rural parts of Yugoslavia.
It is a film that shows the disastrous effects the new revolution has on the men who must carry out orders and on the civilians who bear the burden in a chaotic & uncertain environment.
The protagonist is a young and optimistic partisan who is appalled by the behaviour of his fellow soldiers & superiors after their victory in the war. The authoritarians prove to be opportunistic & hypocritical, not at all interested in the well-being and prosperity that had proudly been promised. The contemporary parallels of the revolutionary critique are more than obvious.
The film is accompanied throughout with some marvellous folk music and lovely Milena Dravić.
Pavlović was one of the boldest Yugoslav film directors of the "Black Wave" movement, his talent and many international awards kept him untouchable from censors.

I have been able to track down Zaseda & some other very good quality English subtitled films from the Black Wave movement, Rondo (1966), and Skupljači perja..I Even Met Happy Gypsies (1967), and obviously the Makavejev films on Criterion but sadly most films seem unavailable.

Are there any other Eng.Sub. Yugoslav Black Wave films available on DVD ?









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Hi planet. I've not seen this movie but thanks for the review. Still not seen 'Covek nije tica' (1965) which you wrote about either. Here's (still) hoping a distributor like Second Run will one day look into co-opting some of these classics for dvd release.

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