I've watched "Comic Sans" on HBO - swallowed it one go. I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to other people as "worth seeing". Good movie.
One morning later, I woke up establishing a new layer of understanding of this move. The one which goes beyond the character level straight into national level. And national levels are very dangerous levels for us in the Balkans, as you might know.
Croatians on one, and Serbs, and Slovenians on the other side, are not a shining example of friendship. Historically, hatred and death were more common than love and cooperation.
So, here comes the parallel which I saw, through several bullets:
* Given that Alan represents Croatia - we see it in the state of frustration and disorientation which, btw, is the current state of all other countries on the Balkan.
This frustration is then more specifically demonstrated in several directions, most of them can be considered almost as cliché in our regions.
* Alan, being delusional, sexually abuses a daughter of a Serb. For that, later-on, he gets severely beaten. I saw that as "traditional" Croatian frustration and fighting with Serbs.
* Alan, sexually enjoys his Croatian ex-girlfriend for the last time, before she goes and lives "happily ever after" with a Slovenian rich guy. I saw clear equivalent with the "Gulf of Piran" dispute between Croatia and Slovenia.
* Alan and his dad, being delusional again, find fun and enjoyment in two European ladies. However, when showing a bit of a rough temper, they get ditched on a deserted island. Isn't this the general feeling nations get when being subjected to a whole load of EU rules for which, if not followed, countries get punished.
* For Alan, last but not the least, there is the moment of reconciliation with his own father Bruno, or shall we say, with his origins --- which he also uses to explain his state today. I have to be careful here, but there are quite some things in the past Croatians should not be proud of. I guess, reconciliation with that is still in progress...
I'm curious if the director was explicitly aware of these parallels or is this just part of the Croatian current culture which unavoidably slips into creations like this move. I especially like the ending. Reconciliation and the question --- what to do next?
This is something we all (nations) desperately need to do soon.
Good movie - worth seeing. Even if, only, at the character level 😊.
One morning later, I woke up establishing a new layer of understanding of this move. The one which goes beyond the character level straight into national level. And national levels are very dangerous levels for us in the Balkans, as you might know.
Croatians on one, and Serbs, and Slovenians on the other side, are not a shining example of friendship. Historically, hatred and death were more common than love and cooperation.
So, here comes the parallel which I saw, through several bullets:
* Given that Alan represents Croatia - we see it in the state of frustration and disorientation which, btw, is the current state of all other countries on the Balkan.
This frustration is then more specifically demonstrated in several directions, most of them can be considered almost as cliché in our regions.
* Alan, being delusional, sexually abuses a daughter of a Serb. For that, later-on, he gets severely beaten. I saw that as "traditional" Croatian frustration and fighting with Serbs.
* Alan, sexually enjoys his Croatian ex-girlfriend for the last time, before she goes and lives "happily ever after" with a Slovenian rich guy. I saw clear equivalent with the "Gulf of Piran" dispute between Croatia and Slovenia.
* Alan and his dad, being delusional again, find fun and enjoyment in two European ladies. However, when showing a bit of a rough temper, they get ditched on a deserted island. Isn't this the general feeling nations get when being subjected to a whole load of EU rules for which, if not followed, countries get punished.
* For Alan, last but not the least, there is the moment of reconciliation with his own father Bruno, or shall we say, with his origins --- which he also uses to explain his state today. I have to be careful here, but there are quite some things in the past Croatians should not be proud of. I guess, reconciliation with that is still in progress...
I'm curious if the director was explicitly aware of these parallels or is this just part of the Croatian current culture which unavoidably slips into creations like this move. I especially like the ending. Reconciliation and the question --- what to do next?
This is something we all (nations) desperately need to do soon.
Good movie - worth seeing. Even if, only, at the character level 😊.