Reviews

I must have been hard to make TV adaptation of such a great and deeply meaningful Serbian novel as the Roots are. Howevever, the amazing job has been done by the crew. The author have caught personal drama of each and every character developing them to perfection. Serbian society of late XIX century and before is depicted honestly and vividly using occasionally dark tones, which were masterfully crafted in the whole atmosphere. Music is beautiful and acting is superb. Furthermore, it is evident that every single word of of the plot has been carefully chosen and matched into this cruel, but at the sime time deeply touching and emotional story. Roots have found their way.

Any decent effort to depict medieval history characters and events needs lot of time and preparation, and above all capacity to feel the inner world of medieval men and women. This series is a brutal example of presentism or artificielly understood medival times in terms of modern day people. The outcome is a disgraceful grotesque shown, for example, in case when Stefan and Hungarian king decided it was a time to play drums and violin instead local musicians. However, the biggest problem is that this series deals with the probably most important persons in history of the Serbian people. Their actions created the corner stones of national identity. The way how Saint Sava is depicted in the TV series is really shameless. The authors should have read at least the smallest part of the biography of Saint Sava written by Domentijan as his contemporary. Unfortunatelly, the Saint Sava who was such a powerful figure not only during his life and after his death, but even after his holy remains were burned at the stake at the end of 16th century by the Ottomans, looks so unconvincing in this TV series. There is no trace of notable wonders done by Saint Sava, but on the other hand we have a "wonder" when Serbian army drove away the invaders in front of besieged city using pots and spoons. It would be far more appropriate and realistic if the meteor fell on the enemy army.

This is far from good, even decent beginning of this long awaited epic series. Such complex historical characters are completely undeveloped preventing spectators from being emotionally involved in the story. Dialogues are empty, not convincing enough and pointless on many ocassions. Costumes and photography cannot bridge all the gaps which are huge, particularly in terms of script and acting. Judging the first episode, I cannot conclude what the idea of the authors was, because this looks more like an educational program. In my opinion, the only good moment in the entire episode was the scene of Stefan Nemanja in captivity praying to Saint George. This is too little and not nearly enough. I respect the effort ot the authors, but they had a brilliant example from the past how historical series of such genre and complexity should look like. Thus, an epic saga on the life of Vuk Karadzic that was filmed 30 years ago set hardly reachable artistic standards while series on Nemanjics apparently turned from that path at the very beginning offering an below average outcome. I do hope that situation will improve in later episodes, but I am afraid the damage has alredy been done.

This is one of the best series that has appeared in Serbia during the past two decades. However, it has been so underestimated, misunderstood and surrounded by false perceptions of new generations alienated from their own origins. First of all, this script has nothing in common with another Serbian series dealing with living in a country that was being broadcast at the same time. The amount of money that was invested in "My cousin from the country" cannot compare with the latter series.Secondly, the image of a villager is quite different. They are not pictured as confused and unadapted persons, but clever and wise people, full of spirit, who fight to survive in harsh times. The dialogs are so deep and meaningful that i enjoyed in every word of that brilliant script. It is not an archaic story, it is story of ourselves how we used to be, a story of dying breed of people that founded this country and built it up. I was simply blown away by the marvelous performance of Tanasije Uzunovic.He plays his role as he was born in that village and live there for all of his life. Full of wisdom that only life experience can provide, he is a true head of the family, sometimes ironic in his wisdom, but with so much love and care for all his family and their happiness. Nebojsa Glogovac in the role of a local priest was also at his best. One of the deepest and the most emotional scenes in the series is the part when he fulfills the last wish of an old lady to sing her the song on youth at her dying bed. I want to believe that one day people would understand the messages from this series better.

An epic series that has unfortunately been forgotten even in the country where it was created.Through the eyes of Vuk Karadzic, the reformer of Serbian language, the authors gave us a story of rebirth of Serbian nation from the bonds of slavery under Turkish rule. Serbs where the first people in Balkans who raised the uprising against the Ottomans and their struggle was not only in the field of war, but in the area of literacy and science as well. Fight for the language was taking place same as the fight for freedom.

The best actors that this country has ever had revive the brutal world of suffering, intrigues and acts of heroism. Miki Manojlovic, as Vuk Karadzic, and Aleksandar Bercek in the role of ruthless, but clever Serbian prince Milos Obrenovic have set hardly reachable standards of acting with their astonishing performances. Marko Nikolic,Danilo Lazovic, Velimir Zivojinovic,Gorica Popovic, Rade Markovic, it simply impossible to enumerate all great actors who gave outstanding contributions to this series. It is specially interesting the performance of Marko Nikolic as a Karadjordje because of his great resemblance with the mentioned Serbian war lord.Beautiful and suggestive music of Vojislav Kostic gave so much to this series.

This film is so deep, meaningful, touching and brilliant in every way.It may seem like a bad, but inevitable omen in the world we all share.There are no families, friends and collective spirit, but only individuals who dwell under the everlasting dark sky. It is raining all the time and humanity has somehow lost in the past. Androids are not some artificial beings, but strong metaphor of the last remains of humanity that left in the people.It is a story of dehumanization final step when all will be forgotten like "tears in the rain". The final scene with Ruther Hauer is one of the best i have ever seen on film and it is the very essence of this master-piece. It is the part when Deckard's struggle with himself culminates and when hope for the mankind is reborn. Breathtaking music of Morricone completes this film creating a true magic on the screen.

I was watching this film very carefully and when it was over only one thing crossed my mind. I had the feeling that film was undeservedly named "King Arthur" due to brilliant performance of Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård in the role of Saxon leader. Stellan gave so much to his character that King Arthur and Lancelot, as his the most significant knight, look like two boys comparing to Saxon chief. In my opinion, Clive is not a bad actor, but he simply do not have charisma necessary for King Arthur. Perhaps it should have been better if the main role had been entrusted to Ray Stevenson who is the only man in that casting who could be equal to Stellan as a Saxon tribe leader. This could save the film. Thus we have been denied of real pleasure to watch two equal rivals in their fight. On the other hand, scene where Christian priests were burying pagans alive seems so unreal if we have in mind that the early Christians where those who where prosecuted and killed and this was not the age of Spanish inquisition.

Making successful movies on civil wars is always a difficult task demanding dedication to the idea of objectiveness and complexity needed for artistic perception of madness that surrounds the tragedy of such conflict. This movie fails on so much levels that it can hardly be enumerated. Firstly, the script is so simplified and shows deeply misunderstanding of not only Bosnian, but probably any civil war conflict at all. In order to make a distinctive movie you must firstly avoid stereotype on solely bad and good guys, because that this is not a comic book, but real life in all of its cruelty and sorrow.The peoples of Bosnia have been living for centuries together and have the same genetic origin. This is important to say, because this movie shows one people as ugly bunch of cavemen including even children. There are words in the script that the main characters must be careful when they leave Bosnian capital Sarajevo because they enter into the land of raping and murdering. Thus we have a superhero dressed as a reporter who faces with the biggest horrors in the Earth in his efforts to find and capture the villain and the movie clearly suggests us that all of this people are villains and that there is no difference between them at all. With such a bad script acting stays irrelevant. The acting is in the service of propaganda unworthy of beautiful art of film making.