Sorrow, disdain and repulsion are the emotions that critics usually felt after watching almost any Croatian film made in 1990s. Unlike Serbia, where war, economic ruin and authoritarian regime didn't seem to affect filmmakers' creativity, Croatian filmmakers constantly failed to rise above those limitations. Reason for that can be found in the state being the only source of finances for dying film industry, which resulted in contents of those films being more or less synchronised with the rigid nationalist ideology of President Tudjman and his ruling party. This was especially evident in films that dealt with 1991-95 war in Croatia and almost always offered one-sided, simplistic view of that conflict and often degenerated into cheap propaganda that made Goebbels look like master of subtlety. However, mostly thanks to Ivo Štivičić, one of the more liberal managers of Croatian state television, there were some titles that managed to bend those rules and offer somewhat grittier and more realistic view of the war that haunted Croatia to this day. Among them the most celebrated was Vidimo se, 1995 television drama written and directed by Ivan Salaj.
The plot revolves about five young men who used to be best childhood friends. In summer of 1981 they spend idyllic time in the woods and make a solemn promise to bury each other in their favourite spot. Ten years later newly independent Croatia is fighting desperate war against Serb rebels backed by Serb-dominated military of former Yugoslavia. It is Autumn, city of Vukovar has fallen, Croatian morale is at all-time low and another conflict – between government-controlled National Guard and extreme right wing militia HOS - threatens to increase the bloodshed. Five friends meet again - first one is studying in Germany in order to avoid draft, second is guilt-stricken for not volunteering to fight, third is a heroin addict and fourth Maks (played by Goran Višnjić), member of HOS, obviously unable to accommodate himself to civilian life. The fifth member of the group was recently killed in action, and his funeral is the reason for their reunion. After re-evaluating their own lives and thinking about idyllic past and uncertain future, four friends decide to honour their childhood pledge.
Ivan Salaj spent some time on the front with a camera, and the result of his efforts, Hotel Sunja, is one of the best documentaries that dealt with the wars of former Yugoslavia. Because of seeing the war and its destructive effects first hand, Salaj knew what this film was all about and, therefore, refused to follow the rules of Croatian 1990s war films. In Salaj's film, the war of 1991-95 is presented less a heroic struggle between good and evil and more as a sum of individual tragedies, the worst of them all being the loss of innocence. In this film the picture of Croatia is extremely bleak – entire generation is doomed; uncertain future awaits those who won't be killed in war or fall prey to drugs, alcohol or PTSP and they are going to forever be haunted by seeing their childhood dreams shattered in most brutal way imaginable. The only way for protagonists of this film to justify their existence is through rebellion that manifests itself in action against spiritual (cursing God) or mundane authority (embodied in police).
Sincerity of its author, as well as an excellent way in he reconstructed the bleak atmosphere with meager financial resources at his disposal - all that makes Vidimo se into one of the best films produced in 1990s Croatia. Because of that, even some major flaws can be forgiven. One of those flaws - bad direction of few action scenes - can be explained with the low budget. The other - terrible acting - is something that is common to almost any 1990s Croatian film. The only exception comes in the form of Goran Višnjić (of later ER fame) who simply radiates charisma as socially challenged black-clad stormtrooper. Although there were better films made in 1990s Croatia, Vidimo se is nevertheless one of the most important. Whenever someone asks what was Croatia 1991 really like, this film is going to provide part of the answer. Unfortunately, judging by the way the recent events are unfolding, millions of people in the rest of the world might very easily find to have a lot in common with the characters of Vidimo se.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on October 17th 2001)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/427510-vidimo-se?language=en-US
Critic: AA