As a Bad Dream (2003) User Reviews (4)

Slavic soul

[marinelad · 7/10 · 9 September 2004]

If I trusted bad-intended review from the Montreal Film Festival 2003 I would probably skip this film or better to say I would miss to see well acted and well directed emotionally tense piece of art. Luckily I had a chance to see Mitrikeski's first film 'Across the lake' seven years ago and I still remember it very well. The other part of reason that attracted me was a script by Dejan Dukovski who previously wrote a magnificent play 'Cabaret Balkan' that served as a plot for one of the best Serbian movies filmed in the late nineties, Goran Paskaljevic's 'Bure baruta'.

'Like a bad dream' has the same wide Slavic soul that was evident in 'Across the lake' and tells probably more about its director than about anything else. The story is slightly darker and more schizophrenic but again very 'Balkanic' as it retrospectively follows dysfunctional lives of people heavily affected by the recent Balkan wars. All of them are searching for love and understanding but get very little of it. Sejtan (Miki Manojlovic – outstanding as always) was recruited to the army right from his wedding and came back from the war heavily traumatized. He cannot establish communication with his devoted wife (impressive Iskra Veterova) as the flash-backs of unneeded violence towards both men and women are hunting him. Running from her he actually tries to run from himself and his memories. Instead of finding peace in Amsterdam he founds another runaway from the war, a young Ivan (very promising Ertan Saban). Ivan's professor (Robert Englund) falls in love with his gorgeous straight student and this makes story even more complicated and catastrophic.

Yes, there definitely is an absolute mess in all characters' lives, and that is probably something that a person who lives far away, on another continent, and, luckily, have no war experiences could never imagine, not to say understand. But if a person cannot understand such a problem, which is indeed a cry for a help, this does not necessarily mean that the film is worthless. Two leading actors are excellent. In some cases even the supporting players are great (Alma Prica as a nun in prison). The author does not judge, does not justify, does not try to make things not a bit nicer - just throws to the spectators' faces heavy war consequences as a warning. It might be useless; but that is what art can do. I left the cinema with quite bitter taste in my mouth, feeling so overwhelmed by strong emotions that I was barely able to speak. That is my measure for a film's quality – it has to make me FEEL. One additional trilling thing is smart use of music. The album 'Melurgia' by Anastasia, a terrific Macedonian band that became better known after the music for the Milco Mancevski's 'Before the rain', was used as entirely suitable soundtrack for the Balkan-based parts of the story. Specific mixture of traditional Macedonian rhythms, spiritual Byzantian heritage and Orthodox religious singing with use of modern technology was composed much before this film was made (1997) but its unsolved depth and unusual beauty add a sense of mystery and affliction and a bit of fear that this damn part of the world might be truly cursed. So do not trust everything you can read on www. Make your own judgment. And enjoy this powerful movie like I did.

Between trauma and dream

[melissarmcdougall · 10/10 · 11 September 2018]

Everyone who is occupied with the exploration of the destinies of the "broken structures", created by war traumas, at the same time is engaged in research of the possible destiny of the modern globalization, in regard to looking at the outcome of the struggle between two drives, Eros and Thanatos. The film "LIKE A BAD DREAM" and its author Antonio Mitrikeski create an original artistic contribution to discovering and asking for answers to these serious questions. In this film are interwoven dream and reality of the main characters, who are presented as prisoners in "the games of the others". Those games are turned around in the hermetic world consisted of forced roles, with two extremes: at the one side is "the victim" and at the other "the despot". The reality has no way out and becomes hopeless, and the dream is the only one defense mechanism which tries to keep the existence of the goodness in the characters, despite of domination of the delusional compulsive repetition of the violence. There are presented clearly "splitting" and "as if" phenomenon, as a common state of mind of the "broken structures". At the same time, the environment strongly supports the choice of the already installed pathological roles, created through the so-called "inversion with the aggressor" defense mechanism, as well as "identity diffusion syndrome" and a remarkable perversion of the Libido. At the moment when it seems that trauma is even stronger than dream, that is when Thanatos has defeated Eros, the author offers original actions, as possible solutions of the presented situation. He puts the older character, the Seitan, into the position of confrontation with the hopelessness of "compulsive repetition" which happens to him and his inability to resolve it on integrative way. Furthermore, that position arises in the character the spontaneous decision to close the circle of the destructive impulsivity, enacting the scene of "sacrifice the Devil inside", that is the scene which can be called "The death of the Death". In such a way, the life ends "like a bad dream", but reality is released to arise again the faith in the power of Eros. The younger character, Ivan, doesn't allow himself to enter the circulusvitiosus of the "inversion with the aggressor". He is being punished for that with violence and sexual abuse, made by the representatives of the "Brave New World". That sacrifice is presented as a temporary one, as a bill from the learning about the illusions of the new world, as well as the experience which furthermore is completed in strengthening of the decision to sustain himself on the way of authentic individuation. So, the film finishes not as an elegy for the Balkans and the "Balkanians", but as a terrifying vision about the Global World. Of course, unless it's main creators succeed to confront themselves with their "Devil". From there, finally, everything originates.

Story of two man with intersecting hells ...

[heatherwthurman · 10/10 · 11 September 2018]

Two men, one war-weary (Miki Manojlovic) and the other an idealistic college student (ErtanShaban), traverse their own separate but intersecting hells in "Like a Bad Dream." So, the film finishes not as an elegy for the Balkans and the "Balkanians", but as a terrifying vision about the Global World. Of course, unless it's main creators succeed to confront themselves with their "Devil". From there, finally, everything originates. The world premiere of this film has been realized during the film festival in Montreal in 2003. The film was represented in official competition and win the reword of the festival. From 2003 to 2004 "Like a bad dream" has participated at film festivals in Saraevo, Tallin, Sofija, and others.

Two stories unites as one...

[minniewmiles · 10/10 · 11 September 2018]

Like a bad dream is a merge of two dramatically diverse stories that fate will unite them. The conflict in former Yugoslavia summons solder Sheitan to the front. Seven long years will pass before Bezania sees her lover, once again, their lives reunited in those very same places that had once been. But time and war changes everything and nothing is the same... Shaitan, as cited by the poet, is one of the Devil's many names." Main while, somewhere in a western European city, a young Macedonian student discovers the corrupted soul of Europa, learning the lessons that will eventually lead him to adulthood. Like a bad dream is a cross-way of lost souls and restless anguish. Many people said that "Like a Bad Dream" is a hard film, but with great direction, photography and poetry in the image, as well as fantastically incorporated music of the band "Anastasija". Robert Englund and IskraVeterova are fantastic in their roles, with passion, pain and drama which bear the risk.