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 THE
WOUNDS (First
Run Features) 1999. Drama.
103 minutes. NR, violence. Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. Set in
war torn Bosnia 1991-1996. Seeking a male role model, teenaged boys Pinki
and Kraut become close friends with Dickie, the area mafia-like thug, in
the hopes of gaining similar power and respect. As they quickly grow older
and “wiser,” the boys wish to take the place of area crime bosses and
do so in a very violent way. Along with gaining criminal popularity, the
boys also aspire to appear as guests on a local tv show that highlights
the misadventures of bad guys and portrays them as rock stars. Although
Pinki and Kraut are gaining wealth, boys will be boys and the two start to
think that they are invincible and deserve nothing less than respect from
others, and even from each other. After having a wedge seemingly split them in two, the boys
stand face to face to even things out and make things even.
Although the main story line is
nothing new, the last 15 or so minutes of this movie is pretty damn
intense. I tend to dislike the main characters in these types of criminal
movies, however, I actually felt sorry for all of the characters depicted
here. Living in a place like Bosnia must suck ass. There are a few
humorous elements tossed in along with all the grime; one being the boys
getting Kraut’s grandmother baked….hilarious. Dickie’s girlfriend is
probably the hottest junkie I’ve ever seen! The location is phenomenal
and perfectly sets the tone for desperate violence. The acting is also
great. I’ve read that the tv show “The Street Pulse,” which treats
criminals as rock stars, is a real show aired in Belgrade. I guess the
cops aren’t too bright over there. Although not a powerful one, this
move still packs a nice punch. – Denis Sheehan
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