Until recently, the most watched Croatian film in the 21st century was Hrvoj Hribar's comedy "What's a Man Without a Mustache". Last year, it was replaced by Vinko Brešan's "The Priest's Children", also a comedy only with a deeply tragic ending. Both films, apart from their success, are also linked by the fact that their main character is a Catholic priest. In the first, the charismatic don Stipan in the village of Dalmatian Zagora, tries to resist the feelings and strong attraction he has for the amorous, energetic and passionate widow Tatjana. In the second, a priest together with a tobacconist and a pharmacist on a small Croatian island pierces condoms in order not to increase the birth rate. As is well known, it is a film that criticizes pedophilia in church ranks, its silence and cover-up, and criticizes the church hierarchy and its rules. Although Brešan claimed in interviews that it is futile to criticize an institution, and one can only criticize a person, his film really gives the impression of criticizing the church.
Vedrana Rudan wrote in her own style: "I have never seen anything more terrible on the subject of the Catholic Church in these areas (…) The Catholic Church in Croats will never again be what it was in the perception of the vast majority of our citizens." Holy cow." On the other hand, as is to be expected, the (few) reactions of the church were negative. Some priests called on the faithful at the masses not to watch the realization of such "obsessive anti-Churchism", theologian and professor Adalbert Rebić declared that it was a neo-communist pamphlet, adding that it was part of a worldwide conspiracy of homosexuals "and other persons with deviant sexual behavior" (later fenced off from this sentence), and in "Glas Koncila" it was claimed that the film has a clear mission of mocking believers, priests and the church. The director himself called the film Christian because, as he said, it deals with Christian principles.
It cannot be denied that "The Priest's Children" became a social event, and that, along with only a few others, including "What is a Man Without a Mustache", they are one of the most successful films since Croatian independence in terms of the number of viewers .
GLORIOUS BYZANTIA AND THE CZECH POPES: It is certainly interesting to see how other countries of the former Eastern Bloc dealt with religion in their cinematography. When in the 1989s and 2000s the Eastern Europeans, after decades under the Iron Curtain, "found God" again, and the social sciences found themselves in awe because theories about secularization were already valid as axioms, of course the film did not remain deaf to social changes either. Berezhnaya and Schmidt write in the book "Nation and Religion in Eastern European Film after XNUMX" about the paradigm shift in cinematography, where the film was supposed to provide a new sense of the world, now in the conditions of the awakening of nation and religion. In some countries, it has become their meeting place. In Russian cinema, one could notice a tendency for cinematographic productions to serve as documents that should interpret the past for contemporary viewers, participating in a special "epic and historical revisionism". The glorification of the Byzantine and/or Russian imperial heritage represents(lo) the celebration of a patriotic culture in which Orthodoxy plays a major role. On the other hand, in the Czech Republic, for example, the film's attitude towards religion and clergy, especially towards the high hierarchy, remained the same even after the communist era. Institutional religion is associated with oppression, pressure, rapacity, and the individual is shown to be powerless before its great and cruel power. Catholic priests were often depicted as criminals, fanatics, madmen... Certainly, one should not lose sight of the painful Czech history when it comes to religion, and the present aversion to the Roman Catholic Church. Today, the Czech Republic is one of the most irreligious countries in that part of Europe. When it comes to Croatia, if one were to look for the prevailing trend after XNUMX, one could conclude that the film is dominated by criticism of the Roman Catholic Church, sometimes subtle and moderate, sometimes very harsh.
FALLEN ANGELS: As Aida Vidan writes, at the beginning of the 2000s, Croatian film began to show a new face (especially bearing in mind that in the nineties, Tuđman held a relatively tight rein on the film industry, as well as that film was sometimes used for "nation building").
In the attitude towards the church today, there is even sympathy for the ordinary priest, despite his "fallenness", but also, as mentioned, strong criticism of the church hierarchy. In "What's a Man Without a Mustache", a priest is a recovering alcoholic who is torn between devotion to the church and celibacy and love for his wife. In a word, a man of flesh and blood who breaks the rules, but who is sometimes correct, knows how to feel, educated, attentive to the parishioners and in his own tears. In the end, he chooses a relationship with Tatjana and leaves the church. There were also voices of objection that the criticism of the church in that achievement was too moderate. When watching the film carefully, there are several interesting moments. The close relationship between the church and the army can be seen through the gesture of the bishop who insists on meeting the Minister of Defense because she has done so much "for our cause". The two meet at dinner and then both, at the same moment, try to sit at the head of the table. Both are confused by the moment of the "collision" - the minister nevertheless withdraws, while the bishop sits at the head. Perhaps it is a metaphor for the relationship between church and state. The film as a whole can also be read as a gentle deconstruction of the patriarchal narrative and a depiction of the weakness of all authorities - church, army, politicians, men.
COMEDY WITH A SAD ENDING: "The Priest's Children"
In "Priest's Children", the question of evil that arises as a result of manipulation in the name of good is raised. Although his actions have disastrous consequences, the main character - the priest, is not driven by bad intentions, nor can it be said that he is a bad man. Which is not the case with the bishop who appears sailing on an expensive yacht. The film says that the very sacrament of confession, misused by the clergy, leads to devastating results in which the most innocent suffer.
Although it would be too free to claim that the directors, or writers based on the works of these films, had the goal of re-examining not only the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Croatia but also more broadly - at the world level - it cannot be disputed. In the end, every work of art takes on a life of its own when it "goes on stage" independently of the author's intentions.
The issue of celibacy, as well as contraceptive protection, is constantly raised before the Roman Catholic Church. Back in 1968, Pope Paul VI issued Encyclical on the regulation of conception Humanae vitae, where he wrote against contraceptives (the Encyclical itself was prompted by the advent of the birth control pill). Only Pope Benedict XVI slightly softened the Vatican's position two years ago by declaring that the use of condoms is allowed, not of course to prevent pregnancy but if its goal is to reduce the risk of spreading HIV. The softening of the celibacy stance of Roman Catholic priests is also a much-discussed topic in recent years. The public's expectations are that Pope Francis will take a step in that direction.
The problem of pedophilia within the church is dealt with in another Croatian film. Ivan Goran Vitez's medium-length film "The Last Communion" is about one night in which the fathers of abused children, otherwise policemen, and their two friends kill a young Catholic priest who abused the children. In the film, there are two views of the church - an older Croat, a war veteran, and his young colleague, a policeman. Both agree that the church is full of pedophilia, immorality and greed. But, while the young man advocates that she disappear and that her role as a moral judge is pointless, the father of the abused boy believes that the judge is necessary, no matter how bad I was, because without him the world would be an even worse place (however, despite such an attitude , he kills the priest himself, and does not leave it to any judge to decide).
Criticism of the clergy, certainly much milder, was also given in the film "Trešeta". The priest is again narcissistic, greedy and greedy for money, which is a very common motive. But still, in the happy ending of the universal reconciliation, he also fits into the island group. In contrast, in Petranović's film "The Society of Jesus", based on the historical novel by the Czech writer Jirži Šotola, the Jesuit priest Hades is very humble, dedicated, ascetic. Although he has some sympathy for the young, unconventional and sensual Countess, otherwise a widow who is in love with him, he never crosses the line. Another Jesuit priest, old father Ivan, is shown in a good light, as the embodiment of purity and childlike naivety. On the other hand, high church dignitaries "harvested" all the bad qualities - greed, selfishness, aggressiveness, indifference to human lives. Their behavior is the same as the behavior of the authorities in totalitarian countries, they unscrupulously show their power by sacrificing Man. In the end, though, they got what they wanted.
In several films, there is a strong, pronounced contrast between the church's high hierarchy, cunning and self-interested, and pure individuals, naive and even shown with some damage, physical or mental, most often intellectual - as proof that true deep religiosity and love for others comes mostly from those who are on the margins of society.
ONE OF US: Finally, the criticism of believers can be seen in the film "Forgive for Kung Fu". That criticism is gentle, and first of all, it evokes sadness and sympathy for the heroes. Parents in one of the villages in post-war Croatia are trying to find a husband for their daughter Mirjana, who became pregnant in Germany. They, primarily her father, want for a future son-in-law a good Croatian who is "one of us" and not of another nation or religion. The child, however, is Chinese (hence the title), and Mirjana returns to Germany. The family is seen as a victim of a closed environment, and its members do not have bad intentions. The end does bring reconciliation and acceptance of the other and different, but it is permeated with sad tones.
In the difficult drama "Witnesses", young Croatian soldiers who have returned from the war rob Serbian houses in their hometown. In the process, they kill a Serb and kidnap his daughter, who is a witness to that murder. The character of the soldier's mother, although she can be ignored because of the happy ending, is deeply terrifying - a dedicated Catholic woman, judging by the interior of the house and her prayers, insists that the Serbian child be killed. In the end, the child is saved by her other son.
SILENT SERBIAN FILM: And while in the neighboring country the church and its clergy are the subject of films, the same cannot be said for local cinematography. As for the nineties, there are several analyzes of Serbian films and their relationship to religion. Falina and Radović both found subversive aspects in the films of Srđan Dragojević. Radović saw in them a critique of populist, nationalist ideology that equated national and religious identity and encouraged hatred towards the religious and national Other. In the last ten years, in movies, priests are always secondary and marginal characters (certain series are an exception). In the films, however, several tendencies can be seen, albeit faint ones - religious symbolism is used as part of the color of the national identity, in some places, which is most often, the SPC is criticized through the image of a priest and, finally, the director offers his own, idiosyncratic view of Orthodoxy.
In a rarely positive picture, in Mika Aleksić's film "A Matter of the Heart", the nun offers a message of love and forgiveness, she is a kind of guide for the confused, torn and unhappy heroes. The film abounds in religious symbolism and Orthodox symbols, and its entire message is in that spirit. In the confused narrative, a kind of vague Orthodox mysticism appears, or as Lakić wrote, "bajalica and prayers", and it can hardly be said that it had any greater popularity. Only in one popular movie - "When I grow up I'll be a kangaroo", in a few seconds of the opening scenes the priest seems like a funny and nice character - he promises the main characters that he will pray for their friend and goalkeeper in the English club, Kangaroo, as well as to win in the betting , but for them to try to find a job. Finally, in "Ivko's Glory", religiosity is presented more as a part of national identity and tradition than something else.
CRITICAL CRITICISM OF THE CHURCH: Still from the movie "The Covenant"
Kusturica's "Covenant" also gives Orthodoxy an important role. In his Dionysian, wild way, Kusturica contrasts the West, which under the supposed modernization and progress hides superficiality, the lie of perversion, and on the other hand, religiosity and authenticity through a very potent life force embodied in the grandfather and grandson from the village. The grandfather's relationship with religion is very close, he builds a church throughout the film, talks to icons who even seem to hear him, sends his grandson to town to sell a cow, buy an icon of Saint Nicholas and find himself a wife. Nevertheless, the message of the film does not seem either merciful or ascetic, none of the believers turn the other cheek. On the contrary. Evil is defeated by force, in the last scenes the priest holds a service, musicians play, bullets fly from all sides...
Some works such as "Obituary for Escobar" or "Grey truck of red color" can be read as a subtle criticism of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In "Obituary for Escobar", God is open to transsexual persons (while the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church is negative on this issue), and God's message is a message of supreme love and forgiveness. The worst sinners are vain politicians and their voters and hell is reserved for them. The character of the priest played by the brilliant Bogdan Diklić in the comedy "Grey Red Truck" is in the style of Kovačević's heroes and contributes to the absurdity of that first day of the war in the former Yugoslavia. In a few minutes, he shows his calm and kind side, and then explains why everything in Serbia is upside down. Probably everyone who watched the film remembers his answer - the problem is in the Julian calendar, God does not hear the Serbs because when, for example, they pray to Saint Elijah, he is no longer there, he was there two weeks ago. His character is, in fact, the opposite of the image of some nationalistic priest of the nineties - he advises young people to leave the country, complains about the old calendar. However, in the need to reconcile people, he takes an automatic weapon and shoots in the air in order not to calm the quarreling people in the field - perhaps this is more of a message about people's readiness to hear the "word of God" during the nineties.
In the comedy "Small World", criticism is very open. Although one could say that the film propagates Christian values - love, family, marriage - and the narrator is an unborn child, unborn because of the selfishness and false problems of his unsuspecting parents, the SPC priest is the total opposite of all good values. In several short scenes, in a comical way, he is portrayed as lustful, immoral, indifferent to human life, a coward. Marković's film "The Tour" is more critical of the instrumentalization of religion and ridicules the stories about heavenly Serbia. The only anti-hero in the film, an immoral poet, an opportunist, claims that God is on the side of the Serbs and that they literally came from somewhere in the sky.
Finally, criticism of the church can be seen in Dragojević's "Parade", as well as in Stevan Filipović's "Shearing".
THE LOVE OF A CATHOLIC AND A MUSLIM WOMAN: The movie "The Horseman"
FIRE PEOPLE AND NO FILM: In both Serbian and Croatian cinematography, criticism of the church prevails. Serbian films do not question religion, its rules or its clergy in a deeper way. If the church is criticized, it is usually very casual. If it is praised and that is by the way, more because of its national, traditional component. On the other hand, Croatian film thinks much more deeply. The priest in the Croatian film, often with his daily problems and worries and when he makes a mistake (perhaps just then) is close to the people and has the sympathy of the audience. In local cinematography, there is no such closeness. The Croatian film criticizes the church hierarchy and this criticism resonates with the public. It does not reveal anything particularly new. In an interview for Vreme, Brešan said: "I don't believe that movies or plays change the world." If works of art had that power, the world would be a much nicer place. Unfortunately, they don't. What films or plays can do is record a moment of the state of mind in one space at one time. Expecting films and plays to create positive changes in solving any problem is either an expression of naivety or an expression of the powerlessness of society, or an expression of disbelief in politicians who, by the way, are paid to make 'positive changes'."
Still, the films prompt further questioning, which is a greater positive shift than those politicians "paid" to do good.
* The article was created as a revised and abridged presentation from the conference of the International Society for Media, Religion and Culture, University of Kent, held from 4 to 6 August 2014.
The religious other is not represented in the films. In a few examples, such as the film "Besa" or in "Ivkova Slava", positive images of Muslims, or the relationship between Orthodox Christians and Muslims, are given. In the Croatian "Konjanik", one of the first sentences is about the cruelty of the god who divided people into different religions. The image of the Orthodox monk, Brother Konjanik, the cruel Catholic Petar Rvač, in love with the daughter of a Muslim bey, is one of the brightest in the film. Women are portrayed as less rigid, regardless of whether they are a Roman Catholic nun or the wife of a Muslim bey. The love between the horseman and the girl ends tragically, and the division between religions and empires is stronger than love, while the punishment for crossing over to the other side is death.
