THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A PORNO GANG

Marko is an aspiring director, with many aspirations and a great passion for art. After clashing with the harsh reality of the Serbian film market, he finds himself making low-budget porn films. Tired and overwhelmed by failure, he sets up a company populated by ambiguous characters, with whom he tours to stage "porno-theater." Things will start to complicate when they, crushed by disastrous economic conditions, accept to film snuff movies. Serbian cinema continues to produce controversial works capable of sharply dividing the audience but also of eliciting a common reaction from detractors and admirers: shock. If Spasojevic achieved this goal in 2010 with "A Serbian Film," "The Life and Death of a Porno Gang" is no less effective, a film unknown to many and never released in Italy. The two films share the intention of showing, metaphorically and in the cruellest way possible, the horrors and discomfort of a people brought to their knees by the difficult political and social situation caused by war. "A Serbian Film," very well-produced, makes the combo of sex/ blood its focus, in a crazy and violent context that never sacrifices the narrative part, full of meanings unfortunately misunderstood by an audience often not suited and prepared for this type of viewing; "The Life and Death of a Porno Gang" turns out to be a more complex film, which skillfully blends drama and horror, with a predominance of the tragic part that touches every single character. In fact, we are not facing a horror product in the strict sense of the term: the horror we witness is more psychological and, perhaps, more difficult to digest. Around the protagonist Marko, who stubbornly fights against his professional failure, revolve the members of the "porno theater" company: two homosexuals with AIDS, two heroin addicts with a child, a transsexual, a failed actress, and a cocaine-addicted model. The gang, represented in a sad pseudo-hippy style, is united by a sense of revenge against society, the same society that has marginalized them and condemned them to an empty and miserable life. From here comes the idea of giving life to a new project, something that can mark a sort of artistic and personal rebirth: the group will perform in live porn shows, moving through the various countries of Serbia with a flashy van, and living day by day. The squalor and discomfort are strong and palpable: starting from the experience of each character, to the humiliations they will suffer at the hands of some villagers who, after enjoying the show, will think it's a good idea to heavily retaliate by hitting our not only in the body but also in the dignity now lost, a metaphor that leaves really little room for imagination. The turning point will come when a certain individual proposes to Marko to film snuff movies in exchange for large sums of money. Given the problematic economic situation, Marko will accept the proposal, beginning a journey towards hell. It is in the second part of the film that we witness the most crude and violent scenes: the torturers are the same members of the gang while the "actors" belong to ordinary people who volunteer, some to expiate a sense of guilt, others to help their family in difficulty, and so on. The killings, filmed by the cynical and exhilarated (at least in appearance) Marko, are gory and absolutely uncensored: no detail is spared, and thanks also to the excellent acting and the rotten and filthy locations, everything enjoys a touch of tragic and disgusting realism at the same time. If on the one hand our will be forced by circumstances to yield to compromise, on the other, little by little, they will begin to feel the weight and gravity of the new enterprise; enthusiasm will turn into defeat and the only viable path will be, once again, renunciation. Bitter yet fitting the ending; symbolism abounds and you don't have to strain too much to read between the lines. The direction, often marred by shaky shots and a photography far from polished, does not detract from the final result, and, as already mentioned, the cast proves to be up to the task. The director's message is strong and clear; the political, social, and cultural references on which the story is built are so direct as to give the film a heaviness that disturbs and shocks the viewer. Certainly an important work, difficult to assimilate, extreme in form and content. I recommend watching it, but not if you want to have a carefree and fun evening.