Bert Sotlar Movies

Society of the 1840s in Yugoslavia is encapsulated in the characters and events of the Tenth Brother, adapted from an 1866 novel of the same title by Josip Jurcic. After a young man arrives at a feudal castle to tutor the son of the lord of the manor, he falls in love with a woman he cannot marry because she is above his station in life. In the meantime, another son by the lord's deceased first wife, shows up on the doorstep one day seeking revenge for his abandonment as a child. Since he is the "10th" son, he was too low on the pecking order to obtain any endowment from his father's large estate -- a feudal tradition that he personally holds against his parents. To bolster his chance of revenge, he carries some incriminating letters from his mother that would blacken the image of his father if made public. His attitude and circumstances combined bring him into violent conflict with his half-brother, the son of the household, and he is stabbed to death. His father is also pushed to the edge by fear of exposure for past wrongs, and the tutor still cannot put aside his love for the noble lady -- as the protagonists wend their way to the final scenes, both of those issues may turn out to be connected. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

As the horror of World War II is about to descend on Yugoslavia, a young intellectual in Zagreb is struggling with the meaning of life, his life in particular. He has a tendency to fall in love with women who are not likely to stay with one man for long, but his romantic interludes are cut short when the military calls him up for induction into the army. Completely against the whole idea of military service and a possible early death, he feigns insanity and it works -- he is released from serving his stint. Once back in a relationship with one woman, he takes a closer look at the crisis building around him -- and experiences an awakening, spawned, in part, by the suicide of a friend. With the realization that pending disaster is at hand, he turns around to enlist in the army again -- if he can convince them that he is "recovered" from his mental condition. Mira Furlan won "Best Supporting Actress" at the 1982 Pula Film Festival for her role as one of the lovers in this film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Between the two World Wars, Yugoslavia was ruled by a monarchy. This movie explores the difficulties faced by a Communist Party organizer under that regime when an order goes out to kill anyone threatening the current regime. At first he is willing to leave the country, but his experience of the situation of workers moves him to stay. Despite efforts of captors to help him escape, he refuses, and dies a martyr's death. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This Yugoslavian epic depicts the World War II military exploits of Marshall Tito (played here by Richard Burton), who later became the unrivalled ruler of that troubled country. During that war, he was instrumental in resisting Nazi efforts to exterminate the Yugoslav partisans. The film details the events surrounding the climactic battle with the Germans along the Sutjeska River. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

For a long time, virtually the only Yugoslavian-made films to reach American shores concerned the anti-German partisans of World War II. The title Kozara refers to a Yugoslav village where the citizens are forced to uproot and evacuate by the invading Nazis. The partisans must not only sabotage the Germans at every opportunity, but also provide food and supplies for the beleaguered villagers. As usual, the Germans are depicted as one step above primates; also as usual, the unfortunate pro-fascist sentiments within the real-life partisan movement are ignored. At 130 minutes, Kozara runs out of steam long before the actionful denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Even into the 1960s, Yugoslavian films played up the contributions of their partisan underground during World War II. Square of Violence is a loose, unacknowledged reworking of the 1943 film Hostages. When partisans kill 30 Nazi officers in a bombing, the Germans respond by taking 300 Yugoslav hostages. Broderick Crawford, the man responsible for the bombing, must weigh the importance of keeping the identities of his comrades secret against the lives of the 300 captives. This is the directorial debut of Leonardo Bercovici. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the wake of the Nazi army invasion, a music composer is arrested and his piano confiscated. The piano ends up with an SS officer until it is recaptured by partisans. The piano winds up in a church, inspiring the music lovers to defeat the invaders. The film music won a prize at the Yugoslav Festival in 1959. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi