TITO AND ME
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
TITO AND ME
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 6.8
Date Released: 10/8/93
Running Length: 1:44
Rated: NR (Mature themes)
Starring: Dimitrie Vojnov, Lazar Ristovski, Anica Dobra,
Predrag Manojlovic, Voja Brajovic
Director: Goran Markovic
Producers: Goran Markovic, Zoran Masirevic, Michel Mavros,
and Zoran Tasic
Screenplay: Goran Markovic
Music: Zoran Simjanovic
Released by Kino International
Serbo-Croatian with English Subtitles
10-year old Zoran (Dimitrie Vojnov) is growing up in 1954 Yugoslavia, a country under the tyrannical thumb of Communist Marshall Tito (Voja Brajovic). Zoran has chosen Tito as a hero-figure, writing in a school composition that he loves the Marshall even more than his own mother (Anica Dobra) and father (Predrag Manojlovic). This earns him a spot in a group making a walking tour of the land of Tito's roots, in which, not coincidentally, his girlfriend Jasna (Milena Vukosav) is also participating. Under the leadership of the overly-zealous Comrade Raja (Lazar Ristovski), the tour becomes more of a trial than a pleasure, and Zoran learns what it is to feel disillusionment.
In a year that has seen numerous "boy's-point-of-view" stories, this is one of the better entries. However, instead of going for the nostalgia and sentimentality that many of these movies attempt, TITO AND ME is basically a straightforward tale with a light touch and a serious message. Zoran is forced to face the disappointing truth that childhood heros are often little more than self-constructed icons with personalities nothing like those attributed to them by a worshipful youth.
The most interesting portion of TITO AND ME is the first half, which concentrates on Zoran's home and school life. His initial relationship with Jasna is presented realistically with all the uncertainty of a child's first crush, and the confused interaction of the two families living within Zoran's house is at once funny and poignant.
The latter half of the film deals with the walking tour through Yugoslavia's hinterlands, and this is only fitfully successful as Zoran's disillusionment is brought forcefully to the fore. Some of the comedy during these sequences seems both out-of-place and occasionally cruel.
The bulk of Zoran's disillusionment comes through his changing impression of the group's leader, Comrade Raja, a man who seems the perfect image of Tito. However, it isn't long before Raja takes a dislike to the earnest young boy, making him the object of his scorn. Soon, everyone in the group has turned their backs on Zoran, including Jasna and, although the boy never comes to openly hate Raja, it's apparent by the film's climax that the two are in direct opposition, and that Zoran has learned a difficult lesson.
There's a lot of comedy in this film - some overt, but as much subtle. TITO AND ME often succeeds because of its light tone; a lugubrious movie with the same sort of message could easily turn the audience off or put them to sleep. Perhaps the only mistake is that instead of creating a believably-menacing Raja, the choice was made to turn him into a caricature.
With the exception of Lazar Ristovski, whose buffoonish Raja is over-the- top, the acting is excellent. Young Dimitrie Vojnov should especially be singled out for his natural, unaffected performance as Zoran. It is in large part due to his effortless portrayal that TITO AND ME is effective.
Numerous black-and-white clips of the real Tito are used throughout the film and, while these are interesting for historical reasons, they create a slight artistic problem. The actor who plays Tito (Voja Brajovic) looks absolutely nothing like the real man. As a result, with so many shots of the legitimate figure, it becomes difficult to accept the actor in the role. Admittedly, however, this is a small problem.
TITO AND ME is a fine, fresh motion picture with a universal theme. You don't have to have been raised in 1954 Yugoslavia to understand or enjoy this movie, which has a deceptively strong message for such a breezy tone.
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