Individuals who find themselves living in the "interesting times" described by a Chinese curse may discover that certain chapters of their lives are deliberately omitted or overlooked. One such example can be traced back to the life of Branko M. Marjanović, a Croatian film director whose greatest achievement was a taboo subject throughout much of his life. Marjanović brought the first prestigious international film festival award to Croatian cinema, but this accomplishment occurred during the Second World War, when he worked in the pro-Nazi Independent State of Croatia's cinema industry. His 1942 documentary film, The Watch Over Drina, dedicated to the Ustasha forces combating the Partisans and other insurgents in Eastern Bosnia, received the award for best documentary at the Venice Film Festival, the last one held under Fascist rule. In a striking twist of fate, his live-action debut, the 1949 film The Flag, explored a similar subject matter, albeit from a different perspective.
Marjanović's covert support for the anti-fascist resistance during the war allowed him not only to survive the collapse of the Independent State of Croatia but also to continue making propaganda films, this time for the newly established Communist Yugoslav regime. His work left a good impression on the authorities, who entrusted him with the task of directing The Flag, the second feature production of Jadran Film, a newly created Zagreb-based production company that would go on to become a powerhouse of Yugoslav cinema. Like many early post-WW2 Yugoslav films, The Flag tackled the recent war. The script was penned by Joža Horvat, a renowned Croatian writer who had fought in the Partisans, including a lengthy stint in Kalnik, a wooded mountain in Northern Croatia, which served as the backdrop for much of the film's plot.
The plot of The Flag begins with a prologue set in post-war Zagreb, where a group of young ballerinas at the Croatian National Theatre prepares for a special show to mark Republic Day, the greatest holiday of Yugoslavia. The protagonist, Marija (played by Sonja Kastl), is a ballerina who wants to explain to her younger and less experienced colleagues why she spent three years outside of the theatre. A flashback transports her to 1942, when Zagreb was the capital of the Independent State of Croatia. As a member of the ballet troupe, Marija must endure the unwanted advances of a lecherous Ustasha Major, Vuksan (played by Antun Nalis). She seizes the opportunity to visit her mother in Varaždin but discovers that Ustashas are brutally forcing local people to watch the corpses of killed Partisans and their flag. A group of local Communist Party activists, led by Petar (played by Marijan Lovrić), mounts a daring raid to take the flag away. In the confusion, Marija is given the flag and asked to hide it before the other activists take it. She agrees and returns to Zagreb, where she still feels traumatised by the brutality of the Ustashas and their atrocities. Unable to perform on stage any longer, Marija decides to escape the city and join the Partisans. She finds herself among a small detachment that aims to establish a new Partisan stronghold in the Kalnik area. Marija rediscovers her dancing talent and falls in love with her time among her new comrades, including Petar. However, the detachment must fight both the Germans and the Ustashas, including Vuksan.
In strictly technical terms, The Flag is a satisfactory film for its time. Comparisons with the iconic Partisan film Slavica, made two years earlier and also starring Marijan Lovrić, highlight the progress Yugoslav filmmakers had made. "The Flag" is much better directed, more polished, and, more importantly, better acted, without much theatricality or bad makeup. Marjanović handles both interior and exterior scenes very well. The final battle for the top of Kalnik mountain, shot with the assistance of the Yugoslav Army, is very impressive, providing not only spectacle but also many authentic details, such as Partisans being armed with a mix of German and Italian firearms, and Germans using StuG III, assault guns rarely featured in WW2-themed films.
The final scene, which features a ballet scene reinterpreting events from the film through dance, is also well-directed, although some may find its Socialist Realist iconography a little off-putting, and the music score by Milo Cipra somewhat underwhelming.
The cast is solid, with Sonja Kastl, a renowned ballerina for whom the role in The Flag was her only major acting experience, being adequate, although the audience will be more impressed by her glamorous looks and dancing talent. Marijan Lovrić is solid but not remarkable in a one-dimensional role of a spotless Partisan hero. It is Antun Nalis who shines as the film's villain. The script by Joža Horvat shows him as not only cruel but also decadent and sexually depraved, with hints of the inherent link between fascism and sexual perversion, a theme that would be more explicitly explored in 1970s European cinema.
The production of The Flag was a challenging and time-consuming process, mainly because Marjanović and Horvat often had to rewrite large sections of the script or discard large sections of already shot material after receiving disapproval from Party and state officials. One of the most notable effects of these circumstances was the brief detainment of Antun Nalis. Nalis, who played the film's villain, was taken in after he forgot to remove his Ustasha uniform while visiting a local inn. This mistake caused patrons to mistake him for a real Ustasha who might have been hiding in the woods and Nalis had to spend few unpleasant hours convincing secret police that he was merely an actor playing the role. The chaotic and arduous process had a significant impact on the final film, leaving it with a messy script that contained too many plot holes.
The production's challenges also affected the film's overall quality, making The Flag appear rough around the edges. Despite its solid technical qualities, the film fails to reach the level of a true classic of Croatian cinema or a standout entry in the Partisan film genre.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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