MovieChat Forums > Crna machka, beli machor (1998) Discussion > The setting of this film ?

The setting of this film ?

posted 20 years ago by asdfgsdfgsdg
19 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this movie and it was all in French, except "Louis, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" :), no English subtitle.
Tt's very funny although I can't understand a word.
Here are my questions:

1.Is this story takes place of a suburban vallage of Frence in the early 80's ?

2.Does it reflects the actual French framing life (before or today)?

3.What does the Russian ship having to do with French (I thought the Soviet Union (assuming it was set in the 80's) was more poor than the Frence, how come in this film, they looks/acts like some rich sly profiteer?

[–] LaconicLoser 20 years ago

The movie is set in Serbia, and the language spoken is Serbian. I dont think the director aimed for any particular time period, it could be set anytime really, but probably sometime in the 80's or 90's.

Seeing as it's an absurd and burlesque comedy, I don't think it reflects real life at all (except maybe the mind set of the Serbian people, hehe). It's not supposed to be taken too seriously.

[–] namidee79 20 years ago

The film is set up in Serbia during the embargo, that's why they were going to get gas from the russians.

[–] primus2001 20 years ago

To be precise, language spoken is partly gipsyan and partly serbian.

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cbrazvan 19 years ago

You are mostly right but I have to argue on the origins of gypsies language. The only thing that that language might have in common with Romanian would be words borrowed from Romanian and adapted to theirs, as it happens wherever more than one culture coexist.

Romanian is a Latin based language, lexically very close to Italian and gramatically to Portoghese. The gypsies came from Asia (South of Pakistanm at the mouth of Indus), they can't possibly speak a language that's close to Romanian.

Just for the inquiring minds...

[–] jasminko85 19 years ago

There is a difference between Romanian and Romani. Romanian is the language spoken in Romania. Romani is the gypsy language. They are not realted, excet for some the borrowing of some words in the dialect spoken by the gypcies in Romania.

[–] zenkampf 17 years ago

Since I saw this film recently, I'm forced to respond to this thread even though it's quite old. I'm possibly the only Indian who has watched this film and (recommended by a generous friend in another forum in IMDB...that's why this site is so fabulous). I thought the language spoken was Romany even though it may have been heavily influenced by Serbian. Though I couldn't understand most of the dialogues, I could understand some words as they have similarities with the Indian language of Hindi. E.g. "Manush" - probably meant human being or man. The counting , (I must pay more attention in my next viewing .... he distinctly says Ek Do Teen, "One, Two Three"). These are all Hindi words. I have read somewhere that the Gypsies (or Romanys....nothig to do with Romanians), originally came from North Western India (a place called Rajasthan/Gujarat). I had read about it but was pleasantly surprised to find this to be true from the language spoken in this film. Any corrections to my assumption will be greatly appreciated.

[–] oana5874 17 years ago

Yes, it's true the gypses came from north-west India and the fact that you, an indian guy, had understood some of the words spoken in the movie is the proof to it. Me, being a romanian, I didn't understand anything of it, so this is the proof that romanian language has nothing to do with the romany's or gypsy's language.
What I wonder is why they left that part of India and settled in Balkan countries? Does anybody know?

[–] arwenhyde 17 years ago

they didn't just settle in balkan, they settled all over europe. actually most of them didn't settle anywhere that's why they're gypsies

[–] agreeme 18 years ago

"As for the mindset of the Serbian people; I can assure you it is much, much different than what this movie depicts. As is true with other eastern European countries, the "fun times for all" attitude is attitude is the only parallel I saw with what was shown"

That's a good point, it seems kustarica likes to focus on the romy culture as being celebratory, while ignoring that much of the self image is one of self pity... but he hits the nail on hte head that to be clever is more valuable than honest to a Rom.

Mohammad is the Muslim God - vangelis

[–] cristian-t 18 years ago

What are you talking about?

The Romanian language has nothing to do with the Gypsy language. The Romanian language is from the same language family as Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, it descends from Latin. It also descends from an ancient language called Dacian, which was spoken thousands of years ago on the current territory of Romania.

[–] khleocrazy 19 years ago

Actually some of the movie is in Gypsy, because when I was watching it with my dad, we couldn't understand when he was counting the trains.

[–] photojens 19 years ago

" I dont think the director aimed for any particular time period, it could be set anytime really, but probably sometime in the 80's or 90's. "

It must take place after the war because Dadan is a war criminal, and the war ended in 1995.

[–] lukejackson 20 years ago

The film takes place in a small village called Surduk (Cypдyk) on the banks of the Danube about 45 minutes north of Belgrade, Serbia. Apart from a couple of summer cottages for wealthy Serbians from Belgrade, it is very rural and unspoilt.

[–] kalahanic 19 years ago

It was fillmed in vilage called Belegish, where my grandad used to live and we still own a little farm house there.Its about 25 kms from Belgrade.
We often used to go to the Danube in summer and I remmember that the banks were different every year, the river was that lively..
Beautiful and unspoilt, and it has its own characteristic smell...

[–] mitchenright 19 years ago

I've read that the people shown in the film are known as "Sinti", which could be the Serbian translation for gypsy or something like that, i don't really know. I just know that they are pretty sworthy compared to most Serbians, although that aren't half as dark compared to someone living at the mouth of the Indus. Anyways, i have another question. Dadan was a war criminal, which boggled my mind. Who would Dadan fight for? And another thing. What was Grga doing in Italy? I'd also like to ask any Serbians out there the extent if the damage done to Belgrade as a result of American bombing, because i can't find any consistent results.

[–] TigerMoods 19 years ago

The language spoken is the gypsy language which is the mixture of many languages. The people are gypsies from the region which explains why they are dark. Dadan was a war criminal as it is told in the movie which can only be the war after Yugoslavia's division between Serbians and the other nations. Grga was in Italy for a job, gypsies travel and get their money this way, some dance and entertain while the others are stealing stuff. And I would recommend you to go and visit Belgrade and you can see the damage of American bombings, they are still keeping some buildings untouched after American attacks just to keep the patriotism of the people up.

[–] makky81 19 years ago

You said it right, Tiger!!
Eeeee... Zbog ovog Kusturice ceo svet misli da smo Cigani!! Pu, pu!!

[–] gneidisch 18 years ago

'Romá' and 'Sinti' are the two main branches of the Gipsies, when they left their procedence place (most likely to be, like stated before, somewhere between Pakistan and India) and spreaded in the world...
And their 'languages' have had a peculiar development, because although they might have their own language, they borrowed a lot of words and even gramatic forms from the languages spoken in the places where they settled, thus a Spaniard Gipsy would barely understand a Hungarian Gipsy.