Sign of Zivanovic`s decadence

NAIVKO

Director; Jovan Zivanovic

Cast: Ljubisa Samardzic, Velimir Bata Zivojinovic.

After political controversy surrounding UZROK SMRTI NE POMINJATI, Zivanovic`s whole career was at stake. And it wasn`t just career. Because Zivanovic is one of the rare Yugoslav film directors that provided for their families by filmmaking. This is why he decided to abandon the urban and edgy setting of his previous work by making I BOG STVORI KAFANSKU PEVACICU. I BOG STVORI KAFANSKU PEVACICU became a surprise smash hit and it helped Zivanovic to land another project.

That other project was NAIVKO a star-studded ensemble comedy which tried to exploit the Serbian rural humor. Basically, this title belongs to the endless pile of such outings that made significant box office in sixties, seventies and especially eighties. Thus it marks Zivanovic`s creative decay.

Even though, Zivanovic managed to smuggle a couple of typically edgy and dark elements into such pre-ordered populist structure but it really takes a film analyst to dig it out. NAIVKO continued his box office streak, but ultimately by making this film, Zivanovic probably wasted one of the last truly unique projects that were left in him in order to spend a year of his life and career making a piece of mindless exploitation.