Though it might occasionally look downright bizarre to an outside observer, the surreal mix of seemingly random stories making up Paskaljevic's Powder Keg is a surprisingly accurate, arguably most subtly realistic portrait of Yugoslavia (or what was left of it) in the last years of Milosevic's regime. The Balkans as a volatile hellhole where nothing makes sense and everything can only exist in an extreme - from wild partying and immortal love to brutal, often pointless violence, crime, perverse mobsters, sadistic cops and a cynical drunk whose cabaret act is his only outlet for intellectual creativity and wasted talent.
Not everyone might know the recent history of the Balkans well enough to appreciate all the depth and detail. It is a movie well worth watching several times and immersing yourself into the bleak but stunning experience.
Not everyone might know the recent history of the Balkans well enough to appreciate all the depth and detail. It is a movie well worth watching several times and immersing yourself into the bleak but stunning experience.