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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Dum na predmesti remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for black-and-white dramas that focus on human behavior rather than plot twists, you might like this. It is a slow burn. If you need something that moves fast or has a big, loud climax, you should probably skip it. It is very much about the small stuff—the creaky doors, the looks people give each other in the hallway, and the way a neighborhood can feel like a cage.
Honestly, I went into Dum na predmesti not knowing much, and it caught me off guard. There is this scene where the neighbors are just bickering over some minor annoyance, and it lasts just a second too long. You can feel the tension in the room. It’s not profound, but it feels real.
There is a lot of character work here. Hugo Haas is in this, and he just has this way of holding his face that makes you want to laugh and roll your eyes at the same time. The way he navigates the staircase drama is classic. It reminded me a bit of the social maneuvering you see in movies like Wild Game, where the environment itself feels like another actor in the scene.
The pacing is a bit uneven, sure. Some scenes feel like they were just thrown in to fill time, but that’s okay. Real life isn't perfectly edited, right? Sometimes it just drags. It’s not trying to be some massive, life-changing piece of art, and that’s why I actually liked it. It’s just people being people, which usually means being difficult.
If you enjoyed the claustrophobia of Birth, you might find this interesting, even if it is a completely different kind of story. It’s all about the space between people. The camera stays close. It doesn't give you much room to breathe. 🏠
I think I missed half of what they were saying because I was too busy watching the background stuff. That's fine by me. It felt like I was actually sitting there in the lobby, eavesdropping on the neighbors. Not a perfect movie, but a decent way to spend a quiet afternoon.
