Character Analysis: Vukmir Vukmir

Character Analysis: Vukmir Vukmir

By: A. Aleister Sirrat

     Few films in the world have gained as much notoriety or infamy as the 2010 Psychological Gore Film “A Serbian Film”.  The Film has been banned from playing in theaters in countries around the world.  You can usually find this film on a list of “Most Controversial Films of All-Time” or “List of Banned Films” along with other titles such as “Cannibal Holocaust” or “Salo, the 120 Days of Sodom”.  Despite my attempts to avoid this film at all costs, my friend Das Film Junkie has convinced me to finally see this film this week, and I have to say...it’s not that bad.  Don’t get me wrong this film is graphic and towards the end is just horrifying image after horrifying image, but I do agree with him that it’s probably not the worst or most graphic film I’ve ever seen.  So to honor the milestone of me finally seeing “A Serbian Film” without losing my sanity, I have decided to do a Character Analysis on the films antagonist Vukmir Vukmir

CHARACTER: Vukmir Vukmir from “A Serbian Film” (2010)

Vukmir Vukmir is a former Child Psychologist (and former Government Worker who produced Children’s Television shows for the Serbian Government) turned Independent pornographer.  Vukmir has a dream of starting an “Artistic Porn Revolution” in Serbia.  Vukmir recruits Milos, a famous retired Serbian adult film start to appear in his films.  Milos is reluctant to join at first, but Vukmir promises Milos that if he does this film then he and his family will be set financially for the rest of their lives.  Every day Vukmir sends a mysterious bald driver who wears sunglasses to pick up Milos, and as soon as Milos arrives on set he is given an ear piece and tells Milos everything he wants to do in the film.  At first things appear to be pretty typical on set, but then Vukmir starts encouraging Milos to do things that go against his beliefs and desires, such as physically assaulting a woman on set, and allowing a young girl to watch him have sexual acts performed on him.  Vukmir pushes Milos over the edge and drives him to quit when he shows him a video he made of the driver sexually assaulting a newborn baby.  However, Vukmir isn’t going to let Milos leave that easily and has him secretly drugged with something that he describes as “Viagra for bulls”.  The use of this drug distorts Milos perception on reality and makes him susceptible to anything Vukmir tells him.

THE ACTOR

     Vukmir is played by Serbian Actor Sergej Trifunovic.  I wish I could tell you more about Trifunvovic as an actor, but I’m afraid, I couldn’t find that much about him.  Most of his work in film and television is in his native Serbia, but has had some small parts in American films; most recently had a small part playing a sailor in the 2012 “The Raven” with John Cusack.  I think Trifunovic, was absolutely wonderful in this role providing the right amount of fear and determination for this character, and Vukmir is probably one of the Most Underrated Villains in Film of the past decade.

Character is Similar to or Inspired By

Off the top of my head I would say that Vukmir is similar to the Jigsaw Killer from the “Saw” franchise, however Vukmir doesn’t hide behind a mask (or dummy I should say).  Like Jigsaw, Vukmir has a desire to control other people and make them do things against their will, like murder other people.  I would also say he’s like Dr. Hannibal Lecter: both have backgrounds in psychiatry and use their superior intelligence to get into the minds of their victims and manipulate them. Only Vukmir doesn’t kill his victims; he has other victims do that for him.  I think it’s also safe to say that Vukmir has a God Complex.  He has a need and desire to control people’s lives and that is made apparent when he has Milos and his film crew wear an ear piece so he can feed them instructions.

Jigsaw Killer from "Saw"

Vukmir with Milos from "A Serbian Film"

Dr. Hannibal Lecter from "Silence of the Lambs"

FATE OF THE CHARACTER

You got what you deserved you sick-o!

Vukmir takes his control over Milos to the extreme.  Milos finds a tape and discovers that when Vukmir and his film crew drugged him they also filmed him being sexually assaulted by members of Vukmir’s crew, forced him to decapitate and rape a woman, and forced him to perform in a scene where Milos brother sexually assaulted his wife while he forced to sexually assault his son.  Upon realizing the awful things that Vukmir forced Milos to endure over the past three days, Milos launches into a blinding rage and beats Vukmir’s head against the floor.  In his final moments of life, Vukmir smiles and claims that he believes his film has achieved beauty and perfection.  It was a violent and gruesome end to a truly violent and psychotic individual.