Dušan Makavejev: Free Radical

During the 1960s, Yugoslavian filmmaker Dušan Makavejev was among a wave of Eastern European directors who challenged the stodgy and repressive cultural environments behind the Iron Curtain with daring productions. With the exception of WR: Mysteries of the Organism (1971), Makavejev's work seems to have been largely forgotten by many Western audiences, but this compilation of three features provides much-needed evidence that his distinctive vision merits a second look. Man Is Not a Bird (1965) showcases an astonishing mix of experimental filmmaking techniques (including Godard-ish sound and music effects) while spinning the tale of an engineer finding love in a copper-factory town. Love Affair, or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator (1967) offers a frank dissection of class distinctions in Tito's Yugoslavia, as a telephone operator falls into an unlikely romance with a rat exterminator. Innocence Unprotected (1968) presents an off-kilter mockumentary regarding an alleged 1942 production made during the Nazi occupation, starring an escape artist/acrobat with a shameless penchant for showing off his vaudeville talents. In many ways, Makavejev's free-association techniques badly date his work in terms of cinematic style—the editing and sound tricks will likely seem very distracting to contemporary viewers. Nonetheless, his bold approach to moviemaking—presenting stories that effortlessly mix whimsy and drama with jolting camerawork—makes him worthy of renewed consideration. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)