Dusan Makavejev - Nevinost bez zastite aka Innocence Unprotected (1968)

Innocence Unprotected was originally filmed in 1941 under the title Nevinoz bez Zastite; it was meant to be the first all-talking feature ever made in Serbia. Yugoslav gymnast Dragolijub Aleksic wrote, produced, directed and starred in this simple tale of a young man who rescues his lady love from her wicked stepmother. The film was never released, falling victim to the Nazi censors; later on, the film was condemned as pro-Nazi (huh?) Flash-forward to 1968: documentary filmmaker Dusan Makavejev unearthed this forgotten film, expanded upon it with newsreel footage of Dragolijub Aleksic performing his athletic feats and filmed interviews with the surviving cast members, and came up with Innocence Unprotected. The result is less a dramatic film than a montage-like celebration of Yugoslavian customs, folklore, and humor. Makavejev referred to Innocence Unprotected as a "montage of attractions"; viewers will no doubt find those attractions most attractive.







Apparently a metaphor for Yugoslavian politics and society circa 1968…you couldn't prove it by me, but that's besides the point.

Makavejev was interviewed following a showing on the Sundance channel, and explained that he stumbled on a Yugoslavian film made by a noted strongman and aerialist during the German Occupation (WWII for those born after 1950), and then unearthed years later from its hiding place. It turned out that many of the cast and crew were still living in the 1960's, so he fashioned a wrap-around story about a director making a documentary intercutting the original film and German and Yugoslav news footage from the same period with present-day interviews with the original cast (Pirandello, anyone?)

The metaphors are impenetrable for those outside the society, but the footage of Alexis the strongman doing his stunts both then and now is quite thrilling, the original film footage is charmingly naive and the newsreel material is shocking. Film as pure sensation, with some marvelous and perhaps unintentional humor. Well worth 90 minutes of your time, particularly when you compare it to your nabe's current listings….