When Father Was Away On Business

Description

In the tumultuous 1950's, as Tito's Yugoslavia resists the pressures of Stalinism, a young boy narrates the story of his family's troubled world. Mesha (Miki Manojlovic), a minor party official in Yugoslavia has been sent away to the mines for fooling around with the voluptuous communist party official. The drama unfolds through the eyes of Mesha's six year-old naïve son, Malik, who thinks Papa is away on business.

Customer Reviews:

When Father Was Away on Business.......2007-07-10

Director Kusturica's triumph evocatively portrays a challenging time and place, and against this grim backdrop, goes on to paint a warmer portrait of childhood innocence and imagination, as the adorable Malik manages to put a hopeful, fantastic spin on circumstances and events unfolding around him. Manojlovic injects tremendous pathos into the character of Mesha, an all-too-human fellow caught in an inhuman system. A painfully honest, heartfelt work.

Sleepliving Under Communism.......2007-04-10

I think the little boy's sleepwalking is a sort of metaphor for life in general in communist Yugoslavia in the early 1950s. This movie shows how even the most mild comment could result in imprisonment. It also shows how one evil relative could ruin the lives of his sister's family by his blind allegiance to the Party line. So, the only way to cope was to sleepwalk through life. However, this is also a strong family story of survival. Even though the father could not seem to remain faithful to his wife, he clearly did love her and he especially loved his two sons. So, the family pulls together to cope with both communism and infidelity. This isn't the kind of movie that gives one a good feeling at the surprising climax; it is more a picture or slice of life under communism.

Several of the synopsis and reviews of this movie show it at 144 minutes; however, the DVD sold in the U.S. shows it at 135 minutes. If that is right, I suspect that nine minutes have been censored because of the children's nakedness. I did think that the circumcision of Mesha seemed strange. At one point you see the surgical tools being clipped to his penis or near it, then suddenly he is recovering in bed. Also, there is a bath scene where Mesha's little girl friend, also about seven years old, is bathing. He starts to get into the tub with his under-shorts on, and she says to take them off. He does, and then they have a little conversation as they bathe about how he was changed when he was circumcised. They do show the two looking at each other's genitals in the clear water, and both are clearly seen. However, they are so innocent and unassuming about their sexual differences that I would not be surprised if they did a little playing naked when they were in the tub and when they got out, and this might have been too much for American censors. Not sexual playing, but ordinary playing as most American nudist children might.

Must see movie........2005-05-26

I am quite amazed that there are no recommendations or comments on this picture from folks once lived life of Malik in ex-Yugoslavia. "The boy's very being does (not) becomes an expression of natural defiance toward the coming communist regime under Tito and its spirit-crushing regime" (cited /
re-worded from last comment) - he is just stepping out of his childhood.
On June 28th. 1948 (what a coincidence - on a same date in 1389 Turk army defeated Serbian army on Kosovo field and on a same date Gavrilo Princip in 1914 committed Sarajevo assassination on Austrian prince Ferdinand - creating excuse for Germany to start 1st.(Great) World War) members of Stalin's Informbiro kicked Yugoslavia out of membership of Joint European Communist Party.
That event gives birth to this movie.
I would recommend much deeper research to interested party on happenings in Yugoslavia (1945-1948 USSR -Yugoslavia relations) in order for that party to get a real feel for Yugoslav society happenings after Resolution of Inforbiro (Bucharest 1948). Eastern block sanctions towards Yugoslavia, few 5 year plans to swim out of those sanctions and hostile breakout from East produced deviant political society of 50's Yugoslavia.
Why am I writing all this historical rubbish?
It is an attempt to make you watch this movie again with (now) seeing Malik as Yugoslavia, his dreams as the Yugoslavian nation dreams, his sick and dying (first love) girlfriend as USSR, his mother as Tito, his father as all innocent Yugoslav political prisoners from early 50's, his father's policeman jailer and friend as Informbiro (Stalin), his father's girlfriend as only good reason to spend some time in political prison....etc...etc... And then comment me back. Or ask me for more info.
I am finding this movie context extremely complex. Being loaded with very hard to catch metaphors doesn't help its easy understanding.

A Favorite!.......2003-06-21

This is one of my all-time favorite movies! The atmosphere is dreamlike - expressed in the boy's sleepwalking and the unrepressable subconscious - a thing that communism disavows. Thus, the boy's very being becomes an expression of natural defiance toward the coming communist regime under Tito and its spirit-crushing regime. A classic flic. Highly recommended.

When Father Was Away on Business / Otac na sluzbenom putu / Papa est en voyage d'affaires / Papa v komandirovke by Emir Kusturica

Average customer rating:

When Father Was Away on Business / Otac na sluzbenom putu / Papa est en voyage d'affaires / Papa v komandirovke by Emir Kusturica
Director: Emir Kusturica
Manufacturer: Karmen Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Language: Russian ONLY. Subtitles: NON

ASIN: B000RA8DAW

Product Description

Fil'm JEmira Kusturicy. Glavnyj priz na MKF v Kanne 1985 g. Priz FIPRESSI Nominacija na "OSKAR" Nacional'naja premija "Bol'shaja zolotaja arena" za luchshij fil'm goda, 1986 g. Dejstvie fil'ma proishodit v Saraevo v bespokojnoe vremja (1948 - 1952gg.) posle razryva Tito so Stalinym. Tragedija ljudej, popavshih v zhernova totalitarizma, pokazana s tochki zrenija shestiletnego mal'chika. Imenno ego ostroumnye kommentarii sobytij zadajut ton tragikomedii. Otec mal'chika postojanno uezzhaet v komandirovki, i on - tot samyj pohotlivyj babnik, iz-za kotorogo stradaet mat'. Sud'ba nanosit udar sem'e, kogda otca po donosu ljubovnicy arestovyvajut, a ego zhene i synu prihoditsja perezhit' tri zhutkih goda, polnyh gorja i niwety. Fil'm polon ironii i sarkazma, no vmeste s tem propitan nezhnost'ju "chelovecheskoj komedii".

Blame It on Fidel/When Father Was Away on Business

Average customer rating:

Blame It on Fidel/When Father Was Away on Business
Starring: Blame It on Fidel , and When Father Was Away on Business
Manufacturer: Koch International
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000V1Y48C
Release Date: 2007-11-06

Description

Includes both Blame it on Fidel and When Father Was Away on Business.

DVD:

DVD

DVD