Makavejev is often synonymous with the phrase “Free Radical.” There’s even a Dusan Makavejev Criterion collection of the same name. It’s a suitable nickname since Makavejev was sort of a free radical.
This cinematic master left us in 2019 but we can still enjoy his genius mind, witty comedy, and playful spirit in Dusan Makavejev movies.
Before we address his films, let’s see how his career began.
Makavejev, the Amateur
Makavejev, also known as Mak, was born on October 13th, 1932 in Belgrade. His parents were Sergey Makavejev and Jelena Bojkić Makavejev. His mother was the first female graduate veterinarian in Yugoslavia. His grandfather was a Russian imperial colonel, Sergey Aleksandrovich Makavejev.
However, Dusan Makavejev took a different path and graduated in psychology at the “Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade.” His connection with psychology is evident in all his films.
Later, he also graduated from the “Faculty of Dramatic Arts.” Nevertheless, he began as an amateur director. The Dusan Makavejev Jatagan Mala short film is one of his well-known amateur movies. Other amateur short films by Mak were also successful, including:
- “The Seal” (Pečat) – 1955
- “Don’t Believe in Monuments” (Spomenicima ne treba verovati) – 1958
- “Anthony’s Broken Mirror” (Antonijevo razbijeno ogledalo) – 1957
“Don’t Believe in Monuments” was one of the first films for which Makavejev had issues with political figures. No one could know that 13 years later he’ll have serious problems with the communist government. We’ll get to that a bit later.
Dusan Makavejev, the Professional
His most known professional short movie is “Parade.” It’s about the “International Workers’ Day” celebration in Belgrade. Since he made it in his authentic way, he had minor political problems but the film was released. In “Parade,” we can see that Mak was going to be a worldwide revelation soon.
Makavejev entered the big league with his first three full-length films, “Man Is Not a Bird,” “Love Affair, or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator,” and “Innocence Unprotected.” These films released from 1965 to 1968 made him a worldwide phenomenon by winning international acclaim and awards. He was one of the leaders of the Yugoslav Black Wave, inspired by the French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, and Czechoslovak New Wave.
Makavejev has spoken about the saying “If your first two movies are excellent, your third one will be a failure.” To avoid this, he made his third film, “Innocence Unprotected,” a documentary, and had success three times consecutively.
Surprisingly, his fourth film, “WR: Mysteries of the Organism,” is by many considered his best movie. However, no one has success all the time, not even Dusan Makavejev. His movie was excellent but he got into serious political trouble because of it and had to leave the country. “WR Mysteries of the Organism” was banned for 16 years in his native Yugoslavia.
Nevertheless, Dusan Makavejev became a worldwide known avant-garde director. He had several other excellent films, which will be listed below.
Most Significant Dusan Makavejev Collaborations
Aside from actress Eva Ras, two other women are important in Makavejev’s career. To be more precise, there are two other collaborating duos.
The most significant one is the Dušan Makavejev – Bojana Marijan duo since Bojana Marijan was his wife. Moreover, she was also an assistant director, producer, and helped Makavejev when necessary. The other one is the Milena Dravic – Dusan Makavejev duo since they had several significant collaborations. Milena Dravic was one of his leading actresses in several movies and a known face of the Black Wave.
Makavejev had many other collaborations. However, these three women are of crucial importance for his film career. As his life partner, Bojana was also with him when political issues came across.
Political Problems of Dusan Makavejev
Some Dusan Makavejev movies were censored in Yugoslavia but also in the West. There was almost nothing problematic, however, Makavejev was just too ahead of his time.
It all began with “WR: Mysteries of the Organism.” The movie was banned almost immediately. Makavejev and his wife got their passports from the government, which was a signal to leave the country, so they did. This movie was banned for almost sixteen years. In an interview with Roger Ebert, Makavejev even says that the Yugoslavian system is good for directors but he is too much.
He also had problems with “Sweet Movie,” which was his first film entirely made abroad. Censorship is an interesting aspect of both socialist and democratic countries. Surprisingly, this Dusan Makavejev film was banned in several countries. Mak also had issues with “Love Affair or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator.” Believe it or not, it was censored in the UK just because of frontal nudity. Sexuality is a big part of Makavejev’s work. Unfortunately, back then politicians and censors couldn’t understand the importance.
Luckily, Dusan Makavejev somehow always got his films in cinemas worldwide.
How Dusan Makavejev Saw Film and Society?
Makavejev had several themes that were present in almost all his movies. He often explores sexuality and sexual repression, socialism, communism, human psychology, social behavior, the everyday life of regular people, etc.
He spoke of himself as a worldwide citizen but also of the leftovers of Yugoslavia. Mak was against nationalism and opposed illogical authoritative patterns and individuals. In an interview with George Melly, Makavejev said he doesn’t think that traditional moralists are wrong, per se. He just doesn’t like when they try to control everything and everyone 24 hours a day.
Paradoxically, Makavejev was also generally a leftist who had the most problems with communists. His films showed that political figures in power weren’t true leftists. He wasn’t an anarchist but he loved unusual things, unconventional behaviors, and asymmetry, which can be seen in all his films. The Yugoslav Black Wave has an experimental and non-linear structure, which was natural for a person like Dusan Makavejev.
He was excellent at finding ironical, satirical, and metaphoric ways to say what he meant indirectly.
Dusan Makavejev Movies
Here’s a list of some of the best Dusan Makavejev movies:
- WR Mysteries of the Organism (WR misterije organizma) – 1971
- Sweet Movie (Slatki Film) – 1974
- Man Is Not a Bird (Čovek Nije Tica) – 1965
- Love Affair, or the Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator (Ljubavni slucaj ili tragedija sluzbenice p.t.t) – 1967
- Innocence Unprotected (Nevinost bez zastite) – 1968
- Mister Montenegro – 1981
- Manifesto – 1988
- Gorilla Bathes at Noon (Gorila se kupa u podne) – 1993
If you want to dive deeper and see his entire filmography, check out the Dusan Makavejev IMDB profile.
Dusan Makavejev Awards
Here’s a list of some of the film festivals where Dušan Makavejev movies have been nominated for or won awards:
- Berlin Film Festival (where he was also a jury member in 1970)
- Cannes Film Festival
- Chicago International Film Festival
- São Paulo International Film Festival
- Telluride Film Festival
- Mar del Plata International Film Festival
- Motovun Film Festival
Makavejev was praised by the best film critics worldwide, from Vincent Canby to Roger Ebert.
Final Thoughts on Dusan Makavejev and His Work
Makavejev is one of the most authentic, experimental, and avant-garde artists ever. His movies are taught by students and young filmmakers worldwide and inspire millions. We must appreciate his work since geniuses like him are rarely born. Makavejev gave an authentic sparkle to Yugoslav and Balkan cinema that was recognized by the entire world.
If you want to continue reading, here’s an article about one of the biggest influences on Makavejev, the Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein.
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