Cirkus Columbia is a very beautiful sort of love story. Although it doesn't start off that way with troublesome between the some of the main characters, the way the movie progresses and the ending is a very heartwarming story. The movie is set in 1991 prior to the bosnian war. It is a story of a mother and son (Lucija and Martin) living their life in a small house when the father (Divko) of Martin and the former lover of Lucija shows up with a whole lot of cash, a new young girlfriend, and the police to kick Lucija and her son out of their home. The story shows struggle and unhappiness in the beginning, but with progression shows love in a very pure form.
Cirkus Columbia is a great movie from a Bosnian perspective. The characters, writing, scenes, and even the comedy makes it a great movie. The personalities of Martin and his friend really are shown accurately like a real friend relationship because of their lowbrow humor and they fight a lot only to forgive each other later on. Divko is reminds me a lot of the typical middle aged Bosnian man. Stubborn, borish, and not too bright, Divko is a little bit crazy too considering his weird infatuation with his cat. This movie portrays the emotions and personalities of Bosnian's in close to war Bosnia very well. The story itself is very interesting and has it's funny moments. It also know when to implement drama when need be. If someone were to ask me if I knew any good films about Bosnia during the war, I'd recommend Cirkus Columbia.
In conclusion, Cirkus Columbia is a very good film. It's accurately portrays people, history, and locations very well in Bosnia. Not only is it entertaining, but it is educational. It goes to show that you don't need a primetime Hollywood budget to make a good and historically accurate film. This film resonates very well with not only the Bosnian community, but also to those who want to know more about Bosnia through film.
Review of Cirkus Columbia
