Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton's immortal words are more relevant to our modern world than we would like to think. The examples that illustrate this point are more likely to be recognised in seemingly mundane aspects of everyday life than in the distant sphere of high politics. People who actually exercise absolute power in today's world are physicians – the only profession that the rest of society allows to make decisions about someone's life or death. Naturally, with such power – absolute and unchallenged by default – come many temptations for abuse. Vegetarian Cannibal, the 2012 Croatian film directed by Branko Schmidt, deals with those subjects.
The film is based on the novel by Ivo Balenović, a former doctor who – we might not like to think – found inspiration in his old colleagues and co-workers. The protagonist, played by Rene Bitorajac, is Dr. Janko Babić, a top gynecologist in one of Zagreb's leading clinics. At first glance, he appears to be the dream son-in-law for any upper-middle-class mother – apart from his successful career, he enjoys excellent physical shape, 'hip' musical tastes, and seemingly progressive social values embodied in his vegetarianism. His professional life, on the other hand, displays alarming levels of incompetence, with patients sometimes dying in surprisingly messy fashion, while many have their lives completely ruined. Dr. Babić, nevertheless, has an apparently high opinion of himself, which allows him to treat patients with utter disdain and often employ all kinds of abuse toward his subordinates. His real talent, however, is getting away with it. In this, he is helped by the corrupt policeman Ilija (played by Leon Lučev), who not only provides him with protection and political connections but also introduces him to the parallel world of seedy night clubs and dog fighting, controlled by Jedinko (played by Emir Hadžihafizbegović), a shady but well-connected 'businessman' who runs a human trafficking/prostitution operation and needs Dr. Babić's expert services with his female 'merchandise', which includes illegal abortions.
Based on conventional genre parameters, Vegetarian Cannibal is a drama, though some critics have described it as a horror film. This is mostly due to graphic scenes of surgery that include large amounts of gore, disturbing enough to make some audience members feel sick during its 2012 Pula Film Festival premiere. The film is, however, most disturbing when its content is placed in the context of everyday Croatian reality. Dr. Babić is not some supernatural demon nor deranged axe-murderer; he is merely a person who happens to be in a position that makes his greed, incompetence and lack of morals more destructive than would be the case in more regular circumstances. Croatian viewers are disturbed when they realise they might encounter plenty of such characters in hospitals, courts and various offices. Even more disturbing is the realisation that many of these figures are not that different from Dr. Babić, and that many would yield to similar temptations under his circumstances. This is most evident in scenes where the doctor, faced with official investigations and possible professional ruin, resorts to all kinds of tricks, lies, manipulations, stealing and falsifying records; in these scenes, many Croatians might recognise themselves dealing with situations created by decades of harsh socio-economic realities in the post-communist period and even find some sympathy for the main character. Those scenes are also when Vegetarian Cannibal comes closest to being a comedy, albeit a dark one.
Branko Schmidt, who has built a reputation as one of Croatia's finest filmmakers, handles this film very capably. It is well-paced, well-edited and mercifully short. The film lacks a compact conventional plot and functions more like a character study, with a series of small vignettes illustrating Dr. Babić's descent into depravity, which, ironically, corresponds with his rise in social standing. Rene Bitorajac is excellent in the main role, while the rest of the cast does a very good job in small but memorable roles. Not everything in Vegetarian Cannibal is perfect, though; some scenes seem over the top or represent a clumsy attempt to place all the blame for Croatian problems on uneducated and primitive post-communist nouveau riche from Bosnia. Some characters are undeveloped, particularly Dr. Babić's loyal nurse played by Nataša Janjić. However, those willing to stomach this slice of unpleasant Croatian reality on screen are going to be rewarded with one of the best films recently made in this part of the world.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in the original version was posted here.)
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