Totalitarianism and Yugoslav socialist experience: Stipe Delić’s Sutjeska

A part of Senadin Musabegović’s text published in the book War: Constitution of Totalitarian Body (Sarajevo: Svjetlost, 2008) examines basic ideological constructions of Yugoslav socialist experience through film, through partisan films as an important factor of ideological integration (Stipe Delić’s Sutjeska, Veljko Bulajić’s The Battle of Neretva, Hajrudin Krvavac's movies). The author explains the ideological logic of a totalitarian society, specificities of Yugoslav socialism, importance of Bosnia and Herzegovina for historic narrations on partisan struggle, basic characteristics of socialist realism and modifications of that (pro-Soviet at the core) model in Yugoslav partisan films. Tackling geographic specificities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, nationality of partisan films’ protagonists, their uniforms and touches, relationship between men and women, presentation of Josip Broz Tito and other commanders, the importance of the wounded, the symbolism of death scenes, the author recognizes mechanisms by which partisan suffering and death (very often naturalistic) serve to underline their basic commitment to a grand idea of unity that justifies any suffering and even death. The analysis focuses on Stipe Delić’s Sutjeska in particular. However, other partisan films also serve to explain strategies used by film to formulate and express the Yugoslav socialist experience.

Senadin Musabegović