While the primary intent of this observational documentary feels rooted in giving its subjects - Bosnian War Veterans - a platform, Among Wolves manages to be so much more, offering an astute reflection on war, not only from the individual perspective, but from a more macro perspective, delivering a subtle yet blistering critique on the contemporary polity. The formal construction, the way in which these veterans are first introduced to the viewer, intentionally posits these men as a party to vulgar or "toxic" masculinity. This is an effective bait-in-switch in that it invites the viewer to bring their preconceived notions to the film right away, just so it can thoroughly eviscerate such bias throughout the remainder of the film's running time, exposing how such bias are rudimentary to why conflict remains, in a sense a reflective device that effectively positions the viewer in a sense of self-reflection before they even engage with the this observational study. "The Wolves" are a biker club, with many veterans among their ranks, lead by a somewhat stoic man whose background makes him a staunch proponent of discipline. These men seek a form of redemption through acts of service, assisting their struggling community through various acts but more central to the story and theme itself is their growing attachment to the wild horses on the nearby plains, horses which shared a spatial proximity with the veterans on the frontline during the war whom now find themselves threatened by urban development. The eternal impact which war has on the individual long after the last bomb has dropped, the meditative aesthetics of silence which are almost universally shared by those unfortunate souls to witness such violence and death first hand is evoked throughout the film to largely strong effect, yet perhaps the film's most prescient aspect is how it deconstructs the false dichotomy we place between egoism and altruism, exhibiting how these men's actions of selflessness are also therapeutic to their own self, exposing how both these social constructed terms are in a sense fabrications when viewed through the lens of mutual exchange. There is a scene late in the film where one of the subjects documented states "If our society, municipality, state, whatever, was designed like a herd of horses we'd be better off" - This is a powerful statement, one which implicitly is an affront to all kinds of authority and power, regardless of polity - I for one, couldn't agree more.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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