settima

dušanmakavejev

Nevinost bez zaštite [Innocence Unprotected] (Dušan Makavejev, 1968)

May

25

Tap Dance Day

Nevinost bez zaštite (1968)

A woman tap dancing on top of the raised barrel of a very large cannon in a circus tent. This scene, lifted from Цирк [Tsirk / Circus] (DPs: Grigoriy Aleksandrov & Isidor Simkov; DPs Vladimir Nilsen & Boris Petrov, 1936) inspired Dragoljub Aleksić – a trained blacksmith – to build his own cannon to shoot people out off. DPs: Branko Perak & Stevan Mišković.

Nevinost bez zaštite is a treasure trove. Of fantastic people, feats, footage, and genres. We sit down to watch #Serbia's first feature talkie, also named Nevinost bez zaštite (1943), and are joined by the people who created it.

“Dragoljub Son of our native land! Teeth and muscles, Tried and true All our hearts go out to you!”

While they speak, and occasionally burst out into song, about living in Yugoslavia under Nazi, then communist control, we meet Dragoljub!, the movie's lead with the jaws of steel. A man of great works, humanitarian and other, demonstrates his iron will. And while so, we all, starstruck and in love, sing:

“When they hammer your head, The skull is hard, And never cracks, Mother's little babe of steel! Dragoljub Son of our native land!”