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The Rats Woke Up

Original title: Budjenje pacova
1967 · 1 h 19 min
Directed by Živojin Pavlović · Serbia · Balkan Cinema
Drama

Cast

Slobodan 'Cica' Perovic Dusica Zegarac Severin Bijelic Mirjana Blaskovic Nikola Milic Milivoje Tomić

Credits

Written by: Dragoljub Ivkov

Plot

One of the central films of the Yugoslav Black Wave, it shows the lives of poor and marginalised people on the edge of society, as they struggle against a harsh and indifferent system. Živojin Pavlović's 1967 film, in a stark black-and-white style, won the Silver Bear for directing at Berlin. It was criticised by the authorities for its portrayal of Yugoslav society.

Sinekatalog’s take

Živojin Pavlović's stark black-and-white drama follows a harassed man on the margins who crosses a corrupt system. Harsh and fatalistic, it is a central film of the Yugoslav Black Wave and a powerful portrait of the poor.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

Ratings

IMDb: 7.5 / 10 (517 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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