Fighting with fear In films about spies (or, if you like, scouts) always one way or another, the romance of the “invisible front” comes to the fore. The struggle between the opposing sides (intelligence and counterintelligence) must necessarily be tense, studded with sharp needles of intellectual duels, sometimes turning into physical confrontation, and necessarily filled with constant suspense. Whether it is a threat of exposure to a spy or a threat of defeat to security services. But still suspense, as an element of a spy thriller, although it is an essential element, rarely comes to the fore, usually remaining in the shadow of psychological games and criminal romance. Think of Seventeen Moments of Spring or the early Hitchcock films. Even in the magnificent “No Exit” with Kevin Costner, where the whole intrigue, it would seem, is built on the fear of exposing the agent, this fear itself remains behind the scenes, hiding behind the detective intricacies of the plot.
That is why the Yugoslav painting “ABC of Fear” stands out so sharply among other genre films. It stands out so much that it is even somehow inconvenient to call it a “spy thriller”. Yes, and “film about scouts” or “underground” – too. Because the title of the work of director Fadil Hadzic absolutely accurately reflects its content. The main thing for the director here was the study of fear, its roots, its nature and the possibility for an individual to overcome it. And everything else, including spy games, fades into the background.
That is why the intrigue for the sake of which the partisan scout goes to the enemy’s lair remains rather obscure. There is no direct confrontation between intelligence and counterintelligence. There is so much conflict between man and his own fear. The banker Bolner and the underground Vera are playing against each other at the same time, and therefore they are at the same time afraid of exposure. After all, Bolner, who has a list of provocateurs sent to the partisan detachment, works for Croatian counterintelligence, acting in secret from its German patrons in the interests of a certain “third party”, and therefore, in case of exposure, can hardly count on leniency.
It would seem that having started such a complex intrigue, Hadzic can fully concentrate on its unleashing, asking the viewer one detective mystery after another. But the actual detective on this very intrigue and ends. Solving mysteries in the sphere of interests of the director this time was not included. But the injection of suspense, the creation of an atmosphere of total fear - very much. The methods for this are not very original, but very effective. For example, the alternation of frames searching the office of his patron Vera and suddenly remembered the forgotten there thing Bolner. It seems that now the spy will be exposed, but the owner enters his holy holies. There's no one there. Another example is the constant reminder of certain objects that must inevitably play a fatal role. For example, a stolen portfolio from the owner. The girl constantly hides it, and each time the camera on it stops for a long time, making it clear that this is the same gun that will inevitably shoot in the third act.
These techniques, of course, simple, but capable of skillfully using to create the necessary atmosphere. And Hadzic uses them skillfully, complementing with details and surrounding with auxiliary characters (such as the naive younger daughter of Bolner, “teaching” a student Vera to read, or the German pilot-as, the boyfriend of her older sister). As a result, the closer the final, the atmosphere of total fear thickens. And the more required from the performer of the main role Vesna Bojanich. And she does her job brilliantly. Her Vera is afraid. Scared. To nausea, to trembling knees. But in public, she must remain a naive illiterate Katica, who has absolutely nothing to fear, which means that fear must be driven into the furthest corner of her consciousness. Bolner is also afraid of losing the trust of Germans, nationalists, and foreign patrons. For him, participation in a conspiracy is a very risky bet that he made against his will, and therefore his fear is perhaps even stronger than the fear of the Faith. And he, just like his maid, has no right to show it even to his loved ones, let alone the German military, with whom Bolner has to deal in his service. At the same time, Vera, despite the mortal danger, knows what to fear, and Bolner cannot determine from which side he may be struck. Which makes them even more vulnerable.
Hadzic cleverly manipulates fear, plays it almost with pleasure, putting his heroes (first of all, of course, Faith) in a situation where any chance can bring down an avalanche on their heads. Unlike many (even very good) thrillers, he does not let go of a stretched string for a second. And she does not break and does not weaken until the very end, turning the ABC of Fear almost into a perfect thriller. A thriller that can make the viewer experience the very feelings that his characters experience on the screen. And learn the ABC of Fear.