The Elusive Summer of '68
A mischievous Belgrade teenager navigates first love, family expectations, and a society loosening its ideological reins during Yugoslavia's transformative summer of 1968.
Overview
A comedic exploration of youthful love and rebellion during a pivotal moment in history.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- nostalgic
- nostalgic movie night
- coming of age double feature
What critics said
The film is broadly regarded as a charming, sharply observed coming-of-age comedy enriched by its period setting and memorable performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Petar discovers sexual and romantic desire while pursuing his sociology teacher and then falling for a visiting musician.
Petar's card-shark grandfather understands his romantic turmoil and advises him while his father insists on discipline and Marxist respectability.
The story places Petar's romantic and academic rebellion against the youth protests and cultural freedoms surrounding Yugoslavia in 1968.
Petar's pursuit of love clashes with his father's demands for academic success and ideological conformity.
Films like The Elusive Summer of '68, and why
Gregory's Girl
coming of age comedy, first love, and affectionate social observation in a changing society
The Last Picture Show
youthful romantic confusion, sexual awakening, and bittersweet comic nostalgia
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation
warm adolescent romance combined with political and cultural change
Movie Details
- Director
- Goran Paskaljević
- Release Date
- 1984-01-30
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (48)
Cast
- Slavko Štimac
- Danilo 'Bata' Stojković
- Mira Banjac
- Milosav 'Mija' Aleksić
- Neda Arnerić
- Dragana Varagić
- Sanja Vejnović
- Ivana Mihić
- Andrija Mrkaić
- Miodrag Radovanović
Common questions
- What is The Elusive Summer of '68 about?
- A mischievous Belgrade teenager navigates first love, family expectations, and a society loosening its ideological reins during Yugoslavia's transformative summer of 1968.
- What is The Elusive Summer of '68 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Elusive Summer of '68 as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Elusive Summer of '68 violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Elusive Summer of '68.
- What did critics think of The Elusive Summer of '68?
- The film is broadly regarded as a charming, sharply observed coming-of-age comedy enriched by its period setting and memorable performances.
- Which films are like The Elusive Summer of '68?
- Films with a similar feel include Gregory's Girl, The Last Picture Show, and The Year My Parents Went on Vacation.
- How long is The Elusive Summer of '68?
- The Elusive Summer of '68 runs 91 minutes.
