The Weight of Chains
The Weight of Chains
| 17 December 2010 (USA)
The Weight of Chains Trailers

The Weight of Chains is a Canadian documentary film that takes a critical look at the role that the US, NATO and the EU played in the tragic breakup of a once peaceful and prosperous European state - Yugoslavia. The film, bursting with rare stock footage never before seen by Western audiences, is a creative first-hand look at why the West intervened in the Yugoslav conflict, with an impressive roster of interviews with academics, diplomats, media personalities and ordinary citizens of the former Yugoslav republics. This film also presents positive stories from the Yugoslav wars - people helping each other regardless of their ethnic background, stories of bravery and self-sacrifice.

Reviews
Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good
ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Twilightfa Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.
Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
dimitrovboris This documentary is bare truth about wars on our lands (Balkan - Yugoslavia). This documentary shows the way that America keeps on ,,peace,, in world. It describes how democracy and freedom of American people work. They conquered every country that they came starting from west to east. And then they came here... They though that everyone is the same and weak...They thought that they can just come here and command us like its their own territory... And guess what? They were wrong. We showed them how much life is worth when we stand for something much greater than ourselves. I speak as proud Serbian. I am proud of our ancestors that throughout history defended and stood for what is right. Our ancestors knew that they would all die in Kosovo battle 1389. and still went there and died with honor. Because they died for much greater cause. They all died so that their children have something to look up to, to show us that its not hard to give your life for your country. We stood against the tyranny of much larger forces at that time (1389. Turkish army, I W.W 1914. Austro-Hungarian army, II W.W. 1941. Germany) because we knew if we fall, evil will rule the world of course our brothers by blood and by nature Russians helped us in II W.W. to banish fascism from our lands. We will always stand together with our bigger brother Russia. I just don't understand America. Why did they came here? They knew if we are standing together that America will have power only in its borders. They want to maintain the world to work for them. The democracy that America represents doesn't free people. It enslaves them even more... Together we are strong, divided we fall... That's what happened to Yugoslavia. It fell apart because people living inside were separated. Everyone wanted a piece of cake and America saw that and used it to enslave piece by piece. Imagine Yugoslavia like a cake that America wants to eat. America cant eat whole Yugoslavia at once but can chop it down and eat piece by piece. The knife was NATO and European Union, the knife that chopped Yugoslavia was NATO. In 1999. When Yugoslavia was chopped enough NATO bombarded it and as an excuse it stated some violation of civil rights on KOSOVO... There was no violation of civil rights there. It was a pure battle between Liberation Army of Kosovo (UČK or OVK) and Yugoslavian army... they set a scene in which some OVK soldiers without uniforms were lying dead and later on that picture was a proof that we did some aggression on them. Same in Croatia, same in Bosnia. Same scenario everywhere. We were described to the world as aggressors... How can some country attack itself, i'm speaking of Yugoslavia. Because Yugoslavia was made up of,now already independent countries, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia. Every country that wanted to separate cant blame country that already had power on that land. Croatia cant blame Yugoslavia because Croatia wants to separate. If they want to separate than they have to accept responsibility of that actions. If there were referendum to separate there would be no war. the fact is if there was a referendum it would show that more people would stay in Yugoslavia than those who wanted to separate. Same everywhere. So they started killing Serbs on their territories. Croat extremists (Ustaše) started killing Serbs in Croatian territory. Bosnian extremists (Balije) started killing Serbs in Bosnian territory and there were our extremists (Četnici) that started killing all other extremists and civilians as a way of payback on that territories. Remember. Killings didn't start from our side. It all started 1992. when Bosnian extremists started killing innocent civilians in small and distanced villages. Anyway. Today is 8.26.2015. and world thinks that we were aggressors in 1990's. You need to see this movie to know the truth. I know that the second part came out called The Weight of Chains II long time ago. Watched him too and cant agree more. This is one of the best documentaries i have seen in a long time. Long live Serbia. Serbia and Russia brothers together.
Kako Je U Kraju Yugoslavia, until Broz died, was a world giant. Pretty much everyone wanted to burry it. And they made it. This movie speaks about that. First hour is about 90's war, the second is describing the situation as it is was until a few years ago(and be sure that it is even worse now). First hour, like I've said, is about that war. Talking about the war battles, it's just a bit described. Watching this film, you would actually said that Croatia and Tudjman were the worst between trio - Cro;BiH;Ser, neutral person would concluded it. All in all, I would say that the Serbian actions were not that much described, except of Srebrenica. Everyone were been involved in this war, all of these 3 countries. Statistically looking, Bosnia lost the biggest number of civilians; Serbia and Croatia were the aggressors. But each country has lost so many people in the war - civilians, soldiers, everyone. And because of that I can't determine one country as a completely evil, because that would be so damn wrong and unfair. But the western propaganda made Serbia as a demonic seed. In the film it's a well described.After watching this movie you will conclude who organized Yugoslavian war (and if you are completely objective and your IQ isn't below average). So, the first hour of the movie is what I don't like. War situations aren't completely described and some of the Serbian army crimes and negativities are skipped (and I don't know if this is important enough to be in the movie, but contacts that Radovan Karadzic had with USA, after they tricked him, also weren't mentioned). But if you were watching it carefully, you would understand that nobody blames people in this movie. They are explaining why the war started, talking about an awful president which didn't care about the people and that had a wrong ideals + they were watching their own interests. And, first hour is describing how brilliant plan USA were making. Just imagine how good place the world would have been if the USA wanted to make a truly democracy, a truly world peace, equality between the people and eliminating the truly evil from the world. We surely wouldn't needed a films like this one nowadays...Second part of the movie is a much, much better. It's describing a modern situation all over the countries of the former Jugoslavija. You can see what the USA and powerful western countries did, and how large their benefits and profite now are. I don't need to say anything more about this, just watch.If anyone is giving a negative voice, it is just because of the first hour(which actually isn't bad and unrealistic at all). Film is saying about the true, some details are missing but everything at this movie is a completely true, every single detail. So, no single lie, as some people are saying. Anyway, just particular foreigner or some person who is so damn blinded with the hate of 90's, can give a crap voice to this movie. Serbia isn't a nacionalistic country, and idea of the ,,big Serbia'' don't exist. It actually never existed, it was just an illusion of a few people and that plan had never been an official idea. But those blind people are still using it as an argument against the Serbia(and this film), so I would describe them as ignorant, no offence. OK, believe that USA government is a heaven and that they were doing the best things for your countries in the 90's. But they weren't, it's a lie. You can see it now, you can see what your countries look like, and you will see it in a 20 years, it will be even worse(if they let us live, ofc). And one thing that I would suggested, when you will be watching this film, my recommendation is to first look at the last 15 minutes of the film. That's all.
herrfleischgewehr What is the point of this documentary, viewers might ask them selves; what is the point of this misinterpretation of history? What the hell, for crying out loud? Why would somebody produce such a piece of crap? For what purpose? The answer is bluntly simple; the Serbs are trying, very poorly indeed, to wash their bloody hands. I am sorry guys but this lame attempt just fails like every attempt that came from your Serbo-Goebbels kitchen... You guys are guilt as it gets. Grow some balls, look yourself in the mirror and admit it. You are the sole responsible for the blood and gore of the Balkans. You made the mess and you were punished. Stop wining and deal with it. There could be some dignity in saying the truth, Germans pulled it out when they admitted that they were the culprits of the II WW horrors, at least they are honest ones.People who appreciate this collection of denials are either seriously uninformed or Serbian nationalists refusing to admit the obvious. There is no such thing as Great Serbia, there never was, there never will be. Snap out of it and start living in the 21. century. Jeeez. There is no world wide antiserbian conspiracy, no body wants to destroy you, you were never important. The whole Balkan area was never important, get that in your thick heads. The only real thing about you, the thing you cannot run away from, are your bloody hands. Lying and hiding them will do you no good.If you want some unbiased view on the fall of, once an important state of Yugoslavia, take a look at BBC's The Death of Yugoslavia. Do not waste time on this atrocity.
fulcrum-262-916011 Movie: Copy of Michael Moors funny input of movie clips in "original" movie. Story: If you want historical objective view, don't watch that. The most objective movie on that subject is "The Death of Yugoslavia" made by BBC. I would give it 7/10 because there is not origin of problem. If you compare these two movies "The Weight of Chains" and "The Death of Yugoslavia" you can see the main difference: In the first one there is no single important person speaking from that time, in second one, there are key players of that time. There are not mentioned bad things about Yugoslavia and people could really believe that it was heaven. Freedom of speech, freedom of journalism, political opponents were killed or imprisoned. Movie is on purpose dealing with falls history data in favor of Serbia. They didn't say that 1st Yugoslavia after WWI was dictatorship of Serbian king, who suspended parliament in which Croatian leaders were killed in Belgrade. They have put that Germany was in control of Serbia during WWII that is not truth. They have Nedic state which was the Nazi-state like CIS. They did not say that Chetniks were supported by fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. And the first partisans in Europe were Croatians with Tito, who was also Croatian. In Jasenovac were killed people of all nationalities and Jews were deported from all parts of Yugoslavia, number is proved few times less then mentioned in the movie. Albanians are called minority and they made 88% of Kosovo population. They didn't mentioned that Milosevic terminated autonomy of Kosovo and Vojvodina. Croatian liberation of occupied parts of it country they called occupation. They didn't say which civilians were killed in Vukovar. Hundreds of catholic churches and Muslim mosques were destroyed, but they are showing Serbian orthodox church. The "great economic strength"of Yugoslavia should be watched on economic data of individual state. Google it. Slovenia was the most developed, Kosovo as part of Serbia least. Majority of budget was spent for army and development of Kosovo. You still wander why some republics wanted independence? Don't. Conclusion: The plain propaganda Serbian movie.