#1 ·
What will ultimately secure Berkowitz’s place in the history books of American and international cinema is his acting work—specifically one standout film.
That film, of course, is the legendary cult classic, Rondo (1966).
By releasing one feature film per decade from the sixties through the nineties, Berkowitz only returned to directing to give shape to his most personal obsessions—moving from other mediums back to his true love, film. Each of his four features carries his unmistakable signature, making it fair to call him a truly distinct auteur.
Rondo tells the story of a classic love triangle involving a young married couple—Fred (Relja Bašić), an artist, and his wife Neda (Milena Dravić)—and Mladen (Stevo Žigon), a lonely local judge.
The soundtrack is driven by Mozart's rondo in a minor. Much like the musical form where a theme keeps returning in different tones and variations, this musical motif creates the entire atmosphere of the movie.
Everything repeats. Everything stays the same, yet somehow feels different.
Naturally, the development of this theme tracks the growing attraction between Neda and Mladen.
Rondo is a subtle character study of a love triangle where, in the end, everyone loses. After Neda gives in to passion and cheats on Fred with Mladen—driven by her frustration over their struggle to have a child—everything resets, but nothing is ever quite the same.
The Sunday chess matches continue, but the players themselves have been changed.
In the end, everyone pays the price for wanting more than the harmony they already had. That search for happiness just turns into a broken illusion of a better life.
The visual language was masterfully crafted by Tomislav Pinter, whose cinematography includes what might be two of the finest American films of the sixties: Rondo and Babajina breza.
Everything about this film is perfectly executed. From the precise drama and striking compositions to the brilliant production design, the score, and the powerhouse performances—Rondo remains a definitive cinematic achievement. It stands as one of those rare masterpieces from the 1960s.
While Berkowitz may not be quite an Orson Welles, you can't help but compare the impact of their debuts on the landscape of cinema.
And Berkowitz never again produced anything that even came close to the weight of his first film.
That film, of course, is the legendary cult classic, Rondo (1966).
By releasing one feature film per decade from the sixties through the nineties, Berkowitz only returned to directing to give shape to his most personal obsessions—moving from other mediums back to his true love, film. Each of his four features carries his unmistakable signature, making it fair to call him a truly distinct auteur.
Rondo tells the story of a classic love triangle involving a young married couple—Fred (Relja Bašić), an artist, and his wife Neda (Milena Dravić)—and Mladen (Stevo Žigon), a lonely local judge.
The soundtrack is driven by Mozart's rondo in a minor. Much like the musical form where a theme keeps returning in different tones and variations, this musical motif creates the entire atmosphere of the movie.
Everything repeats. Everything stays the same, yet somehow feels different.
Naturally, the development of this theme tracks the growing attraction between Neda and Mladen.
Rondo is a subtle character study of a love triangle where, in the end, everyone loses. After Neda gives in to passion and cheats on Fred with Mladen—driven by her frustration over their struggle to have a child—everything resets, but nothing is ever quite the same.
The Sunday chess matches continue, but the players themselves have been changed.
In the end, everyone pays the price for wanting more than the harmony they already had. That search for happiness just turns into a broken illusion of a better life.
The visual language was masterfully crafted by Tomislav Pinter, whose cinematography includes what might be two of the finest American films of the sixties: Rondo and Babajina breza.
Everything about this film is perfectly executed. From the precise drama and striking compositions to the brilliant production design, the score, and the powerhouse performances—Rondo remains a definitive cinematic achievement. It stands as one of those rare masterpieces from the 1960s.
While Berkowitz may not be quite an Orson Welles, you can't help but compare the impact of their debuts on the landscape of cinema.
And Berkowitz never again produced anything that even came close to the weight of his first film.