The Seasoning House

 (2012)****

During war in the Balkan Peninsula a small town is raided by the militia. Most people are  slaughtered while young women are abducted and taken to a filthy house of prostitution to pleasure the men of the militia. The brothel is owned by a reprehensible man named Viktor. A young deaf girl is among a group of new girls who have just arrived. She bears a rather large birthmark on her face so Viktor, nicknaming her Angel, gives her the task of keeping up the house and the girls including administering heroin doses to keep them subdued. We see flashbacks of Angel's life before being abducted including the brutal execution of her mother. Angel learns that she can slip through the air vents and sneak into the other girls room without Viktor's knowledge. She befriends a girl named Vanya who can speak to her using sign language.  The girls plan to escape together but before they can do so Vanya is subjected to a particularly brutal encounter with a large militia man. Angel watches from the vent as the brute begins strangling his friend. In an act of desperation she slips out and stabs the man. Goran, the militia captain flips out at the loss of his man so he and his men set out to hunt Angel down and kill her.

My first 4 star of the season! What a great film! The first half of the film is so gut-wrenchingly sad and deplorable. These poor girls are treated so badly. They are drugged, beaten and raped while left tied to beds like meaningless sacks of garbage. When Angel goes postal it's so satisfying I actually found myself cheering to the tv. Highly recommended for non-biddy thonners. Solid PITA (pipe in the ass) entry as well.