Mazhe (1966)

Conscripts fall in for the last time to their discharge. Their captain faces the ranks and greets them as a real man. Manhood, a recurrent motif in the film, is their way in life, the ideal that each of them would seek to attain and vindicate. Ivan seems to be first of them to realize the meaning of true love, of parenthood and child upbringing, of conscientious work. He returns to the research institute where he has previously worked. For two years, nothing has changed here. Ivan rebels against the simulation of activity and against the pseudo scholarly atmosphere. An honest man, he openly blames the director and will not evade his own share of the joint responsibility for this state of affairs. The other young man, Sasho, gets lost in the philistinism of the town. He makes a name for himself as a philanderer. At first, he takes a rest from the national service stint at his father's home, but later on, the comfortable job put aside for him at the bank proves too much crippling for him. Still, he masters up his courage and moves back to the small town where he has served in the army. He starts work at the same plant where Dancheto, whom he really loves, is employed. The third young man, Mladen, is practical, industrious, and in love with his boss's daughter. He rapidly climbs up the ladder and gets a supervisor's job thanks to his affable ways with his superiors. With him, thinks seem to be working themselves out, and he no longer needs to court the girl, now that her father has been demoted from the director's position. His two friends know nothing about his breathtaking career. They come to his bachelor room, lay the table and hang a souvenir photo of their friendship on the wall. On the face of it, everything is just right, as it used to be... However, they have a sneaking feeling that only two of them have really achieved something in life. After this reunion, they all go different ways.