The Wound (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Švaba shoots Pinki out of jealousy and rage. Both boys have developed feelings for Lidija, the glamorous mother of their friend Dijabola. This romantic rivalry fractures their childhood friendship, leading Švaba to attack Pinki in a moment of emotional turmoil. The shooting inflicts five wounds, symbolically echoing the biblical injuries of Christ.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the boys' friendship becomes strained as they both become infatuated with Lidija, creating tension between them.

• svaba shoots pinki
• jealousy
• lidija
• friendship betrayal
• shooting

After surviving the shooting, Pinki escapes the hospital because of an unwritten code of friendship that demands he reciprocate the wounds he received. Rather than accept recovery in safety, he feels compelled to return to Švaba and even the score, perpetuating the cycle of violence between them.

Foreshadowing: The code of loyalty among the boys in their criminal pursuits establishes their willingness to endure pain for each other.

• pinki escapes hospital
• reconciliation
• code of friendship
• wounds

Dijabola confronts Pinki and Švaba seeking revenge for his mother's death, which occurred during a shootout. In the chaotic confrontation, Dijabola kills Švaba and then himself, leaving Pinki as the sole survivor. This tragic climax stems from the escalating violence and the destructive path the boys have followed.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Dijabola is consistently neglected and mistreated by Pinki and Švaba, building resentment that culminates in his violent revenge.

• svaba death
• dijabola death
• revenge
• shootout
• tragic climax

Pinki was born on May 4, 1980, the exact day Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito died. His father Stojan initially wanted to name him after Tito, but authorities considered it too provocative during national mourning. Instead, the boy was named after another Partisan fighter, making his birth a symbolically charged event marking the end of an era.

Foreshadowing: This detail establishes the film's themes of identity, legacy, and the transition from Tito's Yugoslavia to the chaos that follows.

• pinki birth
• tito death
• may 4 1980
• yugoslavia
• symbolism

The boys turn to crime as a response to the chaotic transition of Serbian society during war and UN sanctions. With the Yugoslav system collapsing and lawlessness prevalent, they become fascinated by neighbor Kure's criminal lifestyle and the mobsters they see on television. Seeking adventure and identity in a destabilized environment, they embrace petty crime as a means of survival and self-expression.

Foreshadowing: Their early fascination with Kure, who openly robs from Germany, introduces them to criminal life as an escape from their uncertain world.

• petty crime
• yugoslav wars
• serbia sanctions
• kure
• criminal lifestyle

The war transforms the boys' environment from a relatively normal childhood in New Belgrade to one filled with ethnic tensions, nationalism, and societal collapse. Their fathers become consumed by war politics while sanctions create scarcity. The boys, left without stable guidance, drift toward crime and violence as the social fabric unravels around them.

Foreshadowing: The departure of Serbian troops to the Battle of Vukovar in 1991 marks their first direct encounter with the war's reality.

• yugoslav wars
• serbia
• croatia
• bosnia
• impact on youth
• social collapse

Despite including Dijabola in their activities, Pinki and Švaba treat him as an outsider, teasing him, neglecting him, and occasionally physically abusing him. Dijabola's awkwardness, thick glasses, and distant glamorous mother make him an easy target for their juvenile cruelty. This dynamic of bullying and exclusion ultimately fuels Dijabola's vengeful actions later in the film.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes establish Dijabola's isolation and resentment, which builds toward his violent confrontation.

• dijabola
• bullying
• friendship dynamics
• outsider
• neglect

Pinski's chilling laugh at the audience while wounded on the ground represents his hollow victory and profound cynicism. Having survived the violent deaths of both his best friend and former companion, his laugh suggests the absurdity of his survival and the futility of the violence he endured. It underscores the film's bleak message about war's corrosive effect on youth and the loss of innocence.

Foreshadowing: The entire narrative traces Pinki's transformation from contemplative boy to a traumatized survivor capable of such unsettling acceptance.

• pinki laugh
• ending
• bleak
• cynicism
• survival
• absurdity

Stojan, Pinki's father and a former JNA officer, becomes obsessed with nationalism after being forced into early retirement, deprived of his chance to fight in the war. His frustration manifests as increasingly hostile nationalist views, causing conflicts with neighbors and reflecting how the broader societal disease of ethnic division infiltrates family life.

Foreshadowing: Stojan's deterioration mirrors the nation's descent into nationalism and ethnic tension during the early 1990s.

• stojan
• nationalism
• jna
• yugoslav army
• early retirement

The boys become fascinated with Kure because he represents excitement and opportunity in their restricted, war-torn environment. His impressive car, glamorous lifestyle, and bold criminal exploits, from robbing in Germany to bringing back goods, contrast sharply with the scarcity and uncertainty of their daily lives. Kure offers them a glimpse of adventure and escape from their circumstances.

Foreshadowing: Kure's invitation to help unload stolen goods directly pulls the boys into criminal activity.

• kure
• criminal
• german robbery
• adventure
• role model
• youth

Both Pinki and Švaba develop romantic feelings for Lidija, Dijabola's glamorous but emotionally distant mother. This mutual attraction creates intense jealousy between the two best friends, shattering their bond. The romantic rivalry becomes the direct catalyst for Švaba's decision to shoot Pinki, transforming their childhood friendship into deadly enmity.

Foreshadowing: Their infatuation with Lidija is established early when Pinki fantasizes about her, foreshadowing the conflict to come.

• lidija
• jealousy
• romantic rivalry
• pinki
• svaba
• friendship destroyed