What Is The Red Colored Grey Truck About?
The premise of The Red Colored Grey Truck in 270 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the sweltering summer of 1991, Belgrade teeters on the edge of disintegration as Yugoslavia unravels. The city’s streets pulse with a uneasy blend of ordinary bustle and the distant rumble of an impending conflict, casting a surreal light over everyday life. The air is thick with a mix of hope, uncertainty, and a darkly comic absurdity that seems to cling to every cracked façade and hurried conversation.
Gavran, a color‑blind, introverted Bosnian who has just been released from prison, is drawn to the open road like a moth to a flickering lantern. His lifelong obsession with trucks gives him a restless energy, and the moment he slips behind the wheel of a bright red vehicle, the city’s uneasy calm is both challenged and reflected in his daring impulse.
Suzana arrives from the heart of the city with a heavy secret—she is pregnant and wrestling with the decision of an abortion. While hitchhiking toward Dubrovnik, a near‑miss forces an uneasy partnership; she leverages what she can to persuade Gavran to take her farther than either expected. Her urban sensibility, sharp wit, and urgent desperation sharply contrast with Gavran’s rural stoicism, setting up a tension that crackles like static before a storm.
Together they navigate a world where ordinary encounters are tinged with the surreal, and the looming shadow of war transforms each mile into a fragile pact of survival. Their clashing backgrounds and the stark, colorful backdrop of a collapsing nation create a mood that is simultaneously tender, unsettling, and oddly humorous, inviting the audience to wonder how two strangers might find common ground when everything else is falling apart.
What Happens in The Red Colored Grey Truck?
The complete story of The Red Colored Grey Truck, from the first scene to the last, in 420 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 3 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Set in June 1991, just days before the Yugoslav War erupts, the story follows Ratko, a Bosnian Serb who escapes a Belgrade prison and steals a red Mercedes-Benz truck. His almost pathological passion for hijacking trucks and driving them—paired with a stubborn color-blindness—lands him behind bars in the first place, a detail that colors his choices as the occupation of the region edges closer to chaos. As fate intersects with his path, he crosses paths with a young urban Belgrade woman, Suzana, who has just learned she is pregnant and is weighing an abortion. Her father, convinced the upheaval won’t last, diverts their money into speculative schemes, pushing her to travel to Dubrovnik to raise funds for the procedure.
After nearly running her down while hitch-hiking, Ratko gives her a lift, and what begins with awkwardness and wary distrust gradually deepens into tenderness. Their differences in background—his rural, rough-around-the-edges outlook and her cosmopolitan city experience—give way to a surprising, and for a time hopeful, bond as they travel together through a country on the cusp of fracture. Along the way, they encounter a mosaic of people from almost every ethnicity, as well as soldiers of the JNA, smugglers, gunrunners, foreign mercenaries, petty thieves, and militias operating on the fringes of legitimacy. Each encounter testifies to a society seeping toward conflict and exposes the fragility of ordinary life when war looms.
As their journey unfolds, Ratko learns that Švabo—one of his old friends—has become a weapon smuggler. He decides to seek him out to secure two passports and a cache of weapons that could help him bribe the various militias they might meet along the route, a desperate move to keep their fragile escape alive. The couple presses on toward the border, only to discover that sovereignty itself is fraying: the crossing is controlled by Slovenian Territorial Defense Forces, and the JNA has been ordered to reclaim it. A tank roars onto the scene, and Ratko’s truck is blown apart, yet the two manage to slip across the frontier and begin anew in Italy.
Time passes, and Suzana gives birth to a black boy. Ratko accepts the child as his own, insisting that color—like fate—means nothing in the face of family and love. In the end, the pair’s odyssey across a region at war’s brink becomes a quiet testament to the unpredictable bonds that can form when two people choose to lean on each other rather than apart, even as a larger conflict threatens to erase the lines that divide them.
The Red Colored Grey Truck Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Escape from Belgrade prison and truck theft” to “A final note: color and belonging in a war-torn world”. 12 events name a place, across 6 locations.
- 1
Escape from Belgrade prison and truck theft
Ratko escapes from Belgrade prison and steals a red Mercedes-Benz truck. His almost pathologically obsessive love of driving trucks and his color-blindness are cited as the reasons he landed in prison to begin with. The stolen truck sets the course for the dangerous road ahead.
When:June 1991 Where:Belgrade
- 2
Suzana discovers pregnancy and plans abortion
Suzana learns she is pregnant and contemplates having an abortion. Her father, convinced the chaos won't last, diverts their money into a speculative investment. To raise funds for the procedure, she decides to go to Dubrovnik to earn the money.
When:June 1991 Where:Belgrade
- 3
A near-collision leads to a lift
While hitch-hiking, Suzana is nearly run over by a vehicle and Ratko stops to help, offering her a ride. Their initial awkwardness gives way to a wary curiosity as they spend time together on the road. This chance encounter marks the start of an unlikely journey.
When:June 1991 Where:Yugoslav countryside
- 4
Romance blossoms on the road
As they travel through the Yugoslav landscape, the two fugitives grow closer and finally fall in love. The bond between them deepens against a backdrop of growing tension and fear. Their relationship becomes a counterpoint to the chaos around them.
When:June 1991 Where:Yugoslavia (on the road)
- 5
Crossing paths with soldiers, smugglers, and militias
On their journey they encounter a mosaic of people: JNA soldiers, smugglers, foreign mercenaries, petty thieves, and local militias. Some meetings are humorous, others life-threatening, reflecting a country on the brink of war. Each encounter tests their resolve and resilience.
When:June 1991 Where:Yugoslav countryside
- 6
Decision to alter route toward the Yugoslav-Italian border
Seeing the situation deteriorate, they decide to change course toward the Yugoslav-Italian border. The shift promises a potential escape from the collapsing territory they travel through. The road becomes a race against time as conflict edges closer.
When:June 1991 Where:Along their route in Yugoslavia
- 7
Reunion with Švabo and plan to obtain passports and weapons
Ratko learns that his friend Švabo has become a weapon smuggler. To facilitate their escape, he travels to obtain two passports and a load of weapons to bribe local militias along their path. The plan underscores the desperation driving their journey.
When:June 1991 Where:Along their route in Yugoslavia
- 8
Border siege: Slovenian TD occupies crossing; JNA moves in
At the border, the crossing is taken over by Slovenian Territorial Defence Forces. The Yugoslav People's Army is ordered to retake it, and a tank appears on the scene. The standoff elevates the danger and subverts any easy exit from the region.
When:June 1991 Where:Yugoslav-Italian border
- 9
Tank destroys the truck; they still cross into Italy
A tank fires and blows up Ratko's truck, destroying their vehicle. Despite the destruction, Suzana and Ratko manage to cross the border into Italy. The near-death moment becomes a pivotal turning point toward their new life.
When:June 1991 Where:Yugoslav-Italian border
- 10
Safe in Italy after crossing
The couple settles in Italy after crossing the border, beginning a precarious new chapter. The move marks an end to their immediate flight and the start of a fragile stability. Their journey, though concluded for now, leaves a lasting imprint on their lives.
When:June 1991 Where:Italy
- 11
Birth and acceptance: a son beyond color
Suzana gives birth to a black boy in their new life in Italy. Ratko accepts him as his own son, declaring that colors mean nothing to him. The child becomes a living symbol of their resolve to defy the divisions of war.
When:after arrival in Italy Where:Italy
- 12
A final note: color and belonging in a war-torn world
The story closes with the couple reflecting on identity and belonging in a chaos-filled region. Ratko’s love for his son and their resilience offer a quiet, stubborn hope beyond the fighting. The film ends on a note of cautious optimism amid lingering conflict.
When:end of journey Where:Italy
Who Are the Main Characters in The Red Colored Grey Truck?
4 characters, among them Ratko (Srđan Todorović), Suzana (Aleksandra Balmazović) and Švabo (Dragan Bjelogrlić): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- R(
Ratko (Srđan Todorović)
Played by Srđan 'Žika' Todorović
A Bosnian Serb recently released from Belgrade prison, Ratko is almost pathologically drawn to stealing trucks and driving them. His color-blindness shapes his decisions, making him impulsive but resourceful. Despite rough edges, he forms a tentative bond with Suzana and shows capacity for tenderness.
- 🚚 Thief
- 💥 Impulsive
- 🧭 Resourceful
- S(
Suzana (Aleksandra Balmazović)
Played by Aleksandra Balmazović
An urban Belgrade woman who discovers she is pregnant and seeks money for an abortion. She travels with Ratko, and the journey tests her resolve and resilience. She shifts from wary passenger to a key partner in the couple’s evolving romance.
- 💘 Romance
- 💼 Determined
- 🧭 Urbanite
- Š(
Švabo (Dragan Bjelogrlić)
Played by Dragan Bjelogrlić
One of Ratko's friends who has become a weapon smuggler. The plan to obtain two passports and a load of weapons shows the dark networks that feed the conflict along their route. He embodies the criminal underworld intersecting with the war’s coming chaos.
- 🗝️ Smuggling
- 🧠 Cunning
- 💼 Criminal network
- R(
Rambo (Uroš Đurić)
Played by Uroš Đurić
A rough, enigmatic traveler the couple encounter on their road. He represents the many volatile figures they meet as Yugoslavia edges toward war, adding tension and unpredictability to their journey.
- 🗡️ Enigmatic
- 🧭 Survivor
Where and When Is The Red Colored Grey Truck Set?
The Red Colored Grey Truck is set in Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia and Italy (June 1991). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
June 1991
The story unfolds in the weeks leading up to the Yugoslav wars, when the country seemed to be unraveling. It captures a moment of rising chaos, with soldiers, smugglers and militia appearing along travel routes. The time frame highlights how ordinary life collides with geopolitical turmoil on the eve of large-scale conflict.
Where
Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, Italy
Primarily set on a road trip across the Yugoslav countryside, from Belgrade towards Dubrovnik and beyond. The journey weaves urban and rural landscapes, capturing a region already fraying at the edges as tensions mount. The couple crosses into Italy at the border, signaling a shift from a collapsing Yugoslavia to a new life abroad.
- 🎬 Film setting
- 🗺️ Balkan road trip
- 🚧 War looming
What Are the Themes of The Red Colored Grey Truck?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Romance, Road Trip and War Looming.
-
01
Romance
A romance grows between Ratko and Suzana despite their different backgrounds, serving as a counterpoint to the surrounding chaos. Their bond develops through shared danger and mutual dependence on the road. The relationship tests loyalties and becomes a source of hope as war edges closer. Love here acts as a form of resilience against impending catastrophe.
-
02
Road Trip
The journey exposes the couple to a mosaic of Yugoslav society, from urban crowds to rural outposts and dangerous underworld networks. The truck is a moving stage where chance encounters swing between comic and life-threatening. The route itself becomes a character, reflecting the country’s fragmentation and shifting borders.
-
03
War Looming
Set in June 1991, the film foreshadows the eruption of war as regional loyalties and militias begin to harden. The couple encounters soldiers, smugglers and gunrunners who embody the tensions tearing apart Yugoslavia. The plot becomes a meditation on how ordinary people navigate danger when state authority shrinks. The border crossing to Italy marks a transition from a collapsing homeland to uncertain exile.
What Kind of Film Is The Red Colored Grey Truck?
Bittersweet in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Bittersweet
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Mixed
A bittersweet road movie with a steady pace, following two mismatched souls finding tenderness amidst the looming absurdity and anxiety of a country collapsing into war.
- wistful
- anxious
- tender
- absurd
- hopeful
- uneasy
- road trip
- war on the brink
- unlikely couple
- found family
Content notes: war violence, pregnancy and abortion, societal collapse.
Quiz
How well do you remember The Red Colored Grey Truck? Test yourself on the story.
