BATTLE FOR BELGRADE

The action at the 15th Belgrade Film Festival:

The Yugoslav premieres of “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Brazil” and “Back to the Future” sold out the 3,500-seat Sava Center last week, with all well received.

Cautious criticism greeted the opening choice of a six-hour World War II Russian epic, “The Battle for Moscow,” shown in two parts on consecutive nights--the first time a Soviet film has begun the festival in this fiercely nonaligned Communist country.

Belgrade screenwriter/university film prof Nebojsa Pajkic caused an uproar with a bold public attack: “If the fest can begin with the Soviet ‘Battle for Moscow,’ then it should end appropriately with John Milius’ ‘Red Dawn.’ ”

Organizers instead picked Kurosawa’s “Ran” to close the event tonight.