Underground

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Alec B A thoroughly strange work that was released at a fraught time and remains equally popular and controversial. I'm not qualified to engage in a deep analysis of the movie's potential political failings or successes but I will say that demanding a piece of art address all aspects of history that you want explored seems unreasonable. I respect that the zany energy is sustained from start to finish and think that without that tone the movie could have been unbearable. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/22/25 Full Review Leaburn O Just falls short of Time of the Gypsies but Kusturica produced an absolute gem in Underground. It's madcap, dark and brilliant. Almost impossible to explain but wildly inventive. I may be harsh in not giving it the full five stars but the ending got so off the wall that I just couldn't quite go there. Still, it's essential viewing and an absolute joy. What a Director. Bought on DVD from Oxfam. Cost a bit more this one but I wanted it in my collection. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/18/23 Full Review Panayiota K Masterpiece! Always surprised by the surrealism. The symbolic portrayal of love and death is unmatched. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/05/23 Full Review Sachin E Too naive to be called a war movie. Kusturica's Underground is more about songs and dance than it is about war. The film fails to consider the socio-political aspects, and just gives everything a comical effect. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review William L "Tito, having lost his friend, fell ill. 20 years later, he died." I'm no expert on the intricate geopolitics of the countries that inhabit old Yugoslavia, but Kusturica's Underground does feel like a compelling and unique take on the national transformation that the region has undergone in the aftermath of World War II, embracing every facet of that ever-changing identity. The film delivers a wide range of tones, subplots, and styles to reflect these changes in self-perception, beginning with a sharp and legitimately funny comedy based on shared ideals (the partisan response to German invasion) before using the camaraderie that it has developed to take on more sincere drama, at first carrying over elements of the earlier humor in the creation of a fake reality for profit (that WWII never ended, touching on the gradual corruption of once-pure national sentiment) before devolving into the pure chaos and disillusionment of the Yugoslav Wars. It's an interesting design, treating the country and its perception almost as a character, changing with time in somewhat indirectly presented ways. While I appreciate the way that the plot unfolds, to me the film is at its best in establishing relationships between characters, and there is none more prominent or impactful than the friendship between Manojlović's Marko and Ristovski's Blacky; their boisterous chemistry is the foundation on which the rest of the film is built, and their early lighthearted exchanges totally sell the dynamic. Some very original story design, surprisingly substantial sets, and creative direction make Underground a distinct and worthwhile epic, even if it apparently attracts criticism among those sensitive to the ongoing regional conflict in Serbia and beyond. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/20/21 Full Review Audience Member One of the best films ever made. An absolute stroke of genius by Emir Kusturica. A Balkan story so full of history, life, madness, wisdom, colorful characters and fabulous music, it simply makes your life richer. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Underground

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