Underground Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Underground
Year: 1995
Director: Emir Kusturica
Country(s): Federal Public of Yugoslavia
Language: Serbian

I first heard about Emir Kusturica's Underground from my friend Jeffery Wang. He claimed that it was his favourite movie ever made. Considering he has an excellent taste in film I decided that I must check it out. This was my introduction to Serbian cinema and it absolutely blew me away. It's an epic comedy in the darkest sense. Underground is unlike any film I've ever seen.

The story follows an underground weapons manufacturer in Belgrade during WWII and evolves into fairly surreal situations. A black marketeer who smuggles the weapons to partisans doesn't mention to the workers that the war is over, and they keep producing, convinced that the war is still going on even 40 years later.

The film has been called Serbian propaganda, self-indulgent, an anti-Communist tract, an anti-war tome, cynical and nihilistic among many other labels. The Director himself threatened to retire from film-making because of these accusations. Underground attempts to be an honest political allegory for the country of Yugoslavia, whose Government blinded the people from its corruption to continue endless wars. One can also see very American traits in the main characters.

It's a very Fellini-esque picture; a three hour carnival full of mad characters, singing, drinking and gypsy melodies. The score is profound, perhaps the most memorable soundtrack of the 90's. The aesthetic look of WWII Yugoslavia is created well, Kusturica hired a fantastic cinematographer and set designer. Underground is self reflective, theatrical and tragic. It will be on your mind long after the film is over.

In conclusion, while I don't feel that it's the greatest movie ever made, Kusturica's Underground has definitely made my top 20. I look forward to watching it many times in the future and learning more about the tumultuous times of the land mass formerly known as Yugoslavia. Praise it! 5/5