Emir Kusturica - Underground (1995)

A surreal, absurd mix of politics, sex, fantasty, black comedy and brutality that has been widely hailed as one of the decade's most exhilerating cinematic efforts. During World War II, a pair of friends in the Serb resistance hide in an intricate cellar. Years later, the war is over but the lies and deceptions continue. Winner of the award for Best Film at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.





1995: Cannes: Palma de Oro / Drama. Segunda Guerra Mundial / SINOPSIS: 1941. Belgrado, Segunda Guerra Mundial. Marko esconde de los nazis a su amigo Petar, en un sótano junto a un grupo de partisanos que viven bajo tierra fabricando armas. Durante 20 años mantiene la mentira de que la guerra continúa, consiguiendo así alejar a Peter de Natalija, la chica que ambos aman, mientras él se convierte en un líder político. (FILMAFFINITY)
––––––––––––––––––––



"162 minutos de cine inolvidable que no deja insensible al espectador: provoca, molesta, conmueve" (Antonio Albert: Cinemanía)
––––––––––––––––––––
"Producción brillante y desoladora (…) Diferente" (Fernando Morales: Diario El País)



"Once upon a time, there was a country…"

It's a fair assumption that most people would never have heard the name, Emir Kusturica - at least, not in this country. But the fact is, this Serbian director is one of only four filmmakers who have won the converted Palme d'Or at Cannes twice. While plenty of his films have achieved prominence at many of the world's most premier film festivals, it is the success at Cannes that really holds distinction. The first of Kusturica's films to win the prestigious award was his outstanding 1985 film, When Father Was Away on Business (Otac na sluzbenom putu). The success was then repeated ten years later when the surreal epic, Underground, took out the top prize.

Underground opens with the bombing of Belgrade in 1941 and the subsequent invasion of Yugoslavia by the Nazis. Blacky (Lazar Ristovski) and Marko (Miki Manojlovic) are two good friends who profit quite nicely from the chaos of war. They are small-time crooks with stars in their eyes and the escalation of war only furthers the need for a black-market.





As German bombs rain down around Blacky's house, his pregnant wife complains about the amount of time he spends at the theatre. She rightly suspects that Blacky has a mistress - a sexy young actress by the name of Natalija (Mirjana Jokovic). Blacky soon becomes aware that he has some competition for Natalija's affection. A Nazi officer named, Franz (Ernst Stötzner) wins her heart and soon steals her away. But, Blacky is unaware that his friend, Marko also has an eye for her.

When Blacky is captured and tortured by the Nazis, it is left to Marko to rescue him. Marko takes him, battered and bruised to a large underground cellar, where many others have also gathered to escape the invaders. Blacky is united with his young son, who was born in the cellar while he was in Nazi detention. With Blacky now safe underground, Marko is free to run the operation above ground and in particular, he's free to pursue Natalija.

Years go by and the war ends, but Marko keeps the illusion alive. Underground in the cellar, life goes on with people completely unaware that the hostilities with the Germans have long ended. They are told that the Nazis still occupy the country and they must play a vital role in the anti-fascist resistance. Ready and keen to assist their nation, the underground movement begins to manufacture weapons for this non-existent resistance. They even build their own tank, ready for their call to arms - a calling that will never come.





Years later, General Tito rules the country and Marko has a place of prominence in his government. Above ground, Marko and Natalija are happily married and live a high life that befits their new status. But Marko hasn't totally forsaken his friend. In an effort to ease the burden of his guilt, Marko falsely proclaims Blacky to be a great war hero and he uses his political position to educate the people as such. Soon, the population embrace the legend and monuments of "the late", Petar "Blacky" Popara are unveiled around the city.

Meanwhile, still underground and totally unaware of his national hero status, Blacky is in great spirits. There is an aura of high excitement in the cellar, because Blacky's now adult son, Jovan (Srdjan Todorovic) is about to get married. As Marko and Natalija sit at the wedding table amongst the joyous celebrations, the weight of the deception becomes overwhelming and Marko is aware that the illusion is close to an end.

The strong desire for father and son to take up arms and fight with the resistance movement becomes irresistible. Soon after the wedding and under the cover of darkness, Blacky and Jovan emerge to face the enemy. They surface to the outside world and find themselves on the set of a film in production - a film about a national hero.

Underground is a difficult film to categorise. My synopsis briefly outlines the first half of the film, but I have deliberately missed out characters and events to keep your enjoyment fresh.

In my opinion, Underground is a masterpiece of modern cinema. The film is a surreal feast, rich in visual splendour and dark humour. Amid all the random craziness, Underground is also an emotional experience, with an ending of sublime beauty. The dark humour and surreal ambience perfectly masks the emotional impact of the final act.