Underground (1995)
-
83% of critics liked it
(18 reviews) -
95% of users liked it
(19,740 ratings)
An unpredictable black comedy with an epic scope, Emir Kusturica's highly acclaimed Underground takes a look at the modern history of Yugoslavia through the often absurd misadventures of two friends over several decades. The film begins in Belgrade in 1941, establishing the friendship between the… More An unpredictable black comedy with an epic scope, Emir Kusturica's highly acclaimed Underground takes a look at the modern history of Yugoslavia through the often absurd misadventures of two friends over several decades. The film begins in Belgrade in 1941, establishing the friendship between the gregarious Blacky and the more intellectual Marko during a drunken, late-night musical procession that establishes the riotous tone to follow. Fellow members of the Communist Party, the friends also share an involvement in shady business activities and an attraction for a beautiful actress. Soon, the chaos of World War II forces them to take refuge in an underground shelter with a variety of other townspeople. Years pass and the war ends, but Marko and the actress trick the others into believing that the war is still going on. Kusturica turns this inherently absurd premise into a vibrant portrait of the contradictory, foolish nature of war. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, the film received great acclaim on the festival circuit but had a hard time securing a release in the United States. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- Unrated, 3 hr. 12 min.
- Directed By
- Emir Kusturica
- Written By
- Emir Kusturica, Dusan Kovacevic
- Genres
- Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jun 20, 1995 Wide
- On DVD
- Dec 23, 2003
Critic Reviews
-
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
A sprawling, rowdy, vital film laced with both outrageous absurdist dark humor and unspeakable pain, suffering and injustice.
-
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Feverish, whimsical allegory elevated by moments of brilliant clarity.
-
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
For anyone who's an aficionado of film, this is pure, unadulterated bliss.
-
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
The film can be both frenetic and strained. But it also has has a great deal of power and can be quite haunting.
-
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Brilliant, outrageous filmmaking. Underground is touching, hilarious, and new.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Cast
-
Miki Manojlovicas Marko -
Lazar Ristovskias Petar Popara (Blacky) -
Slavko Stimacas Ivan
-
Bora Todorovicas Golub -
Srdjan Todorovicas Jovan -
Hark Bohmas Dr. Strasse
