Very few films come across as ferociously politically incorrect as Underground (Podzemlje). In the beginning we witness Belgrade being torn apart in the wake of WWI (1928), through the laconic eyes of Serbian director Emir Kusturica. To have a voracious appetite for film, in way of brilliant execution, of this war-child is commendable. To understand and appreciate the film in its entirety; the tongue-in-cheek; the slapstick; the histrionics of the Yugoslavian war and theater together, we must know the history of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia. However, as far as cinema goes the film does more than just entertain the ignorant audience. The film is presented to us in three parts, each part is introduced on a title card smeared with pictorial realism. Moments like these give the film a surreal look that can also be felt in the highly charged and brilliant performances, dripping with histrionics. The bleached, smoky, dusty set-pieces, complete with a score filled with horn pieces add to the definitive surrealism of the film. The wit lies in the content of the title cards, which read - Part One: War; Part 2: Cold War (post-1944) and Part Three: War (1992). Underground is savage and unforgiving, It tells us war is perpetual and when we read history, the statement is consonant with real life events that have shattered entire generations of a nation that once stood tall in harmony. The film also tells us that when pain and suffering is perpetual, humans are capable of making themselves laugh and sometimes hope and thus survive, if they wish to. Choices are given much importance during the dialogues. I am tempted to write more, but I dont know how. The image of a lady in a red dress, pole dancing to Underground-Cocek by Goran Bregovic, swaying from a tanks cannon in a rotating gun turret should suffice for now. I wonder why this film is not in the imdb top 250 list. I guess I have better things to do, like bask in the afterglow of a comedy of errors of fatal and often intentional consequences. A true masterpiece.
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 18:58:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015