Underground (1995)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Emir Kusturica

Writers:

Dusan Kovacevic (novel)
Dusan Kovacevic (play)

Release Date:

20 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

The story follows an underground weapons manufacturer in Belgrade during WWII and evolves into fairly surreal situations...

Plot Keywords:

WWII | Weapon | Yugoslavia | Partisan | Love

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Miki Manojlovic	...	Marko
Lazar Ristovski	...	Crni (Blacky)
Mirjana Jokovic	...	Natalija
Slavko Stimac	...	Ivan
Ernst Stötzner	...	Franz
Srdjan Todorovic	...	Jovan
Mirjana Karanovic	...	Vera
Milena Pavlovic	...	Jelena
Danilo 'Bata' Stojkovic	...	Deda (as Bata Stojkovic)
Bora Todorovic	...	Golub
Davor Dujmovic	...	Bata
Dr. Nele Karajlic	...	Falling Gypsy
Branislav Lecic	...	Mustafa
Dragan Nikolic	...	Film Director
Erol Kadic	...	Janez

Also Known As:

Bila jednom jedna zemlja (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: Serbian title) (subtitle)
Il était une fois un pays (France)
Once Upon a Time There Was a Country

Runtime:

170 min | USA:167 min | 320 min (director's cut)

Country:

France | Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | Germany

Language:

English | Serbian | German | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

AB Barrandov, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

CiBy 2000

Trivia:

The director's cut ran for over 320 minutes.

Movie Connections:

Spin off "Bila jednom jedna zemlja" (1995)

For Eternity

Underground is The Film, my favorite... And nobody hasn't written any greeting comments in 2005. So, I'm happy to be the first and I wish the best year 2005 to all the Underground's fans. If you never had this chance to see the long version (5 hours) of the film, give your priority, this year, to watch it. After this, the Palme d'Or version will feel you so short!!! If you live in Paris, I can help you to discover the complete Chef d'Oeuvre.

Therefore, I understand that the film could be criticized on the political depths. But it is so easy to make movies without any involvement. Kusturica worked for 3 years on the film and involved himself on the content. But the film treatment is not only about Balkans war, but mainly about human ferocity and betrayment. Speaking Cinema, there is no film controlling so well aestheticism, scenario, actors, music and creativity. Emir did it and I am sorry that some arrogant journalists killed the film, getting it off the Cinema theaters without the popular success that Underground deserved.