Emir Kusturica

(In French, On TV, August 2021) The weirdness of Underground is only matched by the weirdness of the commentary surrounding it. The premise already takes us somewhere unusual by supposing a group of people hiding underneath Belgrade as World War II rages on, but being kept ignorant of the end of the war for decades. There’s a lot more to it, though, and what writer/director Emir Kusturica ends up creating is a phantasmagorial blend of comedy and drama, with a strong dash of surrealism to keep things interesting. Trying to describe it is probably not possible if you’re not from around Belgrade, since so much meaning seems to rest on evasive cultural references. It’s often exhausting — at 170 minutes, it’s already a punishing sit, but even that extravagant length is condensed from an even longer initial cut. But all of this is even before getting into the thornier aspects of the film — if you recall your European history correctly, you’ll remember that the 1990s were not a pleasant time in that area, and the film does play off that tension. …and that’s when the reaction to the film kicks in, because looking up commentary on Underground is like stepping into a minefield of unimaginable complexity to us ignorant North Americans — commentators are quick and vicious in analyzing the film throughout the prism of Serbian war atrocities and intellectual philosophy. Whew. If you’re just looking for light entertainment, this isn’t it. In fact, Underground is probably more suggestive than pleasant in its own right — an intriguing piece of cinema, but not necessarily something you’d want to watch twice.