Madness. Sheer madness. Telling the tale of some Yugoslav gun runner rebels who escape World War II by entering a bunker - and who stay underground as a resistance long after the war has ended - this is a cinematic trip and a half. It flips tragedy and comedy around in a tumble dryer, after all, the characters are not just losing their soul, but their mind. It's black surreal comedy with a dash of despondent screwball lunacy, populated by a downtrodden cast of characters who know their entire world is coming loose at the hinges, literally surrounded by animals, in one scene reduced to screaming like them in the dark. There's slapstick and a fleet-of-foot tone, but any lightness ultimately can only be attributed to the feeling of a nervous breakdown. The actors have supreme awareness of the dynamics required, and carry this deranged clown car of a film right up until the poignant ending where fantasy collides with reality again,
during the Yugoslav wars of the 90s
Sure, war is hell, but hell has room for those too crazy to be monsters. I particularly loved the central character crashing in upon the filming of his own biography - and the hilarious meta-instances of one particular character's 'refusal to die'.
It takes a lot of bravery to take such an angle on your countries' history, but I was transfixed throughout a near 3 hour running time. Watch it or you'll be 'always hanging yourself'. Oh, and I can't leave without mentioning the amazing score - or the pet chimp.
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Comments 1 - 11 of 11
fraveu
It's not funny, it doesn't make sense, long and uninteresting. I can't understand the classification. The problem must be with me, I suppose.Gecekurdu
Five-hour mini-series exist which available as an extra on both the BFI and Kino Lorber Blu-ray releases:“Bila jednom jedna zemlja”
Yousef Mousa
Kusturica is crazy ! in a creative way. Chaotically poeticScratch47
Madness. Sheer madness. Telling the tale of some Yugoslav gun runner rebels who escape World War II by entering a bunker - and who stay underground as a resistance long after the war has ended - this is a cinematic trip and a half. It flips tragedy and comedy around in a tumble dryer, after all, the characters are not just losing their soul, but their mind. It's black surreal comedy with a dash of despondent screwball lunacy, populated by a downtrodden cast of characters who know their entire world is coming loose at the hinges, literally surrounded by animals, in one scene reduced to screaming like them in the dark. There's slapstick and a fleet-of-foot tone, but any lightness ultimately can only be attributed to the feeling of a nervous breakdown. The actors have supreme awareness of the dynamics required, and carry this deranged clown car of a film right up until the poignant ending where fantasy collides with reality again,It takes a lot of bravery to take such an angle on your countries' history, but I was transfixed throughout a near 3 hour running time. Watch it or you'll be 'always hanging yourself'. Oh, and I can't leave without mentioning the amazing score - or the pet chimp.
BareLolk
Beautiful piece of art with lots of great laughs!afan
I cannot unsee what I just saw! Bonkers crazy!jlfitz
Outstanding! Watch it here in 2 parts:part 1 (mod-edit: dead link removed)
part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iBZ8d9lii4
Skyscore
http://www.afisha.ru/movie/173077/review/154652/NuclearPlanet
The film , even without an ending, has the perfect ending.Fabio Bottrel
Fantastic movie.mightysparks
I would like to buy this film, not Race to Freedom: The Story of the Underground Railroad!