Underground (1995)

Emir Kusturica had already won the Palme d'Or at Cannes once (for When Father Was Away on Business in 1985) before Underground earned him a second, making him only the third director to achieve that at the time. The film arrived in 1995, the same year the Dayton Agreement was being signed to end the Bosnian War, and its satirical portrait of Yugoslavia's entire post-war trajectory, from Tito's communist consolidation through to the country's violent dissolution, made it immediately controversial. French funding via CiBy 2000 gave the production considerable resources for a European art film of the period, and Kusturica shot across several countries following the collapse of the very Yugoslavia the film depicts. Some critics, including Alain Finkielkraut, accused it of providing cover for Serbian nationalism, a charge Kusturica disputed publicly and at length.

A-Z World Movie Tour Underground Underground (1995) is a wild, chaotic, and often brilliant ride through decades of Yugoslav history, wrapped in absurdity, dark comedy, and raw human tragedy. Directed by Emir Kusturica, it’s a sprawling epic that starts with energy and invention (a mix of slapstick, satire, and surrealism) following two conmen turned arms dealers who hide their village in a bomb shelter for years, convincing them the war’s still on. The first half is outrageous, funny, and wildly inventive, with a feverish energy that’s hard not to get swept up in. But as it goes on, the tone shifts, hard. What begins as a madcap farce slowly curdles into something much darker, exposing the lies, betrayals, and national trauma behind the region’s collapse. There’s real anger here, and moments of genuine sorrow buried under the chaos. The filmmaking is bold and stylish, with sweeping camera moves, folk music, and surreal touches (like a tank driving through a wedding) that make it feel like a fever dream of a nation losing its mind. It did lose a little something by shifting tone so suddenly though. That said, it’s definitely too long. Nearly three hours of manic energy, shifting tones, and overloaded symbolism. By the end, it feels exhaustive, like it’s repeating itself just to keep the party going. Some of the comedy starts to grate when the weight of history’s pressing down. Still, it’s a bold, ambitious film with moments of genius. Messy, flawed, but unforgettable. A tragic farce that’s as exhausting as it is impressive.

Rating: ★★★  | Year: 1995  | Watched: 2025-09-02

View on Letterboxd →

Where to watch (UK)

Stream: BFI Player · BFI Player Amazon Channel · BFI Player Apple TV Channel
Physical: Amazon UK

Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.

Related on Movies With Macca

More from Czech Republic: Van Helsing (2004) · The Kite (2019) · Aferim! (2015) · Anthropoid (2016)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)