The best film ever

Rating: 10/10 (17 July 2000)

"Underground", by Emir Kusturica, is the best film ever. By this I don't say that it is the only "best film ever", because there are lots of films that can be described as above; and all of the great pictures are the best film ever.
This film is not only entertaining, and a fine way to spend three hours, but it's the kind of film that makes you think about it over and over, because of its fabulous story. It can be seen as a treaty on politics, a review of the Balcanic history - and Yugoslavian in particular -, an anti-communist propaganda film, a beautiful fairytale, a (sometimes) very sad story of love, a sarcastic movie about the pointlessness of war (whether it may be among countries, citizens or even friends), or a thousand and one points of view possible. I have seen it over ten times, and I've had all these feelings whilst I watched it. Although this is a Yugoslav movie, it is not necessary to be Yugoslav to understand it - or love it, by the way - , because it is a completely universal movie. There, we can see the human being as it is, and people over the world are in fact much more alike than they think. Or would like.
Emir Kusturica is nothing less than a visionary with extreme talent to direct movies, as anyone can see in some other personal favorites: "Time of the Gipsies", "Arizona Dream" or "Black Cat, White Cat". And he can surround himself with a fantastic crew - the cinematography is excellent, the cast is perfect and the soundtrack... I can't even describe Goran Bregovic's wonderful masterpiece, with his gipsy players and the pungent violin that goes right into the brain.
"War isn't war until brother kills brother"