7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The story follows an underground weapons manufacturer in Belgrade during WWII and evolves into fairly surreal situations. A black marketeer who smuggles the weapons to partisans doesn't mention to the workers that the war is over, and they keep producing. Years later, they break out of their underground "shelter" --- only to convince themselves that the war is still going on.
Starring: Predrag Manojlović, Lazar Ristovski, Mirjana Joković, Slavko Stimac, Ernst StötznerForeign | 100% |
Drama | 59% |
Dark humor | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Serbian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Serbian: LPCM 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (1 BD, 2 DVDs)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Emir Kusturica's "Underground" (1995) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute. The supplemental feature on the release include an original trailer; the longer TV version of the film; making of featurette; and archival cast and crew interviews. The release also arrives with a 28-page illustrated booklet with writings on the film and technical credits. In Serbian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
The celebration
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Emir Kusturica's Underground arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute.
There are notable upgrades in terms of clarity and depth. On the old New Yorker Video DVD release of the film there is also a substantial amount of blockiness that seriously affects shadow definition that is missing here; virtually all of the darker footage from the cellar looks much better defined and balanced. However, some flatness remains, and occasionally some very light noise also emerges (see screencapture #12). Grain is visible, but it is not always evenly exposed and resolved. As a result, density is somewhat inconsistent as well, though there are no distracting anomalies. Obviously, the fluctuations during the manipulated archival footage are inherited. Colors are stable, natural, and much better balanced that they are on the DVD release. Image stability is excellent. Large debris, damage marks, cuts, stains, and other age-related imperfections have been carefully removed. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Serbian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Serbian LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
I viewed the film with the DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. There is quite a big difference between the lossless track and the lossy track from the DVD release. For example, the air attack early into the film sounds a lot more intense; elsewhere the mass fights also boast much better depth. Sharpness is improved as well, though there are quite a few sequences where some unevenness emerges. The dialog is stable, clean, and easy to follow.
Blu-ray
I think that in many ways Emir Kusturica's Underground has been as groundbreaking and influential as Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game. It emerged at a time when there were hardly any truly independent voices in Eastern European cinema, and it was so honest yet ferociously unapologetic and original that it was impossible to ignore. I know for a fact that it seriously angered some very important people because it delivered a lot of messages that during the '90s were not considered safe. It also inspired a lot of young directors on the Balkans to dream big, and eventually they made films that initiated the Romanian and Bulgarian New Wave. The BFI's Blu-ray release contains the original theatrical version of Underground as well as the film's longer TV version, though only in standard definition. Currently, it is the only English-friendly release on the market. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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