Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Underground Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 22, 2020

Emir Kusturica's "Underground" (1995) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. 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 10-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by Giorgio Bertellini and technical credits. In Serbian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The maniac

Emir Kusturica’s Underground is a film most Western viewers will have a difficult time deconstructing. It is not difficult to appreciate its relentless energy and the bizarre humor that glues together the scattered pieces of its narrative, but many of the truths that actually justify its existence will likely remain elusive. Indeed, one must have lived on the Balkans to understand just how painfully honest the film is.

It begins shortly before the Germans invade the former Yugoslavia during World War II. In Belgrade, the brash businessman Marko (Miki Manojlovic, The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner) and his good friend Blacky (Lazar Ristovski, Cabaret Balkan) have made a big chunk of money from multiple shady arm deals and are living the good life. When the Germans occupy the city, they quickly move into a giant underground cellar with family members and a small group of patriotic communists.

A beautiful opera singer, Natalija (Mirjana Jokovic, Island of the Damned), complicates the relationship between the two friends. When Blacky's wife, Vera (Mirjana Karanovic, Esma's Secret), dies after giving birth to their son, he decides to marry Natalija, who is also desired by Marko and the unusually naive German officer Franz (Ernst Stotzner, Klimt). Soon after the two friends clash, but before they figure out who deserves to keep the woman of their dreams they decide to get rid of Franz. In the ensuing chaos, Blacky is seriously wounded and then left by his friend to die in the cellar.

Meanwhile, the communists and Marko continue working together. For a while Marko sells the arms they manufacture to their comrades, but then the war ends and he is forced to change clients. Much to his delight, business becomes so good that he decides not to tell the people in the cellar that Yugoslavia has been liberated.

Behind the surrealist images there is an uncompromising condemnation of a political ideology that transformed generations of people into docile puppets that eventually turned against each other. Kusturica occasionally finds humor in the hypocrisy that destroyed his country, but the big picture is incredibly sad.

The film is long -- and there is even a longer TV version which is included on this release -- but keeping track of the exact order in which different events occur isn’t required in order to appreciate its brilliance. Focus on the manner in which identities evolve and with them the various moral and social standards. Also, pay close attention to the extreme contrasts that define what “normal” was during Tito’s era. (And no, as bizarre or over-the-top they may appear, I can assure you that they are not).

The cast is sensational, but this is hardly surprising as Kusturica always gets the best from the actors he works with. During the mass fights, for instance, the energy is absolutely incredible, at a level that no other contemporary director has been able to match in a similar project.

As it is always the case with Kusturica’s best films, there is plenty of traditional music. Here the music again infuses the film with a tremendous dose of Balkan flavor and never allows it to slow down. The original pieces were composed and performed by Goran Bregovic (Arizona Dream, La Reine Margot).

Underground Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Underground arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from the same master that the British Film Institute used to produce this release of the film in 2016. This is an old master and while it offers some rather good upgrades in quality over the first North American DVD release of the film, it comes with plenty of limitations as well. What is good about the master is that improves clarity and definition during darker footage, of which there is quite a lot throughout the film. Generally speaking, depth is better as well, though a fresh 2K/4K master will unquestionably offer some pretty significant upgrades during darker and daylight footage. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments, but grain exposure is quite inconsistent. In fact, much of the darker footage actually tends to look noisy, so on a larger screen the age of the master definitely shows. The color grading is convincing, but this is another area where plenty of meaningful improvements can be made. Image stability is very good. In summary, the current master has some decent organic qualities and certainly offers the best technical presentation of the film that I have seen. However, it has its fair share of limitations as well. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Underground Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Serbian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Serbian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

If this film is ever redone in 4K, I hope that the people that work on the makeover also produce a brand new Atmos track. There is an incredible amount of music and Balkan mayhem in the film that I think would greatly benefit from an Atmos track. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very solid and is drastically better than the lossy track from the old R1 DVD release, but over the last year or so I have tested a lot of Atmos tracks and my gut-feeling is that one such new track could do miracles for this film. There are no technical anomalies to report.

Underground Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC

• Trailer - original trailer for Underground. Music only. (2 min).

DVD DISC ONE

• Once Upon a Time There Was a Country - presented here are Episodes I-IV of Emir Kusturica's TV version of Underground. In Serbian, with optional English subtitles.

DVD DISC TWO

• Once Upon a Time There Was a Country - presented here are Episodes V-VI of Emir Kusturica's TV version of Underground. In Serbian, with optional English subtitles.

• Shooting Days (1996) - this archival documentary film chronicles the shooting of Underground. The documentary was produced by Aleksandar Manic. (63 min). In English and Serbian, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (63 min).

• Behind the Scenes Footage and Interviews - a gallery of archival content. In Serbian and English, with optional English subtitles where necessary.
  
  1. Interview with Emir Kusturica (10 min).
  2. Behind the Scenes with Mirjana Jokovic (5 min).
  3. Miki Manojlovic Interview on Location (5 min)
  4. Miljen 'Kreka' Kljakovic (8 min)
  5. Lazar Ristovski Interview (5 min)
  6. Cannes Party after the Screening (3 min)
  7. B-roll of the Wedding Party

• Booklet - 10-page illustrated booklet featuring Giorgio Bertellini's essay "Underground: The Obscene Vision of a Romantic Trickster" and technical credits.

Underground Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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. Kino Lorber'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. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.