If the word "zany" could only be accurately applied to one film-maker, it would have to be Emir Kusturica -- now Serbian but originally Yugoslav and the creator of some of the most outlandish movies ever. I'm thinking here of "Underground" and "Black Cat White Cat" as well as his English-language feature of some years back "Arizona Dreams"; any film that co-stars Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Lili Taylor, and Vincent Gallo has to be from another galaxy. But getting back to the above, only Kusturica could make a war film without any battle scenes which shows up the idiocy of sectarian disputes and still is life-affirming. It centers on the unexpected romance between a Serbian engineer and a gorgeous Bosnian Muslim hostage whom he is holding prisoner (in the very loosest sense of the word) and whom he hopes to exchange for his POW son. This all takes place during the absence of his very nutty opera-singing wife who has run off with a Hungarian musician. The movie abounds with kooky characters, lovely landscapes, and great musical choices. Kusturica is himself an active band member and his love of music and of life is just about unquenchable.
1 comment:
Have a good time JP. Rache
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