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Kustorica's film Underground can be approached from two different points of view: a political and a psychological one. From the political point of view, through an almost delirious manner of filming, Kustorica makes us travel in Tito's Yugoslavia and, painting a grotesque fresco, brings out the perverse aspects of his regime. Post-war Yugoslavian history is told in a symbolic, sometimes caricatural, way through the adventures and the personality of two main characters (Markos and Blacky), who actively participated in the construction of communist Yugoslavia, and a third, marginal one, a zoo-keeper, Markos' brother.
The contrast is obvious between the dark obscure reality and the colorful filming, transforming the depressing atmosphere into a joyful and eccentric dance.. In fact, the fascinating colors and the frenetic rhythm of the film introduce us, in a blunt but tender way, into the cruel reality of the second world war.
The title of the film clearly refers to that part of the Yugoslavian nation which, blindly adhering to the communist ideal, is buried alive by the leaders. A corrupt and ambitious leadership ensured the regime's survival by idealizing and personifying invisible heroes and by pushing aside the real resistance heroes, representing a potential danger to the regime. We think especially of the case of Tzilas, Tito's friend and comrade, a very respected personality in Yugoslavia, who was totally isolated by him after