Black Cat, White Cat

Emir Kusturica | France/Ger | 1998 | 130 mins

Emir Kusturica is seen as being one of the biggest innovators in current European cinema (if also one of the most contentious), with gems under his belt including When Father was Away on Business, Time of the Gypsies and the unforgettably epic Underground.

Here he is once again on top form with a comedy about double dealing amongst gypsy communities, between Matha, a petty criminal and Dadan, the king of gypsy gangsters. The film is reminiscent of the lighter moments in Time of the Gypsies with beautiful comedy scenes about drinking petrol as well as a homage to LA Gangsta-Rap with the director's very own "Pitbull Terrier". The cinematography is outstanding, in particular the beautiful courtship scenes on the lake and in a field of sunflowers between the film's young lovers.

The soundtrack is also exemplary, with Goran Bregovic providing yet another masterpiece with all pervasive Gypsy music which, when we showed Underground, had our long-standing happy-go-lucky projectionist Kenny, whistling the tunes all night long!

The pace of Black Cat White Cat is unfeasibly fast and the humour slapstick (having perhaps the most memorable escape from a wedding scene in cinema) meaning this will make for one of the most rewarding FilmSoc evenings (are there any others sad(d)oes?) of the term. Once smitten Kusturica fans stay smitten. Enjoy, just ignore the petrol fumes...

Review by Stephen J Brennan
Taken from EUFS programme spring 2000