The core story of the film takes place in a grand basement. Due to the intrigues and deceptions of the opportunist Margau, the people living in the basement have been believing for 20 years that the outside world is still ruled and ravaged by German fascism. Under the leadership of the rogue proletarian Bridget, they sleep on Godardan, "grasp the revolution and promote production", looking forward to one day rushing out of the basement and driving away the invaders. What surprised them was that the German fascists had already died out, and Yugoslavia had been liberated for many years under the leadership of Tito; however, their rescuer Margao became an important aide to Tito by virtue of the lie that Brigitte was "killed". One of the leaders of the nascent nation, even Talija, Bridget's lover, was taken over by Margau. When Bridget and his people were immersed in the illusion of "no Han, no matter the Wei and Jin", Margau had used the public opinion and propaganda machines to widely spread the heroic deeds of Bridget's dedication to the revolution, and this spread Behind it is the further consolidation of Margau's leadership.
After a riotous wedding, Bridget leads his son out of the basement for the final battle before liberation. However, in the era of peace-building, he was unable to face the reality he was unfamiliar with, and had to find a world he was familiar with in the main theme of the filming location. He shot and killed the actor who played Franz, his erstwhile rival, and raved about the heroism of his actor. The hero of the past can only find his sense of identity through virtual scenes, but in the real world, he has become a wanted criminal.
After another 30 years, Bridget finally ushered in the familiar war scene, but this war has changed from resistance to aggression half a century ago to flesh and blood. Of course, this is not important to Bridget. The war can make him find himself, and he can also find his resentment for the lost years and his son from the killing. After a conflict, he watched as his political enemy Margau and lover Talija were reduced to ashes in a raging fire. The ashes are like those 50 years of unsolved years, and also like the already existing country called "Yugoslavia", which makes the audience lament the absurdity of history in grief.
The reason why the director chose the basement as the main place for the story, in my opinion, there are some metaphors: first, it is a metaphor for the evolution of the People's Party led by Tito from underground to power, and then lost power in the 1989 wave and re-entered the underground. Secondly, the underground also represents the unfathomable and unspeakable inner conspiracy of the people of Margao; finally, the underground also implies the director's sympathy and love for the ordinary people at the bottom of Yugoslavia. Evan rescued his beloved animals in the cannon fire, and Bridget still did not forget to flirt with his wife even when the bomb was already blooming on the roof. It also reveals the calmness and calmness of ordinary people in the face of war and suffering.
The portrayal of Margo and Bridge, the two revolutionary leaders, is the film's greatest success. Bridget ignores traditional morality and falls under the pomegranate skirt of actress Talija; at the same time, he is jealous of evil and extremely loyal. He can fight for the bullying of his friend Margao, and he can also not reveal his organization under severe torture. half of the information. Compared with him, Margao appears to be gentle and elegant, and behind this demeanor is his deep scheming and shrewdness. So, just like the stories that are often seen in ancient and modern Chinese and foreign history, Bridget became a Li Kui-style revolutionary pioneer, while Margao naturally became a Song Jiang-style leader, playing Bridget in his hands. . The story of these two people always reminds me of Yu Jianrong's novel "Father is a Rogue", which seems to be the same at home and abroad.
The character of Talija is also very brilliant. As an audience, you can accuse her of being a "businesswoman who doesn't know the hatred of the country". However, a weak woman in turbulent times has no choice but to seek political asylum with her beauty. Whether it is the German general Franz, or Brigitte or Margau, in Talika's view, it may only be her safety chip. This is similar to Cheng Yunhe in Ge Liang's novel Suzaku. At the moment when Franz was beaten to death by Bridget, Talija chanted the name "Franz" and was heartbroken. We cannot deny that there is a real emotional element in this sadness, but more factors are that at that time Yugoslavia was still a German-occupied area, and Franz's death meant the collapse of the protective umbrella for her. Understanding this, it is not difficult to understand why Talika hated Margo in her heart and her conscience was condemned, but she never left Margo and did not expose his crimes.
The end of the film ushered in another climax: all the characters in the play announced their resurrection and forgive each other. While everyone was singing and dancing, the land where the party was located was separated from the whole land and drifted into the distance. This divided land is like Yugoslavia, which is torn apart. No one knows its next fate, and no one knows where it is drifting? The director may tell us through this scene: the resurrection of the souls of people is like the fate of Yugoslavia, which can only be realized when it is far away from the mainland and returned to the ground.
And what impressed me most was the line at the end of Ivan's credits: "On this land, we built new houses with red roofs and doors that were open to guests. Storks were also there. Nest here. We are grateful for the land that nurtured us, for the sun that warms us, for this field that reminds us of the greenery of our homeland. Will we still remember our homeland with sadness or joy? When this story is told, it begins like all stories: 'A long, long time ago, there was a country...'" This line is precisely the best footnote for the country of Yugoslavia.
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