Black Cat, White Cat (1998)

Matko and his son Zare live on the banks of the Danube river and get by through hustling and basically doing anything to make a living. In order to pay off a business debt Matko agrees to marry off Zare to the sister of a local gangster.

Director:

Emir Kusturica

Writer:

Gordan Mihic

Stars:

Bajram Severdzan, Srdjan 'Zika' Todorovic, Branka Katic

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bajram Severdzan	...	Matko Destanov
Srdjan 'Zika' Todorovic	...	Dadan Karambolo (as Srdan Todorovic)
Branka Katic	...	Ida
Florijan Ajdini	...	Zare Destanov
Ljubica Adzovic	...	Sujka
Zabit Memedov	...	Zarije Destanov
Sabri Sulejmani	...	Grga Pitic
Jasar Destani	...	Grga Veliki
Stojan Sotirov	...	Customs Officer
Predrag Lakovic	...	Priest (as Predrag-Pepi Lakovic)
Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic	...	Priest (as Predrag-Miki Manojlovic)
Salija Ibraimova	...	Ladybird
Zdena Hurtocakova	...	Black Obelisk
Adnan Bekir	...	Grga Mali
Irfan Jagli	...	Bodyguard

Storyline

Matko is a small time hustler, living by the river Danube with his 17 year old son Zare. After a failed business deal he owes money to the much more successful gangster Dadan. Dadan has a sister, Afrodita, that he desperately wants to see get married so they strike a deal: Zare is to marry her. But none of the two care much for an arranged marriage: Zare is in love with Ida, Afrodita is waiting for the man of her dreams.

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Plot Keywords:

neo screwball comedy | four word title | deal | marriage | sister | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, drug use and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

As of 2016 it was included in the #100 Serbian movies list (1911-1999) and protected as cultural heritage of great importance.

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Goofs

When Zare escapes from Dadan on the ladder, Dadan catches him by the right ear. In the next shot he is holding Zare's left ear.

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Quotes

Matko Destanov: The Bulgarians always say: "Brother, if you can't solve a problem with money... solve it with a lot of money."

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, the name of the movie isn't spelled out; a picture of a black cat and a white cat is shown instead.

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Connections

Referenced in Visionado obligado: A Serbian Film (2011)

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Soundtracks

Nowhere Fast
Written by Jim Steinman
Performed by Fire Inc.
Published by Lost Boys Music
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Special Markets

User Reviews

Gangsters without sunglasses

This is a gangster film with lively, exaggerated characters, excentric men and resolute women, a weird plot and many visual gags. Kusturica shows the gypsies' life-style again in his last movie, with less depth and power than in „Underground`, but with more ribald humour. Ugly and not too intelligent people (without exception!) chase and kill each other and their animals through a nice-looking landscape in the Balcans, listening to modern but also traditional gypsy music; loud, sometimes too loud, but original and in love with life. It's refreshing to see a convincing gangster movie without people in black suits and sun-glasses.

Details

Country:

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia France Germany Austria Greece

Language:

Romany Serbian Bulgarian

Release Date:

1 June 1998 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

Also Known As:

Black Cat, White Cat

Filming Locations:

Danube River, Serbia

Box Office

Gross USA:

$351,447

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$351,447

Company Credits

Production Co:

CiBy 2000, Pandora Filmproduktion, Komuna

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1