Be aware, a lot of spoilers here! I loved this film because of the simple yet profound message it transmits. The message that I perceived was that if you do good in your life, if you are helpful to others including to animals-and this is a true kindness, as you do not expect anything from those animals in return- and if you are gentle and you do not try to enforce your own will on others and on destiny, you will be protected and everything will work out for you. You just have to let go, trust God and most importantly, be kind and do no harm, even when others harm you.
Both the message and the story line are very much like in a fairy tale, except for the end: the lovers do not end up together. And this is because the rule I mentioned above was broken. I will explain. The main character, played by Kusturika, is a kind man who loves animals and has a hawk as a best friend. He falls in love with the bride played by Bellucci, who was supposed to marry the general who had paid for her. But he does not try to interfere in this marriage. His female friend, played by Sloboda Micalovic, loves him and wants to marry him and she tries to force him, saying that he must save her honour because people claim that they slept together. She also lies to her brother, the general, that they slept together so that he will also force him to marry her. And yet Kusturika does nothing much and just obeys and agrees. Then he feeds a snake milk everyday. Later, when soldiers come to the village, this snake saves him by delaying him to get to the village. He notices the moment he stops fighting the snake and gives up that the snake simply releases him and leaves.This is a clear moment of 'let go and you'll be fine'. When he hides with Bellucci in the well, a butterfly distracts the soldiers and saves them. In the tree, bees sting the soldier and save them. Then the sheep cover them and save them. Sloboda, who had tried to impose her own will, dies. So does the general. In the end though, Kusturika loses his trust and tries to do something on his own, so he sends a sheep on the mined field, thus killing it. This is when he harms a creature. So they are discovered. Then, the protective snake tries to keep Bellucci to step on a mine, but her ambition does not let her stop her way, so she dies. So, you are protected as long as you help, you do not harm, you trust and you do not try to impose your own will.
I did not like though the way Kusturika acted, he was not expressive and his character was not complex. I totally failed to understand why both women fell in love with this character. Bellucci was also not outstanding. And I would have let out the fantastic flying scenes. All in all, I recommend this film.
Both the message and the story line are very much like in a fairy tale, except for the end: the lovers do not end up together. And this is because the rule I mentioned above was broken. I will explain. The main character, played by Kusturika, is a kind man who loves animals and has a hawk as a best friend. He falls in love with the bride played by Bellucci, who was supposed to marry the general who had paid for her. But he does not try to interfere in this marriage. His female friend, played by Sloboda Micalovic, loves him and wants to marry him and she tries to force him, saying that he must save her honour because people claim that they slept together. She also lies to her brother, the general, that they slept together so that he will also force him to marry her. And yet Kusturika does nothing much and just obeys and agrees. Then he feeds a snake milk everyday. Later, when soldiers come to the village, this snake saves him by delaying him to get to the village. He notices the moment he stops fighting the snake and gives up that the snake simply releases him and leaves.This is a clear moment of 'let go and you'll be fine'. When he hides with Bellucci in the well, a butterfly distracts the soldiers and saves them. In the tree, bees sting the soldier and save them. Then the sheep cover them and save them. Sloboda, who had tried to impose her own will, dies. So does the general. In the end though, Kusturika loses his trust and tries to do something on his own, so he sends a sheep on the mined field, thus killing it. This is when he harms a creature. So they are discovered. Then, the protective snake tries to keep Bellucci to step on a mine, but her ambition does not let her stop her way, so she dies. So, you are protected as long as you help, you do not harm, you trust and you do not try to impose your own will.
I did not like though the way Kusturika acted, he was not expressive and his character was not complex. I totally failed to understand why both women fell in love with this character. Bellucci was also not outstanding. And I would have let out the fantastic flying scenes. All in all, I recommend this film.