Black Cat, White Cat

Matko is a small time hustler who drifts along the Danube and shares a cramped life with his 17 year old son Zare. A failed scheme leaves him owing money to Dadan, a sharper, more ruthless gangster who runs the neighborhood like a private club. To settle the score, Dadan schemes to marry his sister Ida off to Zare, turning a debt into a family arrangement. The setup throws father and son into a web of cunning, double meanings, and quickly spiraling plans as the wedding becomes a tool for leverage. The story that follows is a riotous collision of crime, affection, and improvisation that treats danger as a playful obstacle and keeps the mood buoyant even as trouble closes in.

The film is directed by Emir Kusturica and released in 1998, with an original screenplay by Gordan Mihić. It bears the director's trademark blend of streetwise humor and kinetic energy, wrapped in a colorful Balkan atmosphere that leans into chaos without losing heart.

Box office totals for Black Cat, White Cat are not widely reported, but the film enjoyed festival runs and international distribution. Its visibility aligns with Kusturica's late 90s profile, linking a vibrant commercial appeal with an offbeat, personal sensibility.

It stands out for its carnival pace, oversized personalities, and a rousing score that punctuates every misadventure. The ensemble repeatedly nudges the story toward humor rather than menace, turning danger into a backdrop for laughter and human warmth, a signature of Kusturica’s cinema.

Critics welcomed the film’s exuberant momentum and the strong chemistry between Bajram Severdžan as Matko and Srđan Todorović as Dadan, Branka Katić as Ida, and Zabit Memedov as Zarije. The story probes debt and loyalty, suggests how quickly ambition can distort family ties, and satirizes criminal pretensions with affectionate mischief. It leaves you smiling at the chaos while noticing the vulnerability at its center, a film that proves a street comedy can carry real warmth.