Emir Kusturica, director. In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles (155 min., 2004).

A blend of bawdy humor and romance, set against the turbulent backdrop of the Bosnian War of the early ’90s. When the conflict breaks out, the life of mild-mannered Serbian railwayman Luka is turned upside down as his neurotic opera-singing wife runs off with a musician and his son Milos is called up to fight and is subsequently captured. A plan is hatched to exchange Milos for a hostage–an attractive young Muslim nurse, whom Luka is assigned to guard–but in the midst of the chaos around him, Luka falls in love with his captive.