Maradona by Kusturica (2008) User Reviews

The Complete Maradona

[corrosion-2 · 8/10 · 11 October 2008]

Emir Kusturica's Maradona is not a sports documentary. It is a political, sociological, cultural and also a sporting document of the greatest footballer who ever lived on this planet. It is, like Kusturica movies, exuberant and full of life. It is sad, funny, exciting and controversial.

Geroge Bush, whom Maradona refers to as "murderer" is definitely not one of his favorite people. He greatly admires Fidel Castro & Hugo Chavez, with both of whom he is shown with in friendly conversations. When asked about his famous goal against England in the 1986 World Cup (named Goal of The Century by FIFA), he explains that he was motivated by revenge for the Argentinian soldiers killed in the Falklands War by the British. He feels that his ban for doping in the world cup was politically motivated and he likens Havelange & Blatter (respective FIFA presidents) as The Arms Dealer and Bullet Seller respectively!

Maradona is philosophical about his cocaine addiction and full of regret that he could have offered so much more to the football world. The footage of his exploits on the playing field, from when he was a kid to his world cup triumph are truly dazzling; no matter how many times you may have seen them before. The movie is full of touching moments, especially those concerning his marriage and his family and friends.

Kusturica is clearly a big admirer of his subject and Maradona also seems to be completely at ease with him. Whether you like Maradona as a person or not , after seeing this movie you can not deny that he was a footballing genius and you are also very likely to be moved by his life story. Highly recommended.

Interesting, compelling, out of the ordinary...

[naseby · 8/10 · 13 July 2010]

...but that IS what you expect from Diego Armando Maradona! Being English, I'd be expected almost to hate the man, after the notorious goal. After all, the 'El Magnifico', Pele, never scored a goal like that. But you can't not be drawn from Maradona's skill, but also verbal skill off the ball, managing to also draw in the viewer/listener. From his dalliances in drugs, incidentally blaming America for the drugs problem, not the Colombian mafia, for the USA consumer-type market for the stuff, coupled with his meeting and loving it, with Fidel Castro, this is an amazing insight into an amazing man. Candidly also reflecting many times on politics, his hatred of George Bush, refusing to see/shake hands with Prince Charles, claiming he had 'blood on his hands' over the Falklands war. Indeed, many of the Scottish fans who admired him were simply pleased at 'the hand of God' because England is Scotland's 'old enemy' too. Whether the Scottish regiments in the British army would support that over the Falklands War is a matter of conjecture. But Maradona, along with his skill on the ball has an equally infectious personality making this an extraordinary programme, but you're left thinking, no, not really, this is what we DO expect from the man. An intensely watchable, unmissable film, not just about a footballer, but a polished personality. One thing I didn't get, was why The Sex Pistols' 'God Save the Queen' was played. It seemed to be used in the animation showing the royal family/Brits being taken the p*** out of. Mind you, I didn't mind really, I am a fan of the Pistols! I'd seriously like to meet this man. Not to challenge him, but you can't help admire his honesty. Still, I'm glad the Germans knocked Argentina out of the 2010 World Cup, even though, they were one of my teams I most liked watching - it seemed to cap Maradona's bragging before he gets out of hand a bit!!!

Maradona the man and legend

[Bhavendu · 8/10 · 6 February 2021]

Story of the legendary footballer. The director himself narrates the different shades of the man behind the figure, especially the political one. Towards the end we see two street guitarists singing a song about him.. surprisingly the star becomes one among them, joins the duo spreading his respect towards mankind to the viewer's heart and the film becomes iconic.

One of the best films on sport

[bodwin · 9/10 · 4 August 2009]

Maradona by Kusturica isn't a film about soccer. It is not really a film about sport. It is a film about hope, glory, divine talent and the shortcomings and greatness of human beings. It's about love, despair and eternal matters.

At one point Kusturica asks Maradona which movie star he would want to be, and Maradona immediately answers De Niro in "Raging Bull". "He wanted to knock down everything", Maradona says "I wanted to score goal".

Music plays an important role in this film, as in all of Kusturica's work. Both Argentinian tango and the punk rock of the Sex Pistols seem to contain some of the mysterious energy that whirls around Maradona.

Maradona's football is irresistible. It compels the audience. When this magical and spiritual force is expressed through the classic story of the underdog fighting his way to the top just to fall down again, we are moved, and cannot help it. It is our own story.

Our hero is a martian, a revolutionary, a cocaine addict and a guilt- ridden father and husband. He is not shamed by the fact that he cheated in a world cup match while being watched by hundreds of millions. His regret is that he got high at his daughter's birthday party.

This is not only the story of the greatest football player the world has ever seen, it is also the story of USA vs Latin America, of NATO vs Yugoslavia, of the prince of Wales vs the poor boy from the slums.

Kusturica manages to capture all this in his film, and in doing so he makes us consider grace.

Truly a great film.

Dieguito - the real-life Hancock!

[breno_bacci · 9/10 · 7 June 2009]

Born and raised in Brazil, and like everybody else here, I was taught to say "Pelé is better than Maradona" even before they taught me how to walk or wipe myself. As I grew older, I kept believing this was true. But the more I got to know both men, the more I thought this was probably applied only to football skills - Pelé kept giving me reasons to believe he was the perfect moron, while Maradona's subversive stance on everything found sympathy on anybody in South America more or less haunted by our CIA-sponsored, "anti-communist" military dictatorships. Even on my early years as a not-so-subversive toddler, I knew there was something wrong about Pelé's easygoing attitude towards the establishment.

Not only that, but coming from a family which dealt with addiction for generations, I learned very early that Garrincha was by far a better player than Pelé. Brazilian media and FIFA can keep ignoring Garrincha because he was never the Mr. Nice Guy Pelé pretended to be, but one just has to watch how Garrincha made 2 players on the other team sit on the pitch without even touching the ball (probably one of the best moments on the World Sport's history).

Unlike many of my fellow countrymen and women, my family didn't think one's accomplishments should be overshadowed by his or her tendency to abuse psychoactive substances. Nevertheless, I just couldn't ignore what Pelé did on the playing field - even though Maradona, Garrincha and probably the 2 Ronaldos were actually a lot "more magical".

But I digress.

This was the first Kusturica movie I've ever seen, and I was surprised to find out the auteur's got such a faithful audience like others I've had the pleasure to know - like Trier and Tarantino (yes, you heard me). I guess my ignorance towards Kusturica was probably a good thing, since I've been reading here many of his disappointed fans complaining that, ironically enough, he was too much of a fan boy on Maradona-Kusturica.

I'm not so stupid as to think that socialism is the root of all evil. South America lacks true heroes, so I love when Cinema gives me and others the opportunity to know more about the life stories of such controversial people like Fidel, Che and Maradona.

I just couldn't stop watching this movie, ingenuously hoping the final takes would give me some extremely-needed closure to the big mess that was Diego's life. As most of the greatest movies ever - and Dogville comes to mind -, you never get closure. You go out with a lot more doubts than certainties. And that's a good thing. In my humble opinion, "feelgood" movies are no different than cocaine. They shouldn't be called movies, for starters. They're a drug made to make you numb and feeling good about yourself. That's not what the Art of Cinema is about for me. I don't want to feel good about a movie. I want to feel challenged. I want to have my brain building new synapses, no matter how painful might the process be.

Maradona-Kusturica did that for me. Surprisingly enough, as much unlikely I thought it would be, I ended up getting what goes on on the minds of those wackos at the Church of Maradona. I understand now and I admire them - this is the kind of rupture of a concept that amazes me, pretty much as Hooligans(2005) made me see through the vandalism and admire those poor guys whom at least found strength to believe in "something".

Maradona is not a genius outside the playing field. He's just a guy. A very "real" guy, that does good things and bad things, like anyone else. Not even the pope gets to be nicknamed "The God"; nevertheless, Diego does his best to cope with such a fanatic crowd everywhere (his visit to Naples was out-of-this world).

Many people will just ignore this movie because it is likely to praise the deeds of a cocaine addict. The kind of people that thinks that cocaine abuse (or any other drug for that matter) should remain as taboo should keep watching Titanic or Desperate Housewives. As my dentist once said, you should keep touching the wound instead of trying everything to pretend it's not there.

I sympathise with people that screw up because I feel they no longer wear their masks. One could think Maradona was just a selfish bastard after all. A guy who cared for nothing else than just putting more snow on his nostrils. Funny. You get to see how his daughters, even though carrying a lot of grief, love him and like many people also think he's their god.

Pelé, FIFA's Mr. Nice Guy, in the other hand... Married an underage girl, barely used his fame to help not even Brazil's football institutions, let alone the country as a whole. Later on he could come and tell that 1970's World Cup was a gift to the Brazilian people so we could have at least a little bit of happiness through all that was going on. But that doesn't change the fact that bringing Jules Rimet Trophy home helped the dictatorial government ease the always-growing social instability. Neither that he shook hands (and will keep shaking) with every and each man in power because, after all, it's so much easy than thinking about your symbolic role for a nation's populace.

I pity for Edinho - the King Pelé's imprisoned and addicted son. If only his father had been more of a moron like Maradona was, he could be the one jumping on a stage and singing how his father was a god.

Oh, and about football and movies... I can only hope that Kusturica ever gets to love Garrincha as much as he loves Diego, and decides to make a movie about him. That guy's certainly worth the title of Wizard of the Ball.

If Jesus stumbled, Why shouldn't I too?

[mskirollos · 5/10 · 2 June 2014]

Kusturica's Maradona certainly had its moments like the flashback montage during Maradona's drunken singing of "La Mano de Dios/Hand of God" with this family, and the egotistical comments from Maradona can be always entertaining. But there were way too much of Kusturica that ruined it for me; excerpts from his films and his mundane narration had a negative effect unless you're a massive fan of his works.

The irregular narration is more than justified; almost everyone knows who Maradona is and a chronological biography would have been quite boring. I think plunging head first into Maradona's world and Latin American revolutionary sentiment is the best way to get there. Yes Maradona is obviously egotistical and megalomaniac, and yes some of his political views can be easily refuted by a schoolboy but yet the mood can be quite entertaining, and let's be frank, if you were him, watch the film and tell me how can all of that surrounding madness from the outset, all the fan adulation not only in Argentina but arguably anywhere you go, not get into your head.

Worth watching but not a masterpiece, neither in documentary, or sport- documentary, or even Maradona-documentary.

D10S No Salva a la Reina

[RainDogJr · 10/10 · 24 February 2009]

6to Festival International de Cine Contemporaneo de la Ciudad de Mexico: Maradona by Kusturica (Emir Kusturica, 2008)

* 23/02/09 *

Two days ago was the first Saturday of FICCO and a free screening was programmed at the Zocalo of Mexico City: Maradona by Kusturica. I saw this film for the very first time on DVD exactly the same Saturday in which I saw Steven Soderbergh's The Argentine so that day I had a "revolutionary" Saturday, with two Argentineans and with Fidel Castro in both films. Last Saturday I went to the Zocalo, it was a really good number of people in the audience and for sure some persons wearing Maradona shirts.

I love football and if you ask me who is the greatest football player of all time you will not hear Pele or any other name, either you hear Diego or Maradona or Pelusa or simply God. And that's a fact, and sure Pele is the king but Maradona is God and sure there are many people that are anti-Maradona but I doubt if those haters can stop looking at Diego playing. So I saw for the first time a film standing, in the Zocalo and of the FICCO, and I'm very very glad I came, I knew the film certainly and it was great to watch it on a big screen, it was great just to watch it again. When I first saw it back in January of course I knew pretty much everything about Maradona, certainly you don't have to know a lot about Diego to enjoy this film but for fans this is just a must-see.

The God, the Bad and the Ugly, unforgettable and wonderful score, we hear part of the main theme, Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra (I really liked Super 8 Stories, recommend also), played and there Emir was introduced as the Maradona of cinema, later on Kusturica will mention both Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah, for him at the time when he meet Maradona this looked like a character from a Sergio Leone or Sam Peckinpah film or like from the Mexican Revolution, almost impossible to think that he played football like God. Here we have a recovered Maradona, talking about his drug addiction, about his regrets, about those birthdays in which he was not with his daughters Dalma and Giannina, about the player that he could have been if only he had stayed out of the drugs, about the player that we all lose. Probably the most touching and memorable moment of this film is when Diego sings what for me is the very best of the songs composed to him, the song by Rodrigo, the song "La mano de Dios". Here Maradona sings it in first person and at one point during the performance he ask to his daughters to join him, that moment is really memorable, after the worst Diego was finally there to enjoy his family. We can hear other of those Maradona songs, we see here Manu Chao (another memorable part) and we can hear the song "Para Siempre Diego" at a bar, a bar that functions as sponsor or something like that for the Iglesia Maradoniana (the Maradonian Church). The stuff with the members of the Maradonian Church is simply fantastic (I knew about its existence yet this was the first time I actually saw stuff of the Maradonian Church), if you get married by that church you have to add the name Diego to your name and not only the husband but also the wife! And their Lord's Prayer! A lot of fun, and certainly just a proof of that, infinite, love to Diego.

As I guess you know unlike Pele Maradona does played for European teams, he played for one of the greatest teams not only of Spain but of the world, FC Barcelona and for sure he had great games (here Maradona travels to Belgrade, he meet Kusturica's son (is really fantastic when Kusturica's son says something like "I never wear a shirt before but today I'm going to meet God") and more familiars of Emir, including his wife and his grandson who for Maradona has legs of a football player. Will be certainly unforgettable for Emir the fact that Maradona was the last person who spoke with his mother before she passed away. Also during this trip Emir takes Diego to the Stadion Crvena Zvezda, home of the football club Red Star Belgrade, certainly that football-related stuff can't missed but is very special since Kusturica suffered a really great goal of Maradona while he was playing for FC Barcelona and here Kusturica indicates to Diego to which goal he shoot that day, also Kusturica show us his abilities to dominate the ball, he is pretty good actually) but nothing like those from his times in Italy, in the South of Italy, in Napoles. The only way to defeat a great power, football and Argentina won that football war against England in 1986 and a team from the South of Italy came to not only defeat but to humiliate a Northern team when Maradona leaded Napoli but certainly not only that: 2 Scudettos, the first one was not only the first Scudetto for Napoli but also for any Southern team, 1 Coppa Italia, 1 Suppercoppa Italiana and the first major European title, the UEFA Cup. Here we can the return of Maradona to Napoles and you can imagine the people, there's only one thing to do when Maradona is present and here we can how even Hugo Chavez jumps and stuff. "Stop Bush" says a t-shirt of Diego, the Sex Pistol of football and yes Sex Pistols' music is here, only one song (God Save the Queen) and we hear it each time we are just mesmerized by the playing of Diego, all certainly lead us to the masterpiece of Diego, the goal of the century. I think even the British has to celebrate.

"If I was Maradona, I would live just like him..."

[paul2001sw-1 · 5/10 · 17 July 2010]

Emir Kusturica's films are often wild, inventive but ill-disciplined affairs; and his documentary about (the often wild and ill-disciplined) Diego Maradona is no exception. Maradona was of course famous as a brilliant footballer who has nearly killed himself through drug abuse and over-eating; Kusturica intersperses film of time he has spent with the star together with interviews with his fans, excerpts of his own films, comic animations, and ruminations one what Maradona represents. It's the latter which is the problem: Maradona may dislike George Bush, but that hardly makes him a revolutionary; indeed, he comes across more as a spoilt child who still can't take responsibility for his own actions. And the worship he inspires makes his physical condition seem tragic - not just old and fat, but genuinely not well (in fact, he looked far healthier recently managing his country at the recent world cup). Ultimately, the film seems determined to adore its subject, even when it's not so clear he deserves such adoration. But there are few footballers whose game or life has been nearly so interesting.

Confessions of a footballing god

[Emmalufox · 10/10 · 13 July 2010]

What an excellent documentary. well done Kusturica you really have captured the heart of the man. for those of you out there who think gazza is a complex man,NO he ain't! Maradona is the real deal. his joke to Castro who says to him this is between you and me Diego, to which maradona replies deadpan, you me and the eight million people watching on TV.what a line. And the way he greets people from the car while driving through belgrade,hello yes its me, yes its Maradona. singing with his daughters in the bar nearly had me in tears. a funny sad tragi-comic film thats well worth checking out. welcome back Kusturica, in these twillight, reboot, remake ridden times you are well and truly missed.

Diego: Lo mejor del mundo

[AlphasBitas · 8/10 · 18 February 2020]

A documentary about the biggest artist of football. You have to see it

Tedious disappointing hagiographic tripe

[pete-cordillera · 1/10 · 21 February 2012]

Quite simply, this is not a documentary. It is a self-indulgent waste of time, with a film- maker who is enough of an egomaniac to put his name in the film's title and put himself at the center of the story he describes as a "portrait of Maradona". There is little to nothing revealing or insightful about the footballer as when we are watching any interview footage (rather than mundane footage of Diego watching television, or going for a swim), the tone is so sycophantic as to be useless. Ironically, given the film-maker's ideological projection, it is like the most low-brow back-slapping American breakfast TV interview of Tom Cruise. The animated sequences padding out the film are ludicrous, implying Maradona was some scourge to Reagan and... Tony Blair?!?! Their cheapness betrays any claim to the film- maker being a director of great repute. This is the stuff of satire; if Mitchell and Webb had done this I would be pissing myself.

What a shame then that it is completely straight-faced seriousness.

Thank you Maradona.

[metallic-sergio · 10/10 · 9 March 2011]

INMORTAL LEFT LEG AND GOLDEN HEART.

An excellent opportunity to take a closer view of a man who above all things loves the ball, loves his family, y loves his country. Mens like him give their life away, making a better society, as a gift for Argentinian people, people who needs spiritual encouragement to keep on defending their mother country.

An excellent opportunity to take a closer view of a man who above all things loves the ball, loves his family, y loves his country. Mens like him give their life away, making a better society, as a gift for Argentinian people, people who needs spiritual encouragement to keep on defending their mother country.

Skip this, it's not worth the time

[peter07 · 5/10 · 22 January 2011]

I saw this film on my VOD and I must say I was throughly disappointed. The director got good access to Maradona but it seemed more like than "Let's follow Maradona Around" rather than a documentary. The film kept playing the same darn clips over and over again, especially Maradona's "Goal of the Century," and I fell asleep halfway through.

The director's English sucks yet he narrates it in yet another major weakness of the film. Nothing really is probed in-depth other than Maradona's ramblings over how he hates Bush and loves Castro and Chavez. I'm a fan of Maradona but definitely not a fan of this utterly boring piece of trash. Please save 90 minutes of your life by skipping on this turkey.

Movie is very good!

[djordjehadzipetrovic · 10/10 · 27 November 2020]

You need to have a brain to understand this movie. It's not a classic documentary movie. Movie is great!!!

Waste of time

[vnarvaez72 · 1/10 · 20 June 2015]

One of the worst documentary I've seen in a long time, looks like 2 ego maniac collide and wanted some attention.

Kusturica needs to stay away from movies, and Maradona should just live his life without thinking about glory anymore, this guy wants to pretend to be in the 80's every time a camera is near but just face it, you're not a football player or a celebrity anymore. Just stay away PLEASE!!

Btw, I don't know someone want to portrait Maradona as a football god when he cheated in Mexico 86 by the so called "la mano de dios", I mean if I wanted to be a star in football then should I just cheat and be celebrated by everybody? C'mon!! There are a respected man named Edson Arantes do Nascimento "Pele" who always scored goals, behave, and show how a real player moves in the field, he is the real god in football.

So disappointed

[The_Man_The_Myth · 1/10 · 22 July 2010]

I hated this in every way. I'll be honest, I hadn't heard of Kusturica before seeing it but I've since learned he's regarded as a genius in filmmaking.

Even though Maradona is a cheating, egotistical little fool, there's no escaping the fact that he's a colourful individual and was one hell of a footballer.

However, I learned very little more than I already knew about him. Everything was done so obviously on Maradona's terms. It was nothing more than an arty Maradona love-in. He hates the USA, he hates Britain, he loves Castro, he loved cocaine, he played a good game of football. That much we did learn. However, I and anyone else who follows football, already knew that. But, let's not forget, he cheated time and time again. Whilst he comes across as remorseful for the effect him doing drugs had on his family, he clearly sees himself as a victim for the effect it had on his career. The man was a professional sportsman, an idol and role model for millions around the world, yet he's bitter and feels hard-done-by about the fact that he was one of those to get caught out.

Any cheating on the pitch, namely the infamous 'Hand of God' against England, was portrayed as no more than a schoolboy prank he got away with. How did Maradona get away with it? According to Maradona it was because of God (further proof of Maradona's deluded mind)! Then, frequently during the film, Kusturica depicts the second goal in the same game (reputedly the best goal ever scored) as some sort of political comment on the Falklands War, with a cartoon Maradona slaying Prince Charles, the Queen and Margaret Thatcher to name a few. Sorry, but whilst the goal was a stroke of genius, it was no political comment; it's just convenient to suggest it was.

A footballer surely doesn't justify such an arty piece of filmmaking. If a filmmaker's intention is to profile a footballer, then surely a chronological study from the start to present day is what's needed, not philosophical ramblings over what made him what he is/was. If these ramblings taught us anything, then fine, but they didn't. He wasn't a revolutionary (although he clearly believes he is), he wasn't the great ruler of a nation (I'm sure he believes he's this too). He was a footballer and a cheat. A brilliant footballer, yes, and arguably the best to have ever lived and his life off the pitch is thought to be equally as (if not more so) fascinating as his life on it. That's why I'm so frustrated to have learnt so little from this. I wanted to hear him discuss in greater detail his humble beginnings, his rise through the ranks in footballing terms, his experiences with drugs, more details around his time at Barcelona and Napoli etc. The lack of facts and the general sycophantic tone that shrouded the whole film left me none the wiser and even less enamoured by Maradona than I was to begin with.

It's amazing (and again very odd) to see just how revered he is in Argentina but I wished the film would have stopped dwelling on the fact and get on with some steadfast facts on the man himself. I don't wish to see some weird looking Argentine couple supposedly getting married at the church of Maradona, nor do I want to see Maradona singing a song (presumably about himself) for what seemed like an eternity. This was just further evidence of his God complex. I found both these scenes to be really peculiar.

Aside from it being mind-numbingly dull, I found the whole thing a bit sinister really. Kusturica especially so. His voice-over was horrible, his bedraggled appearance horrible and then you get him fawning all over the supposed great man.

Maradona's autobiography, El Diego, whilst interesting at times, was like reading a true Rock 'N' Roller's autobiography without any mention of the sex, drugs and excesses that go with it. Whilst a different approach was taken here, it was by no means a more interesting one.

Total garbage.