Die Hand Gottes - Emir Kusturica trifft Diego Maradona

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.

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.

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

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.

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.