Life Is a Miracle

Life Is a Miracle

Year: 2004

Runtime: 155 mins

Language: Serbian

Director: Emir Kusturica

RomanceDramaComedy

Set during the early‑1990s Bosnian war, railway clerk Luka watches his life unravel as the conflict begins and his wife leaves him for a local musician. When his son is conscripted and captured, Luka is ordered to guard a young Muslim nurse destined for a hostage swap. The assignment forces him to face personal loss amid the brutal realities of war.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Life Is a Miracle yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Life Is a Miracle (2004)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Life Is a Miracle (2004). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1992

The narrative unfolds in 1992 during the early stages of the Yugoslav conflicts. War erupts around Croatia and spills into Bosnia and Serbia, shaping everyday routines around danger and uncertainty. The plot highlights UN-brokered prisoner exchanges and the fragile idea of freedom amid chaos.

Location

Eastern Bosnia, Western Serbia

Set in the mountainous borderlands between eastern Bosnia and western Serbia, the film centers on a newly completed railway that links the two regions. The border station becomes a focal point of daily life amid looming conflict. Its desolate yet strategic setting amplifies the characters' hopes, fears, and chances for escape.

🏔️ Mountainous region 🌉 Cross-border area 🚉 Railway hub

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:45

Main Characters – Life Is a Miracle (2004)

Meet the key characters of Life Is a Miracle (2004), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Luka

Luka is a Serbian engineer who moves his family to run a railway station in a war-torn border region. He is utterly devoted to his work and remains optimistic even as war disrupts life around him. His practicality and stubborn hope push him to make morally tricky choices, including attempting to trade Sabaha to save his son Miloš.

⚙️ Engineer 💡 Optimistic 🧭 Family man

Miloš Đurić (Vuk Kostić)

Miloš is a football-hopeful who is drafted into the Serbian army as conflict erupts. He loses the chance to join Partizan and becomes a prisoner, testing his resilience and his bond with his father and family. His capture injects personal stakes into the broader violence of war.

⚽ Footballer 💪 Resilient 🛡️ Loyal

Jadranka Đurić (Vesna Trivalić)

Jadranka is Luka's mentally unstable wife who accompanies the family to the border. She disappears on the arm of a Hungarian musician, adding mystery and tension to the family’s crisis. She eventually returns, illustrating the fragile state of relationships under stress.

🧠 Complex 💔 Fragile 🧭 Unstable

Sabaha (Nataša Tapušković)

Sabaha is a Bosnian Muslim woman who becomes Luka's hostage and later his romantic partner. The two are forced to flee deeper into Serb-controlled territory, and her presence catalyzes Luka's moral decisions. She is wounded during a Bosnian sniper attack and ultimately exchanged to free Miloš.

🕊️ Resilient 💗 Romantic 🧭 Central

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:45

Major Themes – Life Is a Miracle (2004)

Explore the central themes of Life Is a Miracle (2004), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕊️ War and Humanity

In the midst of violence, strangers become allies and love can blur ethnic divides. Luka and Sabaha's bond grows as they flee deeper into the war zone, testing compassion over prejudice. The story uses intimate relationships to show how empathy survives even when the world outside collapses. The film suggests that small acts of mercy can outlast the chaos of conflict.

💔 Love vs Loyalty

Luka's attempt to exchange Sabaha for his son Miloš pits personal affection against family duty. Jadranka's disappearance and later return highlight how relationships are strained and reassembled by war. Miloš's captivity adds pressure, forcing choices that reveal each character's loyalties. The romance between Luka and Sabaha complicates loyalties and fuels the emotional core.

🚂 Hope and Survival

The railway line embodies a fragile lifeline—an avenue toward safety even as it carries people into danger. Prisoner exchanges and the attempt to cross the Drina underscore the precariousness of freedom. Nurses and medics stand as beacons of care amid the chaos, emphasizing resilience. The ending hints that survival may ride on stubborn chances, like a mule carrying them toward a new dawn.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:45

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Bittersweet love stories like Life Is a Miracle

Stories where love blossoms unexpectedly amidst chaos and despair.If you liked the unlikely wartime romance in Life Is a Miracle, explore more movies where love blooms against all odds. These films feature a potent mix of heavy emotional weight and hopeful connection, similar to the bond between Luka and Sabaha.

hopefulmelancholicdesperatetragicomicoppressiveromantic

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern typically involves characters thrown together by tragic circumstances—often war or social collapse. Their initial hostility or indifference gradually gives way to a deep, necessary bond that serves as an emotional anchor, even as the external situation grows more dire. The central relationship is a quiet rebellion against the surrounding brutality.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a core dynamic: a redemptive romance that provides solace and purpose within a bleak setting. They are united by a bittersweet tone, where moments of genuine connection are sharply contrasted with the harsh realities of the world, creating a powerful and emotionally resonant experience.

Tragicomic war stories like Life Is a Miracle

Films that find dark humor and surreal moments within human conflict.Find movies similar to Life Is a Miracle that blend the horrors of war with surreal and darkly comic moments. These films capture the absurdity of life during conflict, offering a unique, thought-provoking, and emotionally complex viewing experience.

absurdtragicomicsurrealoppressivethought-provokingdesperate

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread unfold against a backdrop of serious conflict, but they are punctuated by moments of slapstick, irony, or surreal events that underscore the illogical nature of war. Characters often navigate their tragic circumstances with a sense of bewildered humor, and the plot may take whimsical turns that contrast sharply with the overarching grim reality.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their unique tonal blend of high tragedy and low comedy. They share a perspective that the most horrific situations can also be profoundly absurd, creating a complex emotional response in the viewer that is both heartbreaking and darkly humorous.

Unlock the Full Story of Life Is a Miracle

Don't stop at just watching — explore Life Is a Miracle in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Life Is a Miracle is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Life Is a Miracle Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Life Is a Miracle, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Life Is a Miracle Summary

Life Is a Miracle Timeline

Track the full timeline of Life Is a Miracle with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Life Is a Miracle Timeline

Life Is a Miracle Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Life Is a Miracle that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Life Is a Miracle Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Life Is a Miracle

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Life Is a Miracle: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Life Is a Miracle

Similar Movies to Life Is a Miracle

Discover movies like Life Is a Miracle that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.