It would be
easy to simply classify "No Man's Land" as an
anti-war film, but it really is so much more
than that. It's an absurdist drama. It's about
the stupidity of pointless conflict and the
absurdity of human cruelty. The 2001 winner for
Best Foreign Film manages to speak volumes in 98
minutes, certainly more than most other
blowhard, overdone films on the same subject
have ever done.
The story is darkly humorous, but also tragic
and ironic. During the Bosnian-Serbia war, a
Serb and two Bosnians find themselves trapped in
a trench between the two front lines. They hate
each other, but none of them seem sure as to
which side even started the conflict. To make
matters worse, one of the Bosnians is lying on
top of a bouncing bomb, and if he moves,
everyone in the trench will die. The situation
escalates when the UN and the press gets wind of
the situation.
Although many of the war effects look rather
cheesy, the performances make every thing so
real. We can't side with either the Bosnian or
the Serbs. All of them are extremely flawed. We
can relate to the French UN troops who go help
them. Their hatred for each other despite their
being in the same predicament is bewildering. No
matter what the UN troops do, they won't
cooperate because it would mean giving in to the
other side.
Excellent cinematography, editing, and a steady
pace keep the film constantly interesting. Just
when you think you've figured out these
characters, something new happens. This makes
the film entertaining as well as gut-wrenching.
Everything gets worse and worse for the
characters.
The ending is perfect and reflects the meaning
and tone of the entire movie. The only thing
keeping this from an A is my complete lack of
sympathy. I mentioned how the major characters
are massively flawed, but I can't help but think
that if we cared for these people the impact
would be greater. Despite this, this is an
excellent film, well worth your time. Its just a
small step from greatness.
©
Written by Jacob Hall
TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Richard
Propes' Comment
n/a
