|
| . |
|
No Man's Land 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Danis Tanovic
R, 98 min. (violence, language) |
 |
Starring: Branko Djuric, Rene Bitorajac, Filip Sovagovic, Georges Siatidis, Serge-Henri Valcke, Simon Callow
Producers: Marc Baschet, Frédérique Dumas-Zajdela, Cédomir Kolar
Screenplay: Danis Tanovic
Distributor: United Artists
Released: 12/7/01 (Limited) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
Bosnian director Danis Tanovic's No Man's Land is a small treasure in the wasteland of cinematic sewage oozing from most
theaters today. Unfortunately, as is the case with most smaller independent films, the vast majority of movie-goers will
not even be aware of its existence. Set during the Serb/Bosnian civil war of 1993, it approaches its subject matter with
a reverence that is revealed through the silence and waiting that occurs during rare quiet moments on the front lines of battle.
Although comedic in its presentation, at its core No Man's Land touches on the insanity of war, and ultimately
the hollowness of battle.
The story involves two men, both of whom are trapped in a bunker between both front lines. One, Chiki (Branko Djuric),
is originally trapped when his band of soldiers are ambushed in the open field. The other, Nino (Rene Bitorajac), arrives
later after he is sent to search the trench on a routine mission. They both have opportunities to kill one another, but choose
not to for some reason. When a third man, Cera (Filip Sovagovic), is found lying on top of a mine, a truce is called until
they can escape the danger they are all in together. With the help of the United Nations, they may be able to avoid
any further casualties - if they can survive each other.
It's probably true that most viewers will learn more about the hatred between Serbs and Bosnians in this film than anything
they've seen on television about the bloody conflict. The relationship between Chiki and Nino provides insight to why
the hatred between the two sides is so ardent. Neither trusts the other, and, even after a mutual admiration between them
is established, they eventually slide back into the intense grip of hatred for each other again. Brutal in its honesty,
the film is effective in proving its point to the audience.
Also, the film clearly takes a shot at the United Nations' role in the conflict. Governed by politics and an almost absurd
lack of compassion, the U.N. is not about to win any popularity contests in the region to this day. Tanovic portrays an
organization that lacks any real backbone, or in other words, was cowardly in its handling of the crisis. This snapshot of the
war is enough to show the inability of the U.N. to accomplish anything meaningful beyond its chosen role as a referee
between the two sides.
No Man's Land is the answer to the shallowly-constructed Behind Enemy Lines, a
more by-the-numbers American war film. The difference is that No Man's Land constructs its characters and storyline with
great care and complexity. Behind Enemy Lines is more interested in simply getting to the next action sequence to keep its
viewers interested. No Man's Land is riveting because of its ability to blend dark humor with a cold frankness that
drives its point home in the film's final scenes. In the end, this is war, not a video game.
No Man's Land is a character study, albeit a dark one, that establishes a disconcerting level of sincerity in its presentation,
given the fact that humor dominates the majority of its screenplay. It's an ingeniuous way to draw an audience into the
importance of the discussion, and once you're intrigued, you're hooked. And there's a good chance the film will be recognized
by the Academy as one of the best foreign films released in the U.S. this year - even more exposure for a film that
richly deserves it.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
|
|
| Masterpiece - Classic; Movie perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See; One of the year's best films |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
© 2000 - present ReelCriticReviews
All movie pictures are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective holders
Their use on this site is for informational purposes only and does not imply ownership
|
