No Man's Land
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Movie Reviews of No Man's Land
Movie Review: must-see for any "peacekeeper" who spent time in Bosnia
Summary: 5 Stars
This compelling tale underscores the futility of war and the complete impotence of the UNPROFOR to make any difference in the civil unrest in the Balkans. The story begins as two soldiers, a war-weathered Bosnian and a rookie-soldier Serb, become stranded in a trench in "no man's land" together. The Serb's friend and fellow soldier is also in the trench, lying on top of a bouncing mine, which will detonante if he moves. The film shows the efforts of the the soldiers to elicit rescue by UNPROFOR peacekeepers. There tension and hostility between the soldiers in the trench alternate with moments of kindness, even tenderness, and genuine teamwork in their effort for rescue, until they remember that they hate each other. The French peacekeepers are ordered not to take action by their British commander, because it is too dangerous. A cunning French peacekeeper works behind the scenes, in conjunction with a BBC journalist, to pressure UNPROFOR to permit them to attempt an evacuation of the stranded soldiers. In the end, the rescue effort is to no avail and none of the three stranded soldiers are rescued alive. The movie is very real, from the Bosnian soldier's high-top basketball sneakers, the French UNPROFOR peacekeeper snoozing on duty, the Bosnian commander's lewd flirting with the BBC journalist. This is a great picture, one of those movies that will come back to haunt you days after you've seen it.Movie Review: must-see for any "peacekeeper" who spent time in Bosnia
Summary: 5 Stars
This compelling tale underscores the futility of war and the complete impotence of the UNPROFOR to make any difference in the civil unrest in the Balkans. The story begins as two soldiers, a war-weathered Bosnian and a rookie-soldier Serb, become stranded in a trench in "no man's land" together. The Serb's friend and fellow soldier is also in the trench, lying on top of a bouncing mine, which will detonante if he moves. The film shows the efforts of the the soldiers to elicit rescue by UNPROFOR peacekeepers. There tension and hostility between the soldiers in the trench alternate with moments of kindness, even tenderness, and genuine teamwork in their effort for rescue, until they remember that they hate each other. The French peacekeepers are ordered not to take action by their British commander, because it is too dangerous. A cunning French peacekeeper works behind the scenes, in conjunction with a BBC journalist, to pressure UNPROFOR to permit them to attempt an evacuation of the stranded soldiers. In the end, the rescue effort is to no avail and none of the three stranded soldiers are rescued alive. The movie is very real, from the Bosnian soldier's high-top basketball sneakers, the French UNPROFOR peacekeeper snoozing on duty, the Bosnian commander's lewd flirting with the BBC journalist. This is a great picture, one of those movies that will come back to haunt you days after you've seen it.Movie Review: a must-see for anyone who has spent time in the Balkans
Summary: 5 Stars
This compelling tale underscores the futility of war and the complete impotence of the UNPROFOR to make any difference in the civil unrest in the Balkans. The story begins as two soldiers, a war-weathered Bosnian and a rookie-soldier Serb, become stranded in a trench in "no man's land" together. The Serb's friend and fellow soldier is also in the trench, lying on top of a bouncing mine, which will detonante if he moves. The film shows the efforts of the the soldiers to elicit rescue by UNPROFOR peacekeepers. There tension and hostility between the soldiers in the trench alternate with moments of kindness, even tenderness, and genuine teamwork in their effort for rescue, until they remember that they hate each other. The French peacekeepers are ordered not to take action by their British commander, because it is too dangerous. A cunning French peacekeeper works behind the scenes, in conjunction with a BBC journalist, to pressure UNPROFOR to permit them to attempt an evacuation of the stranded soldiers. In the end, the rescue effort is to no avail and none of the three stranded soldiers are rescued alive. The movie is very real, from the Bosnian soldier's high-top basketball sneakers, the French UNPROFOR peacekeeper snoozing on duty, the Bosnian commander's lew flirting with the BBC journalist. This is a great picture, one of those movies that will come back to haunt you days after you've seen it.Movie Review: Must-see land
Summary: 5 Stars
Stunning photography, simple story, real-life problem, great piece of acting and no-hero centric play form the success of the oscar winning movie.The movie revolves around 3 men who are trapped in the trench of a land surrounded by both Serbia and Bosnia and part of neither. The rivalry between the countries is well exemplified by the two that argue while trapped in the trench - one trying to kill another and show the vengence and one not allowing other to survive, Wow! beautifully taken. When the two identify a girl that both know, they should become friends but the hatred between the countries overrides them. The dialogues are really punching.
Also shown well is the media trying to make out of all these. Humanity is not behind all these acts. Although it is true that media helps in some cases, sometimes this is more driving.
And so is the ending; though the movie ends in a tragedy, the director has done an excellent job of leaving the solution to the problem. The soldiers who are trapped are dead and made dead and so what is it for the whole saga is? Very complicated question. Countries that fight across the border have to think seriously about this. The culprits are the innocent soldiers who are trapped.
Though the movie is in multiple languages, I did not have a problem understanding the movie as the theme is universal (Of course there was sub-titles).
Great movie to watch!
Movie Review: Futility.....
Summary: 5 Stars
This superb little film has justly been extolled as a vivid look at the agony and futility of the Bosnian war. Told with dark humor, and with an unforgettable central metaphor illustrating the paralysis of action when faced with an insolvable dilemma, this film is realistic while delineating the aburdity of it all.We get the two former neighbors that knew the same girl, and by any measure should be friends, unable to keep peace amongst themselves long enough to allow a third man in a terrible predicament to be saved. We have French UN peacekeepers frustrated because they can't keep any kind of peace. We have UN commanders doing anything they can to avoid an action or a decision. We have media anxious to get the story and we have everyone lieing to everyone else. And in the middle of it all we have one poor...with the worst luck imagineable.
The random unfairness of war is what we have, drawn in swift and sure strokes by someone who (I would imagine) has seen it all first hand. Told impartially, there are no heroes here, there are no sides taken, and we are left in the end with the a last and final haunting image that is nothing but pure futility. No move is a good move, no action is a right action, and the absurdity of the situation is only surpassed by its tragic & cruel irony.
Tough and true reporting from the frontlines. Well worthwhile.