Themes: Behind Enemy Lines, Culture Clash, Members of the Press
Main Cast: Branco Djuric, Rene Bitorajac, Filip Sovagovic, Katrin Cartlidge
Release Year: 2001
Country: SI/UK/BE/IT
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
The grim futility of the war between Bosnia and Serbia is reduced to its essence as two enemy soldiers are forced to share a wary trust for one another in this drama. A group of Bosnian soldiers are advancing upon Serbian territory during a misty night when the fog lifts at daybreak, making them plainly visible to their enemy. Serb forces open fire upon them, and soon only Chiki (Brancko Djuric) is still alive, after diving into a trench in no man's land. Two Serbian soldiers scouting the area set up a land mine using the body of a Bosnian soldier as "bait;" if moved, the mine will jump into the air and explode. Chiki watches as the soldiers set the trap, and furious at the disrespect to his fallen comrades, he kills one of the Serbs, and takes the other, Nino (Rene Bitorajac), hostage. With both soldiers alone and equally armed, they find themselves at a stalemate, and begin trying to attract help from either side. Eventually, the two men are found by a squadron of French soldiers attached to a U.N. peacekeeping unit; now held by supposedly neutral forces, Chiki and Nino are with the French troops when it's discovered that the dead Bosnian soldier isn't dead after all, though no one is sure how to disarm the mine without killing him in the process. No Man's Land was the debut feature from Bosnian writer and director Danis Tanovic. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Proving the truism that the best war films are those that focus on minor events within major conflicts, director Danis Tanovic's bracing standoff drama succeeds on the interaction -- or intentional lack thereof -- of its two leads. Told with the economy and power of an allegory, No Man's Land keeps its scale small and its drama high, but never for an instant neglects the comic absurdity that accompanies a philosophical grudge match. As the opposing Bosnian and Serbian soldiers, Branco Djuric and Rene Bitorajac manage to convey a full spectrum of hatred, naïveté, and even mutual understanding (however fleetingly). The film's light tone makes the last-act twists all the more shocking, if no less darkly absurd. If No Man's Land is at times didactic -- think The Defiant Ones crossed with Three Kings -- it's understandable; a war film that wears its heart on its sleeve is better than one with no heart at all. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
