"War; What is it good for; Absolutely nothing!" So goes the famous song by Edwin Starr. And No Man's Land is such a film that ventures out to prove that statement. Not through massive amounts of violence and bloodshed, nor through grieving families. Rather, No Man's Land is a film that uses human characters and their emotions to convey this message across, and it does so very well.

No Man's Land has a very simple premise, yet uses it to full effect. The film's background is set against the Balkan Conflict of 92-95. While fighting is going on, two soldiers get trapped in the same trench, and both soldiers, Chiki and Nino, are from opposite sides of the war. Also in the trench is another Bosnian soldier, Cera, who is lying on a mine, which will detonate if he moves at all. Eventually, Chiki and Nino have to learn to keep calm before they can get out of there. They begin talking, and neither really understands why this war is being fought and points fingers at the other side. In between such talks, hostilities increase as both soldiers constantly threaten to kill each other. Meanwhile, Cera is stuck on the mine, and is the only one who stays calm throughout. Eventually the matter gets spread to the United Nations, as well as to the international media (who tapped in on the UN's radio frequency to get information) as the struggle to save the soldiers rages on.

The director, Danis Tanovic, succeeds in portraying these events very well. The characters he creates are portrayed as actual emotions, and succeeds in carrying these emotions over to the viewer. One cannot help but feel pity towards Cera, Chiki and Nino at some times, and anger at others. The media is portrayed in a negative way as the reporters stir up trouble only to improve their fame and pay. The viewer is made to hate the incompetent leaders who refuse to take action to save the soldiers, while admiring the brave UN soldiers who work their hardest to save the three men. The discussions between Chiki and Nino are quite the highlight, as their relationship fluctuates throughout. At one time, they might as well be best friends, discovering that there was a common friend between them, while at the other, they are worst enemies, ready to take the life of the other away in an instant. Their relationship continues as such until the final climax. Cera is the one who represents reason and rationality and keeps both men calm and controlled for a limited period of time.

Though No Man's Land is a low-budget film, it doesn't scream of poor production values at all. The battles depicted are small scale; nowhere near Speilberg, but effective nonetheless. Most of the film takes place in the one small trench, with a few segments just on the front lines, and around the UN offices. Additionally, the use of language throughout is well-done. Most conversations are done in the local Bosnian language, while the UN troops switch between French and English, adding to the realism of the film, and introducing the communication problem between the different forces throughout.

Speaking of language, the script of No Man's Land is, for most part, well-done. The people's emotions are captured very well through the type of language they use. The conversations between Chiki and Nino are well-written, humorous, and thought-provoking. The only real weakness in the script lies in the cliché of the scenes involving the media. Such lines have been used many times in the past before which involved negative depiction of the media in war situations (e.g. Three Kings).

Sound throughout the film is used quite well. Most of the scenes are pure dialogue with no dramatic background music; just plain silence. And this silence is used to great effect to bring the environment and tensions of war out.

The actors essay their individual roles quite well. Branko Djuric (Chikki), Filip Sovagovic (Cera) and Rene Bitorajac (Nino) both act out their respective roles very well. Their characters are brought to life, and the viewer is lead to believe that these men are actual soldiers themselves who have dealt with similar situations before. The UN officers do just as well, especially Georges Siatidis, with whom we share his frustrations. Katrin Cartlidge as reporter Jane Livingstone is good. She follows many of the aforementioned clichés of members of the press, but does a good job doing so.

Direction is well-done and helps the movie flow. The events are brought about in a very believable manner at a believable pace. The whole movie moves at a semi-brisk pace, with a lot of events taking place over a short period of time, yet the film doesn't feel rushed at all. The director works well at placing the viewer in the middle of all the action, as they try to understand the emotions displayed by the characters.

No Man's Land, unlike countless war films, make an anti-war statement effectively. As opposed to the bulk of war films that glorify war and give it the impression of being desirable, No Man's Land explores what war truly is: hell. And it does so through a simple depiction of events involving human characters, not through massive amounts of destruction or blood spill. This film truly is a modern classic, and was not entirely undeserving of the accolades it won (including the Golden Globe and Oscar for best foreign film). No Man's Land comes highly recommended.

Final Rating: 9.4/10

I still don't get why Titanic won all them oscars?

I think cameron must have sold his soul to the devil

though the films they nominate for best foreign language film are typically pretty good.

I disagree, they never once nominated a Satyajit Ray film, why is that? when he's easily one of the ten best directors in the world ever. I think that if everytime a Satyajit Ray film was nominated, India would have had atleast 3-4 oscars by now. It's even sad that he's only won about 2 national awards(I think). :rolleyes:

Haven't you learned by now? The Oscars don't mean much for American films anymore, though the films they nominate for best foreign language film are typically pretty good.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon? Better than the other nominees that year? I think not.