It's all dark in no man's land.

Rating: Null/10 (7 April 2004)

I'm not a big fan of war movies, which could be due to the proliferation of 'OTT Hollywood war movies that always aim to glorify the intentions and actions of the US of A' in local cinemas. However, No Man's Land stands out as a war
movie that is objective, non-judgmental and immensely thought-provoking.
The fact that non of the actors are international movie stars heightens the
realism and allows the audience to view their plight with more objectivity.
(Sometimes, a movie star's off-screen persona can be too distracting.)
Ciki (a Bosnian) and Nino (a Serb) get stuck in no man's land together, and we see the futility in pointing fingers when amidst heavy bombing around them,
they argue that it is the other who started the war. It is even more ironic as we are struck by how similar Ciki and Nino are -- they share the same language,
share a common friend and could even be friends themselves. Despite this, they are suspicious of the other all the time, even after they leave the trench. This leads to tragic consequences and we are saddened by their blind hatred for the other and their overwhelming desire to 'have the final say'.
The film doesn't take sides, but if there is a losing side, it must be the UN. The UNPROFOR personifies the hypocrisy and ludicrous bureaucracy that add to
the tragedy of this war. Our spirits are temporarily lifted when the French
soldiers decide to go against orders to actually do something about the sticky situation. Yet any fragile hopes we might have are quickly shattered when they learn that there's absolutely nothing they can do for Cera, the soldier who's lying on a bouncing mine.
In the end, as the frame slowly moves away from Cera and pans to the horizon, we are filled with utter horror at the UN's deception. I accepted with devastation the fact that there is really no solution to Cera's problem. I was dumbstruck for a moment when the credits started to roll, and the haunting closing theme only
added to my pain when I realised the director is not only pointing out the
inaction of people who have the ability to help, but also the ignorance of the rest of the world.
I'm a little disheartened to learn that the film is even funnier in its native language, and that the translation did not do the dialogue any justice. This
means it is even better than I know it to be. Still, there is enough dark humour and poignant tragedy to make this a thought-provoking and memorable
experience.