No War's Excuse

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2007)

This comment contains my opinion on the movie as well as my feelings I had after seeing it.
"There is no point in becoming friends
if we are to kill each other soon..."
War, sacrifice, death, suffering, grieving tears...are they remembered as the years pass? Who really cares for the people who died? In the most privileged cases, they are offered monuments, poems or songs. People continue to make war despite those sacrifices. But, there is a possibility to talk about those brave, make them remembered, but, most importantly, say how miserable war is: this is good cinema. Young director Danis Tanovic has made a brilliant film titled NO MAN'S LAND the action of which takes place in 1993 during the infamous Balkan Wars. However, is it a movie about war? Partly yes, but saying it's a war film would be a highly limited view.
NO MAN'S LAND is, foremost, a very powerful, well directed picture of the misery and absurd PEOPLE are exposed to when any war breaks out. The two characters, Nino and Chiki, from opposing sides get through moments of horror and unbelievable psycho suffering. They are totally torn apart: "Who started the war?" they quarrel. "Does it matter...we are in the same s*** now." is Chera's reaction. "I have a gun and you don't" (so I rule here) appears to be the resemblance of what war really is. Cera, the man put on the mine between them on "no man's land" depicts a real suffering while the world TALKS of help, of peace and of dignity. The three are symbolically the whole nation placed in desperate situations, in personal tragedies while media badly want the latest information and politicians sit on their comfortable chairs with delicious ladies on tables... it's always simple people who suffer and this film is really with them, talks on their behalf! The characters used to live similar lives, used to have similar dreams, used to have the same school mates but suddenly, they were to be enemies.
These thought provoking aspects of the content go in pairs with profound moments of symbolism. The opening 5 minute-scene in fog clearly depicts war proceedings - like foggy day - never clear. The man on the mine constitutes a kind of obstacle between the two - the acts of war never allow for normal human feelings, normal friend talk.
Is the film depressing? Partly yes since everyone of good will asks themselves such questions like "Is there anything we can do to change it?" But don't think that while watching the movie, you will have a gloomy face throughout and need several tissues. It's more reality rather than tearjerker. There are a number of originally funny moments that accurately improve the atmosphere. Consider, for instance, Nino observed by his people and found "zombie" Other moments that made me laugh were: "Do you speak English?" dialog, Chiki-Nino talk about a bombastic girl Sania they once knew at school and the hilarious questions of media reporter Jane Livingstone. In the latest, the contrast is put on reporters and people in need: how differently the two perceive the world! The former find the latter "idiots" "savage" while the latter are only exhausted and fed up with the absurd of the former...
But what amazed me here as a movie fan are the performances. Rene Bitorajac and Branko Djuric as Nino and Chiki do marvelous jobs that result in authenticity of acting. You, as a viewer and an observer, do not get a single impression that it is all played. What they do is just flawless and they are, unfortunately, not the top names of cinema... Filip Sovagovic has a difficult role: to keep lying on the mine and does well. Katrin Cartlidge also does a fine job as the reporter seeking for sensation, Jane Livingstone. There is no focus put on the rest of the characters but isn't it better to develop fewer than introduce many.
NO MAN'S LAND is a movie I saw twice and I am certain that when I see it again, I'll find yet something new, something I have not noticed before. It is a profoundly symbolic, thought provoking movie that can leave you breathless in reflections. Killing; new death machine production; hatred promotion; control over the politics in the spirit short of mutual goodness; no care for simple people, for their dreams, their lives; superior power of weapon...may it all constitute a WAR'S EXCUSE? I would rather say what the three heroes of NO MAN'S LAND would probably say with me: NOTHING MORE FOR THE SAKE OF WAR but EVERYTHING FOR THE SAKE OF LIFE, FRIENDSHIP and DREAMS OF BETTER FUTURE. Then, there will be a point in becoming friends, then there will be a point in regarding the earth as the planet of life...