An Essential War Film

Rating: 9/10 (17 July 2014)

Sometimes the theme of the film has a more powerful impact on the audience, rather than the story or style. In the case of "No Man's Land", human morality which postulates the senselessness of war, was the successful driving force.
This film has a healthy dose of humor for a war flick. So much so that it seems that the director is trying to force the savagery of the bloody Bosnian Civil War through the filter of irony and hilarity. The effect is that the film draws you in from the very start as jittery soldiers crack jokes about pessimism, foggy weather and bald heads.
Additionally, The acting was brilliant throughout the flick which involves a pan-European cast. Most notable were the roles of Cici and Nino that were memorably played. What I really liked seeing was how Nino got more and more aggressive as the movies draws on, far from the the meek person we saw in the opening sequences.
All in all, NML is a fresh breath in war movies as the utilization of pathos and pyrotechnics is minimal. The movie instead utilizes the canvas of tragicomedy to paint a vivid, realistic picture of the effects of war.
Definitely deserved the Oscar it got. Amelie won't leave you pondering the way this movie does.