A Panoramic Ambiance That Chills...

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2001)

MINOR SPOILERS... BEWARE A fabulously executed and surreal war satire that definitely is a worthwhile movie to see! Visually traumatic; mentally disturbing; and fabulously directed with a cast of solid performers! This movie is a wake-up call to a lose-lose scenario about a futile war. A modest movie without the usual Hollywood frills of blasting music scores or computer generated gimmicks, yet so impressively energetic! And it sets forth credible characters in believable situations, allowing none to come out smarter.

This movie probes into the absurd and the inhumane aspects of wars and their participants.. Danis Tanovic's three main characters enable the viewers to accept the fact that neither the Croatians nor the Serbs are victors in the Balkan wars. Mind-gripping events of the pointless war with profoundly cynical conversations between Branko Djuric's Ciki and Rene Bitorajac's Nino that clearly projects the writer's viewpoints onto the screen. Yep, two enemies, face-to-face -- in no man's land between their respective front lines! Two men, trapped by their circumstances, only to resort to violence! And in the background lies Ciki's comrade, Cera, whose booby-trapped position creates an additional tension throughout the film. Tanovic further dramatizes the story with a group of clueless and confused French UN peacekeepers and a plainly obnoxious troupe of journalists.their very presence does profess more cynicism about the purpose of international involvement in the war. Overall, this movie gives insights to, not only an ethnic war, but to the conflicting tensions that are caused by the press media and the UN, the soldiers and the peacekeepers.
Despite the seriousness and grimness of Tanovic's themes, this movie pumps up a great deal of humor.absolutely dark amidst the most tragic moments. Two thumbs up for Tanovic. his script and his directorial composition are remarkable. truly well deserving of some Oscar statuettes!