highlights some artistic features of the film

Rating: Null/10 (24 May 1999)

The three hour film is almost a metaphysical meditation on the nature of war and evil in particular and humanity in general. What is good about this war movie is that it avoids moralising and instead concentrates on existential problems confronted by these soldiers in the face of death. The director has used documentary realism to good effect here. This is counterpointed by interspersing 'personal thoughts' of the characters.These breaks in the narrative bring in a more complex mental landscape. The battle scene on the grass covered hill slopes is among the best ever filmed. I would recommend the film to all serious moviegoers.