No Man's Land

In every aspect an exceptional film, with a well-developed, fully functional screenplay, meticulously directed, casted, and with outstanding performances. Together with Kosminski's film Warriors, the most poignant and valuable portrayal of the Bosnian conflict. The absurdity of war is depicted in a tragicomic and utterly unnecessary encounter between two enemy soldiers on the front line next to a disarmed landmine, on which the body of a third, severely injured man rests. Despite its light and satirical tone, there is no happy ending... Overall impression 95%. (21/11/2007)

I wondered what kind of film could have walked away with Amélie's Oscar. Now I know, and I have to say I haven't seen a film with such a well-written story in a long time. A brilliant black-humour look at the war in Bosnia, the media and the embarrassing role of UNPROFOR. A truly brilliant plot and performances and I bow to director Tanovic for his first feature. I watched it at the SFS and I hope it gets a wider distribution so more people will see it. (30/07/2002)

At first glance, it's a quite simple movie that tries to show how insane war actually is, how senseless it is, and what it can awaken in people if they don't have a strong enough will or if they simply find themselves in an unpredictable situation. And this applies not only to soldiers, but also to civilians and reporters. (07/04/2016)

I can tell a good anti-war film by how it affects me. If the message doesn't hit me hard, it's just a waste of financial resources. The creators of this film didn't waste any, and the message hit hard. I could hardly find a better depiction of the senselessness of war. There is no doubt that soldiers essentially function as a group of armed tourists, and although there are capable and determined people among them, their leadership cancels them out. If the story didn't take place outdoors, it could have been considered a chamber film. However, the story was so intense that it easily beats many so-called blockbusters. / "Maybe you could get a close of them clearing the mine." / Lesson learned: There are situations you can't get out of, even if you tried so hard you shit yourself. (31/03/2023)