No Man's Land

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)

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. (31/07/2002)

The absurdity of the Bosnian-Serbian conflict is matched by the overall mood of this remarkable film. It would be wrong to accuse it of having a simple plot and uniform characters. Danis Tanović best portrayed the absurdity of the whole situation on these very characters. No Man's Land is not a film intended to appeal through bombastic war spectacle or profound philosophical contemplations. That is because it revolves around a Serbian soldier versus a Bosnian soldier, the indecisiveness of the UN troops, who seem more focused on "maintaining the war" rather than peacekeeping, and an investigative journalist, driven to get her story at any cost. If the term "Balkan conflict" means anything to you, you can understand that war is folly, even if you are not an adamant pacifist. (05/11/2005)

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)

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%. (22/11/2007)