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Summary: Beautiful, sad, funny film about the absurdity of war
Review: Above all else, this is a marvelous piece of filmmaking that achieves several purposes at once. On one level, director Tanovic manages to personalize the war in Bosnia to a remarkable degree. Just as Serbian soldier Nino is constantly trying to introduce himself to other people in the film, whether friend or foe, Tanovic introduces them to us. We come to know them, and like them, and want them all the become friends with each other. The film also manages to be funny, tragic, absurd, and sad, all at the same time. The camera manages a slightly detached viewpoint throughout, enabling us to move easily from one very funny moment to an utterly tragic one with no apparent effort.Reading many of the other reviews here, one could easily gain the impression that this is a film rife with political discussion of the relative merits/demits of each side of the struggle in Bosnia. In fact, there far less political discussion in the film than one might expect. The "debate" more or less consists of the two main protagonists forcing the other to admit under gunpoint that the other side had started the war. The reason for the ideological vagueness is the film is not so much about the particular conflict in which it is set, but armed conflict in general. The predominant effect of this film is to make the armed conflict come across as monumentally silly. Tragic, yes, but silly for all that. The movie also does a marvelous job of expressing the sense of futility and hopelessness over this and many other contemporary conflicts. Anyone who has witnessed the recent joint absurdities in the West Bank is acutely aware of this. Palestinians send out suicide bombers they know will provoke a military response from Israel, and Israel in turn engages in missile or helicopter attacks or military incursions into Palestinian neighborhoods that they know will provoke more suicide bombers. One is left looking at the situation not know what the solution is. Likewise, in this film, we are presented with a dilemma that we can't imagine being able to get out of. And the ending (which I won't give away), illustrates this marvelously.
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Summary: No Man's Land-- the Catch 22 for the Balkans
Review: I have to admit that when No Man's Land won the Oscar, I thought that the Academy was just being plitically correct by giving recognition to a movie with a "humanity mission" vs. the light comedy Amelie. That was until I saw both. Starting off as absurdly funny, the movie gradually turns into a tragical symbol of the entire conflict with all its national and itnernational players. The premise is simple--a Serbian and a Bosnian are trapped in a trench and cannot get out, because they will be shot by the other side. Overcomming initial hostility they become friends, only to succumb to the tension, century-old built-in distrust and at the end tragedy. I will not get into more details, but this simple plot provides the viewers with a very accurate descriptions of the emotions behind each side and the deadend, hopeless situations such long term tensions breed. If there is anything that this movie is trying to teach is that the situation is not that simple, that while the conflict is murderous, each side has is right in its own way. The catch is deadly for the characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Effective allegory
Review: Soldiers from opposing sides in the Bosnian conflict are trapped together in a trench between enemy lines. A cable news reporter uses the opportunity to publicize UN impotence, thereby setting the stage for a clever allegory of what is arguably the most confused military situation in recent times. Writer-director Danis Tanovic skewers every element of the situation--the Serbs and Croatians, the UN peacekeepers, and the media. In addition, his direction pays careful attention to the beautiful landscape in which the war is being fought. The juxtaposition of the folly of man with the beauty of nature underscores the terrible waste of war.
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Summary: An Outstanding, multidimensional, suspenseful, serious film
Review: During the height of the war in Bosnia, a wounded Bosnian and a wounded Serbian soldier get trapped together in a trench in, "No man's land," between the Serbian and Bosnian lines. Together, but with fear, distrust, and violence, they try to find a way out of the situation. To complicate matters, in the trench, the Serbs had placed a mine under the body of a Bosnian they thought was dead but was only knocked-out. He awakes, but if he moves all three will be blown up. I thought the film was an excellent study of two characters stuck together involuntarily, who, for their own mutual benefit, must learn to get along. I found it gripping. This is an anti-war movie. Neither the Bosnians not the Serbs are depicted as good or bad. The thing that lacked credibility was that given both soldier's wounds, I don't know how they managed to function at all. In real life I think they would have been in much greater pain, more incapacitated, suffering from shock and dehydration, etc.
There is a UN general who is portrayed as an incompetent goofball. He is concerned only with politics, procedures, and playing chess in his office with his pretty secretary. His one dimensional character didn't fit in with what was going on in the trench, and it didn't work as a contrast either. If the purpose was to show that he UN military command was impotent, they could have done it in a less silly manner. The conclusion is a powerful statement about the war.
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Summary: Life in the trenches...
Review: This film was the 2001 Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign film. And since it beat out AMELIE, (a film I adored) I had to check this one out. I am happy to say that NO MAN'S LAND is a great and powerful piece of filmmaking. During the apex of the Bosnian War, an enemy Serb and Bosnian are reluctantly forced to share each other's company while the armies decide what to do about them. And during that time, each soldier argues his political side, but whoever holds the gun usually is "right"... until the gun exchanges hands again. Throw in incompetent leaders, a nosy reporter, UN representatives neutered by bureaucracy and a wounded soldier lying prone on a mine and you've got a clever commentary on war in general. The film is well executed as control is maneuvered back and forth between the two warriors. The Serbo-Croatian language is subtitled throughout but there are occasional English actors in supporting roles. The screenplay is really taut, with little wasted space. The DVD offers both a nicely transferred widescreen and pan and scan version of the film. A strong film.
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Summary: Hidden Story
Review: The story is awesome! As a former soldier that served in Bosnia the story of the UN and their incompetence is really brought out! It is very scary that the UN basically stood by and watched atrocities. I feel that this film touches on this!
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Summary: Conflict brought to life.
Review: Hearing about a comedy based on the recent Serbian/Bosnian war was intriguing. Having some Croat friends, and hearing the hype about this film enticed me into viewing it. I was not disappointed. This film evokes the disparity of the war between these people---people who looked the same, spoke the same language, and had the same human emotions. These people, thrown into conflict at the whim of their government are thrown into a trench together in the midst of a battle. A Serb and a Bosnian soldier eloquently evoke the injustices of the war from both perspectives. They even bring an aspect of hilarity to the irony of this conflict. This film is so incredibly well-done it is difficult to review. The UN forces are featured as well, and their lack of ability to do anything during this conflict is highlighted. While it is a comedy, this film shows the despairity of this war, it's terrifying effect on people who lived for nearly 40 years as friends and neighbors, and the lack of assistance the UN provided for them. This is the best film I have seen this year, hands down. Minimal knowledge of the conflict is recommended, else some of the jokes and important moments may be lost. Overall, it is an amazing work, to be enjoyed by all. 6/5/02
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Summary: must see--really
Review: Do you think war is waged by mad men? No Man's Land shows how the reasonable actions of generally decent men can result in atrocity. The plot is a mirror of the larger events of the Bosnian-Serb war and the impotence of the UN to curb the violence. A thoroughly gripping film that is human, funny, frustrating, and sad.
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Summary: A Lesson in Moral Ambiguity
Review: Usually movies that are morally ambiguous do not appeal to me. Happy endings and clear cut morals are the reasons I watch movies. In No Man's Land, however, the moral is that there are no morals and we should not rush to make moral distinctions. The movie is a critique of the foreign policy of NATO/U.S. based on a single incident. Two Bosnians are trapped between Serb-Bosnian lines while on a patrol in heavy fogg. One is grieviously wounded (and presumed dead) and when two Serbs show up the unwounded Bosnian hides while the Serbs booby-trap the wounded man with a landmine. The remaining Bosnian kills one Serb and wounds the other. Predictably, the Bosnian and the Serb trade accusations over who started the war and the answer invariably lies with the disarmed soldier. Alternately, they are bitter enemies and reluctant adversaries. When a do-gooding French Sergeant comes to the rescue, he learns that the answer to ending the conflict between the two men is not as simple as he initially believed. The allegory is that when the great powers intervene, they must recognize the intractability of ethnic conflict and that the moral high ground generally lies with whomever can say: "Because I have the gun."
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Summary: Amazing!
Review: This is one of the greatest war movies of all times. Tanovic's exceptional sense of humour helps enhance the clear message, namely that any war is completely meaningless and devestating. Tanovic reveals the indifference of the UN in regard to the heinous war crimes that took place in Bosnia. This is a great movie that will disclose the horrors of the Bosnian tragedy!
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