Film Critique No Man\'s Land

War Makes Humanity Less Important Than Political Peace

No Man's Land

Argument

War is an agonizing reality, which accentuates ethnic, racial and religious differences amongst people. Tanovic in his film No Man's Land, sets out to show us his optimistic views on human bonding amid the frenzy surrounding cross-cultural differences and resulting conflicts. This bleak picture of war is interspersed with light-hearted humor and abrupt craziness that gives a positive touch to the otherwise gross war drama. No Man's land is set against the never-ending Serb-Bosnia conflict where peacekeeping missions failed to do any positive work. Tanovic has chosen absolutely absurd event to highlight the bond of humanity or more specifically human-hood that exists between soldiers of warring factions while thrashing the "peacekeepers," the politicians and their senseless reasons to go to war. The tense movie centers on the actions and emotions of two soldiers, Siki, a Bosnian (Branko Djuric), and Nino, a Serb (Rene Bitorajac), who are waiting for help while trapped in a trench.

Being an anti-war movie depicting a war-torn land and the people caught in a bloody conflict that no one really cares about, No man's land highlights absurdity of war. Tanovic's movie emphasizes moral and psychological paradoxes of a conflict where no one is likely to emerge a winner.

In one of the movie's many bizarre scenes, the two main characters strip to their boxers to show their helplessness while standing at the edge of the trench waving a white t-shirt. However it seems that the world is more concerned with politics than the lives of these helpless men. This scene is important since it highlights the bond that unites human beings. It is here that we notice that while the two soldiers belong to enemy countries, they behave in similar fashion and acknowledge their helplessness in the face of all the trouble. In this scene, the relationship between these two major characters is interesting and quite thought provoking. There is no friendship between the two men, yet they cannot bring themselves to kill each other. Such scenes highlight the director's wishful thinking and tentative optimism. The two main characters try to make small talk, which results in accusations in which one blames the other for starting the war. But their discussion appears fruitless as both end up waiting for help without reaching any consensus on the issue. Nino and Siki belong to different cultures and possess starkly different philosophies, yet they are thrown into a situation where they are required to get along and maintain order. It is here that we see how Tanovic actually sees the conflict. He seems to believe that human nature is such that it is more geared towards peace than trouble. In situations where there is no political pressure, enemies can co-exist harmoniously. It is only when politics intervenes that they lose their perspective and killing the enemy becomes more important than harmonious co-existence.

In No man's land, the real horror of war that creates extreme devastation and terror is at some points mitigated with the help of battlefield humor. Funny instances are incorporated to point out the cynicism and acceptance of the toll war takes on the individuals (Anderson, 2001). There are several funny scenes that are used only to diffuse the tension in the trench and the political uproar surrounding this situation. For example in one scene Siki's supposedly lifeless friend Cera starts recovering and before he can move, Siki throws himself over the soldier to make sure there is no movement that might blow them all up. This appears like slapstick but this movie has some truly high quality comic scenes, which make war appear even more absurd than it actually is.

Powers far away from battlefield and real action are the actual causes of futile wars and their never-ending horrors. Tanovic explains that there is still hope for reconciliation between enemies, between two different ideologies and beliefs provided the powers that sit at the top stop exerting political pressure. Serbs and Bosnians may not approve of each other's views yet these two can co-exist peacefully together if the politicians would let them.