Going for laughs in the fog of war

Review: 'No Man's Land' humane but erratic comedy

By Paul Tatara
CNN Reviewer

(CNN) -- "No Man's Land," Danis Tanovic's absurdist chamber piece about the Bosnian war, is two parts Samuel Beckett to one part "Catch-22." Tanovic, much to his credit, makes concise points about the farcical nature of warfare, especially combat between citizens of the same country. But the inert nature of his story doesn't allow for a great deal of dramatic tension, and the production's low budget stifles the sense that there's a full-blown conflict taking place beyond the edges of the frame.

Though the film is efficiently made, given the circumstances, the result is like watching a theater group try to convince you that war is hell from the confines of your living room.

The story opens with a small team of bedraggled Bosnian soldiers creeping through dense fog between enemy lines. The men mock each other as they begin to realize that their so-called leader has no idea where they are. When the sun rises and the fog clears, they discover just how badly they've been led astray: nearby Serbian troops open fire on them, killing everyone (or so it would seem) except for Ciki (Branko Djuric), an especially beat-up veteran who wears an old Rolling Stones concert T-shirt.

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It quickly becomes apparent that there won't be a Bosnian version of John Wayne in this movie. Tanovic couldn't be less interested in flag-waving heroism.

Death and argument

During the skirmish, Ciki and his friend, Cera (Filip Sovagovic), had managed to scramble into a trench, but Cera now lies dead. Ciki is forced to hide when a two-man Serbian patrol is sent to check things out. One of the Serbs plants a booby-trap beneath Cera's body; if anyone lifts him, a mine will detonate, spraying the area with metal bearings.

The soldier doesn't have much time to savor his nasty handiwork; Ciki shoots and kills him seconds later. Then Ciki captures the other Serb soldier, a bespectacled greenhorn named Nino (Rene Bitorajac).

Ciki and Nino soon start grabbing weapons from each other and arguing about who did or didn't start this stupid war in the first place (their debate dissolves into childish shouts of "You started it!" and "No, you started it!"). It becomes clear that the one who's winning the argument at any given moment is the one who's holding the gun.

The situation only gets more confusing when it turns out that poor old Cera is very much alive. Unfortunately, he can't get up because he'll kill everyone in the trench is he does.

Limits to comedy

Meanwhile, United Nations peacekeeping forces have heard about the bizarre predicament in no man's land. A Frenchman named Sgt. Marchand (Georges Siatidis) wants to intervene and help, but his uninterested superior won't allow him to involve himself in such a politically dangerous situation. Though he visits the trench and understands that something needs to be done, Marchand's hands are tied.

The curiosity of a ratings-hungry TV news reporter (Sacha Kremer) doesn't help matters. Before long, everyone will be watching the trench and doing nothing to help.

This may sound more interesting in written form than it actually is on the screen. Tanovic seems unsure of how far he wants to push the comedy; "No Man's Land's" trailer makes it look like you're in for a rollicking dose of black humor, but it never really materializes. A couple of knowing glances between Marchand and the TV reporter seem to imply a nowhere-to-be-found connection between the two.

The comically heated interplay between Djuric and Bitorajac is the only compelling element of the story. Even Cera laying on that deadly mine doesn't get you as rattled as it might.

Still, this is a worthwhile little picture with a true sense of humanity running through it. Stack it up against the recent "Behind Enemy Lines," and you'll quickly see why the U.S. is viewed as insensitive overseas: "No Man's Land" is about the confusion of being forced to kill your fellow countryman ... or being forced to kill *anybody,* for that matter. "Behind Enemy Lines," with its never-defined Bosnian conflict, is about the thrill of weaponry and outrunning bullets when you don't care who's killing who.

No one will feel compelled to shout "Go team!" while watching "No Man's Land." And that's the entire point.

"No Man's Land" contains a few point-blank shootings, although Tanovic doesn't linger over them. There's also some profanity, but the film comes with subtitles, so sensitive types can just look away if they happen to spot a telltale "F" at the beginning of a word.