No Man's Land

Theatrical Release Date: 2001 12 07 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 027616874788

Studio: MGM

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Not For Children]

Summary: The grim futility of the war between Bosnia and Serbia is reduced to its essence as two enemy soldiers are forced to share a wary trust for one another in this drama. A group of Bosnian soldiers are advancing upon Serbian territory during a misty night when the fog lifts at daybreak, making them plainly visible to their enemy. Serb forces open fire upon them, and soon only Chiki (Brancko Djuric) is still alive, after diving into a trench in no man's land. Two Serbian soldiers scouting the area set up a land mine using the body of a Bosnian soldier as "bait;" if moved, the mine will jump into the air and explode. Chiki watches as the soldiers set the trap, and furious at the disrespect to his fallen comrades, he kills one of the Serbs, and takes the other, Nino (Rene Bitorajac), hostage. With both soldiers alone and equally armed, they find themselves at a stalemate, and begin trying to attract help from either side. Eventually, the two men are found by a squadron of French soldiers attached to a U.N. peacekeeping unit; now held by supposedly neutral forces, Chiki and Nino are with the French troops when it's discovered that the dead Bosnian soldier isn't dead after all, though no one is sure how to disarm the mine without killing him in the process. No Man's Land was the debut feature from Bosnian writer and director Danis Tanovic. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: War

Awards: Best European Actor – European Film Academy Best European Screenplay – European Film Academy Best Foreign Language Film – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Foreign Language Film – null Best Screenplay – French Academy of Cinema Best First Film – French Academy of Cinema Best Foreign Language Film – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Foreign Language Film – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Screenplay – Cannes Film Festival Best Foreign Film – National Board of Review Film Presented – Telluride Film Festival Best Foreign Language Film – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Original theatrical trailer

No Man's Land

Format: DVD

Release Date: 04/09/2002

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope, 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 97 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 1

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 -- Widescreen
1. Main Title/The Foggiest [5:44]
2. Caught Between the Lines [6:07]
3. Smoking/Man on the Mine [8:42]
4. Ours or Theirs? [6:34]
5. War of Words [2:58]
6. Cera Lives [10:40]
7. The French Are Coming [5:36]
8. Old Sweetheart [2:15]
9. "Nothing I Can Do" [1:12]
10. They Came, Saw & Left [6:28]
11. Global News Knows [9:32]
12. "Help Is Coming" [5:33]
13. On Site With the Maniacs [6:44]
14. The De-Miner's Mistakes [3:50]
15. Pandemonium & Clean-Up [9:15]
16. Trenches/Credits [6:12]
Side #2 -- Standard
1. Main Title/The Foggiest [5:34]
2. Caught Between the Lines [6:07]
3. Smoking/Man on the Mine [8:42]
4. Ours or Theirs? [6:34]
5. War of Words [2:58]
6. Cera Lives [10:40]
7. The French Are Coming [5:36]
8. Old Sweetheart [2:15]
9. "Nothing I Can Do" [1:12]
10. They Came, Saw & Left [6:28]
11. Global News Knows [9:32]
12. "Help Is Coming" [5:33]
13. On Site With the Maniacs [6:44]
14. The De-Miner's Mistakes [3:50]
15. Pandemonium & Clean-Up [9:15]
16. Trenches/Credits [6:12]

Michael Hastings

Proving the truism that the best war films are those that focus on minor events within major conflicts, director Danis Tanovic's bracing standoff drama succeeds on the interaction -- or intentional lack thereof -- of its two leads. Told with the economy and power of an allegory, No Man's Land keeps its scale small and its drama high, but never for an instant neglects the comic absurdity that accompanies a philosophical grudge match. As the opposing Bosnian and Serbian soldiers, Branco Djuric and Rene Bitorajac manage to convey a full spectrum of hatred, na?vet?, and even mutual understanding (however fleetingly). The film's light tone makes the last-act twists all the more shocking, if no less darkly absurd. If No Man's Land is at times didactic -- think The Defiant Ones crossed with Three Kings -- it's understandable; a war film that wears its heart on its sleeve is better than one with no heart at all. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Marc Baschet  Producer 
Frederique Dumas-Zajdela  Producer 
Cedomir Kolar  Producer 
Danis Tanovic  Director 
Danis Tanovic  Screenwriter 
Branco Djuric  Actor 
Rene Bitorajac  Actor 
Filip Sovagovic  Actor 
Katrin Cartlidge  Actor 
Simon Callow  Actor 
Serge-Henri Valcke  Actor 

Country: Belgium,France,Italy,UK,Slovenia