No Man's Land

No Man's Land perspective of war is unique, expressing a frustration with the general inability to achieve anything due to politics and the role of the media and neutral parties involved in conflicts. This foreign flick distinguishes itself from Hollywood war movies most strongly because of the fact that no true heroes, only people trying to help but remaining more focused on their own good standings and personal positions.

Sgt. Marchand tries hard to rescue the booby trapped man, but when his superiors order him back to base under threat of court martial he responds immediately. His devotion to his own survival is revealed again when, made aware of the knowledge that the rescue mission is a charade and a failure, keeps his mouth shut in the interest of his own career. The question is posed, however, would Marchand's deeper intervention have saved the man's life?

News reporter, Jane Livingstone works to shed light on the events unfolding in the trench. But, much like the 'vulture' that Ciki compares the media too, she obtains the information by listening to a UN radio frequency and waiting for a juicy story. Even when Ciki executes Nino, Livingstone's expression of horror is diminished by the words, "Did you get that?" The irony, in the end, is that when the opportunity for a real scoop is presented, she fails to take it.

The responsibility and actions of the UN commander and his secretary are laughable. When permission is requested for investigation of the issue, the commander appears to be about to engage in sexual acts with his secretary and disregards the message hurriedly. Later, upon arriving in the field, he and his secretary horribly out of place near combat. He is the one who makes the executive decision to cover up the UN's blunder and failure by faking the rescue of Cera. In a most despicable act, he then proceeds to suggest to both sides that their enemy will rush the trench in the morning, resulting in a hail of artillery fire that surely decimates Cera and covers his tracks.

The characters and resolution of No Man's Land are what define this experience among the myriad of other war movies, contemporary and historical. The film is well worth watching for the perspective it paints of war.