No Man's Land

No Man's Land is about the conflict between Serbia and Bosnia in the former Yugoslavia. Although war is a serious matter, the makers of the film were able to put a little humor into the film without compromising the seriousness of the subject. The fim also managed to present all sides (Bosnians, Serbians, and the UN) as not just the typical good guys or bad guys like many fims do. They all had their own goals and interests, but those interests were shown to be very human through Ciki, Cera, and Nino.  The way that the sides were presented through the characters Ciki, Nino, Cera, the journalist, and Marchand gave audiences a chance to see the situation from different perspectives. 

Nuetrality was a big issue in the film. The UN could only act as peace keepers and as providers of humanitarian aid. The organization was also shown as an organization that was too bogged down by bureaucracy that in the face of a situation that calls for swift and decisive action those who were already there were paralyzed. Neutrality is not always a good thing, especially not when lives depend on a person's actions. "Neutrality does not exist in the face of murder. Doing nothing to stop it is, in fact, choosing. It is not being neutral." This line really gave me the goosebumps because it was simple, direct to the point, and very true. Sometimes trying to be neutral is the same as giving others your permission to harm other people.

Globalization could also be seen in the film. Many of the soldiers were shown to be wearing Chuck Taylors. This shows just how far reaching the influence of The United States really is. Not just politically and economically, but also cuturally. Globalization could also be seen through the portrayal of the media. Everybody can know what is going on far, far away with just a click of a single button. It, teh media, made the problem of three people the problem of many people just by shining a light to their problem. This shows not just another effect of globalization, but also the strength that the mdedia wields. The media can often sensationalize many things, but it can also be used as a positive tool to help people.

The film may not have had a very happy ending, but it was a great film nevertheless. It gave me a great insight on the nature of neutrality and for that alone I would definitely recommend this film to people.