Well done film about the Third Balkan War in the 1990s, in this case, Croats vs. Serbs. The film takes a single incident--the killing of a Serb civilian who lives in a predominantly Croat town during the war--by Croat soldiers. This starts the plot rolling. Soon layer after layer of the true story is revealed as the movie shifts backs to certain scenes and repeats them from a slightly different angle and perspective. In this particular film, the technique is used very effectively without being annoying or pretentious.I agree with many of the other reviewers--an underrated film that should be watched. I give it 8 stars.Note: as of Sep 2013, this film is available on Netflix Instant View as well as DVD. Glad I found it.

This has the most powerful last two seconds I can ever remember. Few filmmakers know how to start a film; this is not often noted because there are so many prefab devices. But far fewer know how to finish. This is truly, truly powerful and if you can see it I urge you to.The shape of this has two characteristics, both handled well.The most obvious is the fugue structure. We see certain scenes over and over again, each time with new information. At the same time, new information is provided by new scenes. There are no radical narrative shifts of the kind normally called "twists." But the thing does move about as far as it is possible. Motives are revealed to be different than assumed. Characters emerge from darknesses that you see them create. Time has a different meaning than usual: all the movement stays in one place. It is a narrative structure that must be very difficult to judge from the few successes. By itself, that accretive stationary motion of narrative would be fulfilling. But here it is turned to a specific purpose. The camera flows in ways not normal: more fluid. When this happens, we want to associate it with a relationship. With dePalma for instance, that relationship is directly with the viewer. With Kar Wai Wong it is with the atmosphere. Kurosawa with the canvas. Here, we are anchored by what parents see and children reflect. As I am not personally involved in the centuries-old Serb-Croat animosity, it may be easier for me to see the different colors of siblings here, and how they are placed to make this perspective have power.You may want to watch this a couple times to pay attention to an interesting technique. We see several scenes over and over. Only a few times do we see the same exact shot. Usually, the setup is subtly different. Many times, the eye flows from not only a different direction but with a different curiosity. Sometimes the lighting varies as well — particularly in the all- important bar festooned with American movie posters.Really. The last image in its context will change you forever. This film matters.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Civil War makes criminals out of neighbors and murderers out of soldiers. These are well known truths: painfully familiar lessons from the recent Balkan civil wars and now horribly visible in the Iraqi slaughter of Sunni and Shia. But there are always a few rare souls who will seek the same justice for all, whatever their own tragic hardships, whatever the added burden such moral commitment may bring. This remarkable war movie about the recent Serbo- Croatian War explores two such persons, living in a world of utter moral chaos. What is so special about them? Can we fathom their motivations?When so many act out of greed, vengeance, ethnic hatred, it is hard to explain why a few refuse to do so. If we are all witnesses to atrocities in such situations, we are also all implicated in them. But how can persons who are caught up in the unmitigated horrors of a brutal, bloody civil war find the moral resources to resist such degradation, whatever the consequences to themselves?

the insanity of distinguishing a murder from war killing! is there a difference? is the nature of the crime different? isn't fear behind it all? bringing it's ugly cousins, prejudice, hate, pride and ignorance. All these forces working to break or compromise the good side of all of us. that's what the characters of this story are up against. The only redemption and hope in the story rests in the life of the young hostage. The three reckless soldiers, (street thugs with permission to carry automatic weapons) are left without any leadership and their best thinking leads to murder. they are as senseless as war it self. the story is set in a homeland war of Croatia. the difference in their army from conventional armies is that their squad consists of father and sons, brothers, friends and neighbors. i was relucxtant to view, but got it delivered through Film Movement as their pick of the month. i liked this film and it opened the door for me to be more willing to screen a lot more foreign films. they have any element that American films do not. cant quite put my finger on it yet.