Svjedoci

(2003) Witnesses/ Svjedoci (In Croatian with English subtitles) POLITICAL MYSTERY DRAMA

Adapted from the novel written by Jurica Pavicic who was also credited for co-writing the screenplay along with it's director, Vinko Bresan. The film opens with 3 soldiers in uniform killing a man after a planned break in of a man's home, When lead investigator, Barbir (Drazen Kuhn) investigates, viewers find out that the killing may be a political since this was during the times when hostilities and tensions arises when both Serbia and Croatians must get along. As the title indicates called "Wiitnesses", there also may be a possible "witness" in which viewers are oblivious about who is being held captive.

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.

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.

I find it hard to believe that someone might give this amazing film less than an 8. If they do, it is undoubtedly either because they do not understand it, or for nationalistic reasons. Those who ascribe to a simplistic, black-and-white view of the war in Croatia will be disappointed with the grey in which Svedoci operates.

What Bresan achieves is a stunningly human portrait of the nuance between good and evil which predominates in times of war. From virtually every standpoint--artistic, technical, acting, musical--this film is astonishingly good. Though it is about the war in Croatia during the 1990s, the film's themes are relevant to virtually every civil conflict.

I highly recommend it to any serious cinemaphile.