Warriors - L'impossible mission

Warriors is a drama, but every incident you see in it is factual. The makers interviewed Infantry soldiers from UNPROFOR1 (The Cheshire Regiment) and UNPROFOR2 (The Prince Of Wales Own Yorkshire Regiment).

The MoD gave the makers permission to approach soldiers who had been involved in incidents so that they could replicate them for the screen, along with what the soldier's were actually thinking and feeling at the time.

A lot of incidents were rejected on the grounds that they would not be believed by the viewing public or were just to 'bloody'.

In addition, soldiers helped the actors wear their equipment properly, act properly etc.

How do I know this? Two of the incidents depicted I was involved in. I was in the Cheshire Regiment. I have since testified in 2 war crimes trials at the Hague.

No matter what you think, believe me it was far worse than what you see. You only see it, you don't smell it.

To this day (2007) most of us that were their in that first year still have a feeling that somehow we failed those poor people and our politicians were weak.

It is very, very well made and very, very realistic as to what it was like.

Well, I just finished watching the movie and I'm feeling pretty down. You see, I've spent the whole war in Sarajevo and I had the good luck needed to survive through the whole thing. This brings us to the fact that I'm not so objective since I'm emotionally involved in this matter. The war ended four years ago but this movie made me feel like it was still going on. I could not sit calmly while I was watching it. It was so disturbingly realistic that the whole time I was watching it I could not choose between crying and laughing and at the end I caught myself sitting and staring at a non-existing dot on the wall. I can tell you one thing: If this film was intended to send the message of peace and tolerance it failed. Once again it filled me with emotions of pain and hate that I was trying to leave behind. Yet, it does not make it less significant. I just noticed that my whole comment was about my emotions and not about the movie so I world like to state that this is a great film with good cast but for a second I wished that I hadn't seen it in the first place. I hope that people from outside of Bosnia will see it and will not accept it as a piece of fiction; they should be aware of the fact that these things still really happen at the and of 20th century. Shameful.

As far as I´m concerned Warriors is a very realistic depiction of what it was like in Bosnia during the war. It shows the brutality being committed to civilians and how the "hopeless" Un-mandate could comfuse (and disgust) both the population and the soldiers themselves. Just look what happened in the "safe sone" of Srebrenica(!).

But one must bare in mind that the events depicted here is just in One particular region of Bosnia. Here it happenes to be the British-sector in the Travnic, Vitez, Amichi area. Some incidents I know happened (like the burned victims in the cellar) and some are most likely made up, but surely with the intent of realism in mind. Here obviosly the Serbs outnumbered the Muslims and therefor had most of the control. This I mention because after reading two comments here, both from Bosnia oe most likely to be Serb (saying that the depictions in this film are "black and white" portrayed) and one Muslim (Finding the film to be very realistic, having lived through the whole war in Sarajevo.)

Having been in bosnia myself I think I can appreciate this film more. Being shot in Tsjekkia it still looks very much like Bosnia. Although it was wery calm there then (in -99),long after the war was over. The UN had been replaced by the NATO forces(maybe a bit too late). But the work consisted of pretty much the same(except for the extreme tasks given as the result of war off cource) , driving around in our "sizu`s", working with local interpreters and keeping in touch with the local population. The following year I went to Kosovo, a more recent conflict. During that war NATO bombed Serbia in protest of the treatment given to the Albanians in Kosovo. When we arrived(early 2000) the situation had turned to the opposite and it was mostly the Serbs who had to be kept safe of the Albanians, who had started returning to Kosovo.

So I agree that there is no such thing as a "black and white" explanation of the tragedy. There was surely bad deeds made by all "sides", as in every war.

Film rates 10/10!

This film, about a group of British soldiers helping out for the UN in Bosnia in the early 90s, is a disturbing, powerful and superb piece of film making.

Despite its long length, this film depicts the frustration and personal pain British troops faced while in Bosnia, witnessing mass deaths of civilians and being unable to give proper assistance because of war 'restrictions'. The atmosphere is bleak and often tense, with the audience sympathising with the frustrated troops after 'clearing' up human body remains.

The aftermath and the pain the soldiers continue to feel after they get back to Britian is unsympathetic and superbly acted, especially from 'Band Of Brothers' star Damian Lewis and Matthew MacFadyen, and the scene when a soldier befriends a Bosnian civilian wearing a Manchester United shirt and has to hand him over to officials to be shot is one of the most powerful humanitarian war scenes in any film I have ever witnessed, with the Liverpool born soldier sinking to breaking point and bursting into tears.

It is easy to see why people may not like this. The pace is slow from time to time. Perhaps it is a touchy subject, but its a shame more people in America will not have the chance to see it. They should. It is compulsive viewing.

Harrowing and brilliant, Warriors will stay with you.

8.5 out of 10

It's a shame that this movie will be seen only by a minority. A remarkable and authentic documentation of the humanitarian mission of the British UN peace force during the Bosnian war.

You may think, due to its documentary character, the movie is awfully boring. The opposite is the case: Because of the excellent camera work, you get the impression of being a member of the British armoured infantrymen yourself. And while you are patrolling the area in white tanks in order to show UNPROFOR presence, the only thing you are allowed to do by higher orders of the UN command is to observe, unable to help, shield or evacuate the civilians from the atrocities committed by the soldiers and militia of each ethnical fraction. You start feeling as helpless as the British soldiers must have felt in reality. This movie is therefore very disillusioning and depressing.

In my opinion, this is a very powerful movie with the typical BBC documentation style, no Hollywood clichés. It should be seen by many, many more people, especially when you consider that this historic example of ethnic cleansing took place right on our doorstep only a decade ago and nevertheless today is almost forgotten. An impressive account of the tragic role of the UN during a bloody civil war.

Highly recommended! 10/10