In the Land of Blood and Honey: Movie Magic

Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut film, In the Land of Blood and Honey, is an excellent film. Not only did she direct it, she wrote and produced it as well—talk about being an over achiever, sheesh. This film is a primer for the atrocities of the Bosnian war. It is also, in essence, a romance, as well as a statement about what love and war can do to a person.

We open on Ajla (Zana Marjanovic), a Muslim painter who lives with her sister and baby nephew. We see Ajla’s self portrait—it is a work of realism, she has skillfully captured her own face in oil on canvas. She is excited to go on her first date with Danijel (Goran Kostic), a local policeman who happens to be Serbian. At a local pub, it is clear that they really like each other. They have a wonderful time dancing to live music, and finally a slow song comes on, very romantic. This is when the bomb explodes. Danijel and Ajla survive, but the start of war ensures that their budding romance is over before it’s begun.

Four months later, all of the residents of Ajla’s apartment building are forced to exit their homes by Serbian forces. The men are taken out back and killed. Several of the women, including Ajla, are taken back to the Serb’s barracks. These women will be beaten, raped, and forced to serve as seamstresses, cooks, etc. Ajla is about to be brutally raped when Danijel, now a captain in the Serbian army, sees her. He steps in and claims her as his own. Will he rape her? Set her free? Could he even get away with doing that if he wanted to?

There is a very scary flavor depicted in this film. I’ve heard it described before in the pithy phrase: “the uncertainty of war.” But that doesn’t really capture it. Imagine feeling a constant background noise of threat, and then go beyond this and imagine the terror once the threat arrives. This threat does not boldly announce “hello, I am a threat, and this is what is going to happen to you.” No, even when the threat arrives, it keeps you blind until it strikes. You don’t know if it will be physically painful, emotionally painful, degrading, hot, cold, now, later, or all of these things at once—there is a constant possibility of horror and death around every turn, and you must wait to find out exactly how it is going to happen. This uncertainty is terrible. And this uncertainty is very well depicted in this film.

Also well-captured are acquiescent dissenters. In an early scene, Danijel’s father General Nebojsa (Rade Serbedzija) justifies the Serbian aggression by blaming this modern violence on earlier Muslim aggressions that occurred the 1940s. But later, one of Danijel’s men wonders if they are doing the right thing. He asks if this is all for the good of the children and their futures, and Danijel assures them that it is—and they both look unconvinced and grow silent.

Another running theme in this piece that rings true for all wars and is highly disturbing is the idea of war as a game. Men get to suit up and play soldier and it’s fun; like cops and robbers. There are many scenes where the soldiers are smiling and laughing as they snipe off civilian Muslims or throw grenades—because they’re winning, you see? And because Muslims are simply an infestation that need to be quashed.

Despite the thick frame structure of violence that this story is steeped in, we experience most of this film through the eyes of Ajla and Danijel. And their experiences are raw and powerful. This film is definitely a “medicine movie.” Ms. Jolie is giving us a harsh lesson that has been glossed over by western media, and she makes sure that she hits all of the universal themes that are so difficult to swallow in beautiful and heartrending ways that create an unforgettable miasma that is composed of some of the worst filth of which humanity is capable. And we choke on this manufactured miasma that mirrors the worst of us as we hope desperately for these ill-fated lovers.

Now, with all of these disturbing moments, you wouldn’t think this film would be able to pull off an ending. We watch Ajla and Danijel fight for love and safety, but I mean, how in the world could you finish well with something like this? Not possible. Well, surprise. The ending of this film is magnificent. You’re not going to be skipping on your way back to the car, but it is made with jaw-dropping perfection.