WITNESSES/Austin Film Society

Back to Essential Cinemas last night with this film from Croatia.  One of those evenings where this complex tale of a war crime committed by three drunken soldiers was well explained by Chale's intro and his notes (and a map)!  While the story is told in three separate viewpoints it reminded me of RASHOMON, Kurosawa's film about a rape.  This film was made in 2002 and reminds us of the brutality of this conflict taking place in people's towns and villages.  Revenge seems to be the underlying motive of all of the characters, until someone makes a different choice and chooses to not kill the one witness to the crime (the 11 y.o. daughter of the murdered victim).  Death is made very personal in this culture.  The body of the deceased is laid out in his own home for days until the actual funeral.  A reminder to everyone of this family's personal loss and grief.  A disturbing film about war, beautifully shot and  very complex.