
It'shardtoapproachthegoodandbadinthisfilmwithoutbeingcaughtupadiscussionofthemessageofBOSNA!,forthisisafilmthatexplicitlysetsouttoconvertitsaudiencetoitsside,tomakepeopleawareofthewarandtotrytoinfluencethemtopressuretheirgovernmentstointervene.It'safilmthat'sveryawareofitself,oftheprocessofitsmakingandoftheinfluenceitmighthave:forexample,Mitterand'svisittoBosniaisportrayedasanoutcomeofinformationgiventotheFrenchPresidentbythedirector,Bernard-HenriLevy.<br/> Thefilmisfullofverydisturbingimages:amotherandchildfleeingfromsnipersinSarajevo;bodieslitteringastreetafterashellhaslandedonabreadqueue,manyofthemwithlegsorfacesblownoff;starvingprisonersstaringatthecamerathroughthebarbedwireofaconcentrationcamp.It'simpossiblenottobemovedbythesufferingofthesepeople,anddifficultnottofeelangerattheinactionofthediplomatswhodolittlebuttalkwhilepeoplearefightingfortheirlivesandhomes.ThefilmmakesmuchofcomparisonsbetweenWesternindifferencetoBosniatodayandWesternindifferencetoCzechoslovakiaandtheSpanishRepublicinthe1930s.Thereis,suggestsLevy,thesamedenial,thesameexplanationsthatit'sallmuchtoocomplextogetinvolvedin.In1945peoplesawpicturesoftheconcentrationcampsinPolandandsaid"neveragain",butnowthatthecampsarebackitseemsthatwewouldratherdenythem,orsuggestthatthere'sfaultonbothsides,thendeterminetostoptheatrocities.<br/> IfthereisanythingIdon'tlikeaboutBOSNA!,itistheincessantwordinessofthevoice-over.PerhapsLevywassoanxioustopersuadethathedidn'tdaretolettheaudiencecometotheirownconclusions.AttimessoundinglikeaBiblicalprophet,attimeshectoringus,attimesreflectingonhowthewaraffectsourimageofourselvesasEuropeans,thenarrationneverletstheeloquentpicturesspeakforthemselves,picturesthathavemorethanenoughpowertomoveandtopersuadeontheirown.


