“STORM” (Film Review) (TRAILER)

Written by Greg VictorcloseAuthor: Greg Victor Name: Greg Victor
Email: Greg@parcbench.com
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About: Greg Victor (Parcbench Culture Editor) is a historian, pop culture critic, and theatrical dramaturg and has stage managed theatrical productions on Broadway and on tour, including Billy Joel's "Movin' Out", Monty Python's "Spamalot" and more.See Authors Posts (97) on November 5, 2009

* * * (out of 4)
Rating: No rating (limited strong language)
Director: Hans-Christian Schmid.
In English, German, Bosnian and Serbian (with English subtitles).

It’s not often that Hollywood makes a film that depicts the unpleasant complications inherent in the aftermath of a world conflict, especially when the story reveals how the moral principles involved in a tribunal become swept aside in the name of bureaucracy and politics. Of course, that is why “Storm” is a product of the Berlin Film Festival and as far away from Hollywood’s example of a political thriller as you can get.

On the surface, “Storm” is about the trial of a Bosnian Serb general, accused of war atrocities. But the deeper meaning of “Storm” is about how corruption and ineptitude (the hallmarks of the United Nations) are rampant in the workings of the International Criminal Tribunal. In it, we see how justice is subverted by international bureaucracy, despite the best intentions of certain brave individuals.

When a witness for the prosecution is caught lying on the stand and then hangs himself, the case is derailed. Feeling guilty about that, prosecutor Hannah Maynard (New Zealand actress Kerry Fox) tracks down the witness’ family. She then learns from his sister Mira (Romanian actress Anamaria Marinca) of far worse crimes the general committed during the war in Bosnia. She witnessed him running a rape camp and massacring women, and she is determined to hold him accountable in court for his actions. The head of the international tribunal is more concerned with concluding the trial than with serving justice, and he refuses to allow her new testimony.

The acting is restrained, and the cinematography is semi-documentary in style. The film is scored by The Notwist, a German indie rock band. They do a great job of keeping things suspenseful without the music ever calling attention to itself. It is clear that this film wasn’t re-written to satisfy a test-audience; there are no histrionics and no easy answers to the questions asked.

If you think you won’t enjoy watching a film about Bosnia war atrocities, rest assured that “Storm” is set in the present and doesn’t use any wartime flashbacks. The film begins with a prologue that establishes the tense mood from the start, but the violence is intellectual. This is refreshing, and sheds light on an entirely different set of scars than a typical war story. It judiciously presents its case, showing how courageous people can battle the forces of evil and indifference. For the movie-going public in search of intellectual provocation, “Storm” is thoroughly satisfying. It is a political thriller where the triumph of good is not an inevitable conclusion.

Leave it to a German-Danish-Dutch co-production directed by a German starring a Romanian as a Bosnian to reveal some potentially ugly truths about world-governing bodies like the International Court. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, Alec Baldwin was announced as a co-host for the Academy Awards.