Customer Reviews

Forsaken Land, The

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It's an excellent movie although somewhat slow. It's not to be confused with a factual overview on the nature of peace in Sri Lanka. It's merely a story of a family during the so called peace. People who want to get some insight into the various phases of the 30 year civil war incl. a phase of peace had better grab a documentary or a book.

It's a very stylistic film - who says that's the preserve of some directors and not some others - and narrated purely from the point of view of a Sinhala soldier's family. In fact the Tamils, the other major community in Sri Lanka, do not enter the story at all. That's why it should not be confused with a commentary on the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka.

What the director wants to 'say' is ambiguously conveyed. Perhaps this ambiguity is at the heart of things. It's a very ambiguous time - neither war nor peace. The director also makes use of very specific devices like a folk tale to situate a particular point in the film.

It's a deeply moving film.

The storyline and minimal dialogue reveal little about the continuing Sri Lankan violence. As matter of fact, it is primarily an indulgence in soft pornography. However, the short documentary included on the DVD, "The Land of Silence," is well worth watching. It alone may justify the cost of the purchase. This roughly twenty-eight minute film explores the suffering of the soldiers who lost limbs and other body parts in defense of their country from the Liberation Tigers terrorists. They are unquestionably brave and forward looking. These soldiers do not wish to be victims---but masters of their destiny.