Ordinary People

It is often said that wartime combat can involve long periods of waiting and short bouts of action. And so the scene opens in ORDINARY PEOPLE. Young recruit Dzoni travels by bus with his comrades across the countryside. Each is tense and filled with trepidation, wondering what their assignment holds. Upon arriving at an abandoned farm, the waiting continues – this time under a hot sun. The perspiration and dread pour off the soldiers equally as they continue to wait with anticipation to see exactly what their designated task will be. Soon, a bus filled with soldiers pulls up to the farm. Dzoni and his peers are told the men in the bus are the enemy and they are to be killed. Thus begins Dzoni's indoctrination into the dehumanizing tasks that are a central part of war. He begins somewhat unsure but soon becomes an accomplished killer, as if becoming competent at any new job. Only his hands give him away. Sparse dialogue and a stark plot emphasize this compelling look at the dehumanizing effects of war. (In Serbian with subtitles) – C.C.P.