
In the Land of Blood and Honey
Studio: GK Films
Directed by Angelina Jolie
Dec 24, 2011
Web Exclusive
It’s not that the amateurish directing is at fault in In the Land of Blood and Honey, Angelina Jolie’s debut as a writer/director: it borders on competent. But her atrocious script and misguided approach to the subject matter render the film odious. Choosing to film in the Serbo-Croatian language does little to cover up characters that are nothing more than broad, flat stereotypes. We then get to watch these stereotypes rape other stereotypes, throw their babies out windows, or shoot other innocent stereotypes in the face in front of terrified onlookers. This is a brutal movie, full of very graphic killings and sexual assaults, none of which make it a better movie.
Touted as a Romeo and Juliet story set against the backdrop of the Bosnian war, there’s just so much about the film that feels offensive, gratuitous, or just plain wrong: whether it’s the very premise of the relationship between a Muslim woman, Ajla (Zana Marjanovic) and her Serbian captor Danijel (Goran Kostic), or that their meeting occurs during an attempted rape; or that the male romantic lead (call him what you may) continues with business as usual at the prison camp he helps run because of what seems to boil down to daddy issues.
Jolie’s intents in portraying this relationship are baffling at best. Whether he’s sneaking her out of the prison cell for a roll in the hay, chaining her to his bed or keeping her locked away in his private chamber for months on end, it’s confusing just what we’re supposed to feel. Is this supposed to be seen as romantic? Kinky? Shocking? Are any of those appropriate, given the real-world horrors of the setting?
Yes, absolutely terrible, unspeakably inhumane acts occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war, but better accounts have already been written. Some defenders of the film will doubtlessly spin Jolie’s directorial debut as a heroic effort to expose these atrocities; what a sorry state we’re living in if a gossip rag starlet’s international vanity project really is the thing shedding a light on these war crimes nearly two decades after the fact. It’s possible that Jolie might have had the best of intentions in mind when making this, but accidental or not, it just feels disgustingly exploitative. (www.inthelandofbloodandhoney.com)
Author rating: 1/10
Average reader rating: 5/10
Current Issue

Issue #70
Nov 18, 2022 Issue #70 - My Favorite Movie (Sharon Van Etten and Ezra Furman)
Most Recent
- Bully Announces New Album, Shares Video for New Song “Days Move Slow” (News) — Bully
- Bernice Share New Song “No Effort to Exist” (News) — Bernice
- Dave Okumu & The 7 Generations Share New Song “Amnesia” via a Short Film (News) — Dave Okumu, The Invisible
- Black Country, New Road Announce New Live Album to Accompany Concert Film (News) — Black Country, New Road
- Suede, Desperate Journalist @ Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, UK, 18th March, 2023 (Review) — Suede, Desperate Journalist
Comments
Submit your comment
January 5th 2012
5:24pm
Thank you for the excellent review . Finally someone that says it like it is . A garbage movie made for political reasons .
January 6th 2012
11:48am
This film is good and the most things happened like this in Bosnia War.It fiction love story, not real. Austin Trunick please check next time your facts
January 6th 2012
8:58pm
@ell
LOL , you see what kind of stupid comments you get from these bosnian nationalists ? First says that things like this happened and then says that it is fiction not real . Complete idiots , that is what you are dealing with .
January 9th 2012
9:43pm
Austin, you’re completely unprofessional. Why don’t you try reviewing the film objectively and not bashing it as a “tab rag vanity project”. This is no vanity project and as someone who has seen the film you damn well know it’s not. 1/10, that’s the biggest joke I’ve ever seen. And this will do more to spread awareness than many other things, this war is already forgotten by the general public just like it was ignored 20 years ago.
January 10th 2012
7:49pm
This review makes me want to see the film. Polarizing works of art are often the most interesting, although I think I may end up disliking this one. Who knows though?
January 12th 2012
2:30pm
I want to send you an award for most hlefpul internet writer.
March 27th 2012
12:24pm
EXCELLANT REVIEW ! VERY KIND IN FACT..
THE FILM NOT ONLY IS DISGUSTING ..
IT IS INDEED PROPAGANDA OF THE WORST KIND ..
THE KIND THAT INSTILLS HATRED…
SHE BETTER NOT EVER SHOW HER SKANKY FACE IN SERBIA ..
& FOR THOSE INFORMED SOULS WHO REALLY KNOW WHERE SHE IS COMING FROM , CHECK OUT ALEX JONES VID’ ON YOUTUBE CALLING HER OUT ON WARCRIMES ETC. ...VERRRRRRRRRRY INTERESTING ..
THIS WEEK ANOTHER ARTICLE ‘THE NEW YORKER’ HAS EXPOSED THEIR GOOD SAMARITAN SCAMS ..
LET’S HOPE THE TRUTH COMES OUT SOON ...
October 16th 2014
8:36am
this review is utterly unprofessional and gives no information about the film whatsoever. the film is great!!!! i cannot believe how someone this ignorant can just bash a film without giving any constructive reasons as to why it might be bad. it only shows the low class of the “writer” who should limit himself to writing comments in bathroom stalls.