Directed by Brad Silberling and starring Sir Ben Kingsley alongside newcomer Hera Hilmar; ‘An Ordinary Man’ manages to successfully balance two leads, one a seasoned veteran, and the other a burgeoning neophyte. Hera Hilmar: a relative unknown when compared to the bigger names in Hollywood is the central focus of the story; her character providing a mirror into Kingsley’s enigmatic portrayal of “The General”. A Bosnian-Serb military leader who’s responsible for horrendous war crimes & ethnic cleansing committed during the brutal Yugoslav conflicts that occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union, specifically the ‘Bosnian War’ (1992 – 1995). “The General” has gone into hiding at the behest of his superiors, in an attempt to stave off the inevitable: his prosecution (and, or death) at the hands of the enemy. Even though the film opens with Ben Kingsley’s character in a supermarket examining the local produce with a judicial and circumspect eye, exclaiming loudly how “unfit” for consumption the red peppers are, the screenplay quickly accelerates the plot to the moment when “The General” (Kingsley) and “Tanja” (Hilmar) meet unexpectedly, becoming emotionally and cerebrally juxtaposed for the rest of the runtime.
The true cinematic focal point of the story seems to be Tanja, as Hera Hilmar’s character provides a foundation for the story; while the introduction of The General forms the inciting incident that creates conflict in her life. This is fairly clear from the get-go, but the utmost attention is given to Kingsley due to his role being the bigger billed – somewhat counter-productive – but ultimately it’s to be expected. The bigger name gets more screen time… even if the script’s structure would suggest otherwise. (Ahh, it seems we have our protagonist! Tanja.)
Hera Hilmar plays a young woman named Tanja living in the Balkans, who spends most of her time working as a private maid for an elderly woman, more than content to exist in relative obscurity. Until one day, when she arrives in a hurry for work, Tanja finds someone residing in the apartment that her client Mrs. Boscovitch usually calls home – and the anonymous man promptly greets her with a Beretta pistol – aimed squarely at the face. This shocking moment forms the basis for a strange friendship borne from a mixture of fear, respect, coercion, and perhaps some obscure sense of loyalty?
(Citizens of ex-Soviet nations may have looked kindly upon their former leaders, despite them having been charged as war criminals by the ICC [International Criminal Court].)
‘An Ordinary Man’ is a densely layered character study, featuring many aspects that please and delight:
picturesque landscapes, transition shots of crumbling urban centres highlighting Eastern European architecture, a pervasively saccharine score utilizing piano/violin; slow-paced smouldering dialogue; that’s both methodical and simplistically tangible; and a suspense driven plot, rife with atmospheric dread dually metastasized through the masterful screen presence of the two leads. The feeling of interminable unease that permeates the picture, especially in the final moments of the piece, plays well off of the overall sense that “anything could go wrong” at “any moment”, simply because of The General’s violent past. (Boy, I love a good, slow-burn thriller!) Kingsley & Hilmar’s performances are quintessential, embodying realism, but also a unique sense of urgency. Although the characters are very different; conceptually, they form a symbolic yin-yang in accordance with the archetypes of Mentor & Hero per Joseph Campbell’s ‘The Hero’s Journey’ (alternatively known as the concept of the Monomyth; as described in the author’s work of non-fiction literature ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’). The film delivers a powerful shift in character dynamics midway through, by the use of a plot twist, subtly telegraphed and free of gimmickry. It is a tad bit formulaic – but the eloquent execution repurposes what could’ve been seen as mundanely predictable or perfunctory (from a writing perspective) into something that allows the characters to swap respective roles; leading to some juicy, uber-interesting internal conflicts in the second half. Tanja may prove to be much more than a random participant in The General’s exiled existence; she may even be tantamount to it. Without spoiling the ending: I can say confidently that the plot begins in a meandering fashion – but ultimately offers payoff in the form of a character revelation that satisfyingly reveals the machinations of the plot. In other words, it delivers a delicious, poignant “ohhh, I get it!” moment. Not a truly shocking twist, but nevertheless one that makes all the little pieces of the jigsaw puzzle slide into place. By the numbers, yes, but also very satisfying. There’s nothing wrong with following a formula – if it works.
These myriad elements are combined in a neat lil’ cinematic package with palpable dramatic poise; the bow that ties it all together. Plus, the visual storytelling is equally proficient, although certain moments do lack an elaborate feel – and maybe aren’t as voluminous as a theatrical release – ‘An Ordinary Man’ still manages an awe-inspiring turn especially for a direct-to-DVD feature. The cinematography is what drew me to the film and it graciously elevates the story from the first beat to the last.
And of course, Ben Kingsley’s acting is absolutely phenomenal.
“I’m not really here. At this very moment, I’m hidden in a mountain barracks. I’m skiing in Northern Slovenia, I’m sunning myself on the Dalmatian Coast, I’m tending sheep on a Serbian mountaintop, I’m toasting with Putin in Kiev and Moscow, a friend of a friend swears he saw me. I’m everywhere and nowhere. I am myth.”
-The General (Sir Ben Kingsley)
‘An Ordinary Man’
Rating 7/10
Cook something with red peppers.
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Ten Things I Noticed (or Learned) about ‘An Ordinary Man’
-Beautifully shot cinematography: captures the viewers attention from the first frame.
-Some exceptional nonverbal acting by Kingsley in the initial 15 mins.
-Inspired by factual events surrounding Yugoslavia when EU (European Union) status was under consideration for the Yugoslav successor nations: the Balkan States, but the inability of the UN (United Nations) to capture an ex-Bosnian General accused of war crimes was proving an obstacle to diplomacy. -Loosely based on real-life events surrounding the war crimes of Ratko Mladić during the Yugoslav Wars (1992-1995)
-An intricately crafted character study of a Bosnian War general – a man who embodied Machiavellianism now seemingly benign in nature due to his advanced age.
-Slight sexual tension and flirtation between two characters with a large age gap: brief comedic moments are used to lessen the uncomfortable or awkward moments. The film treats their dynamic as platonic despite Tanja’s nubile allure.
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A much younger, relatively unknown actor: Hera Hilmar holds her own onscreen opposite Ben Kingsley.
Memorable quote:
“…the good memories die first.”
-The General (Kingsley)
-A question this movie asks, “Do people fight simply to learn those hidden truths about themselves that might otherwise remain intangible?
-The graveyard toward the end of the film is quite expensive-looking, ornate headstones lining the graves; conversely the town nearby is a ramshackle, illustrating how the General’s hometown suffers while piously honouring their dead; social commentary on how war torn regions never truly recover after suffering human casualties and losses.
-A quiet, contemplative film capturing the nuance of geopolitics at play in a post-Cold War Europe and the reverberations from the fall of the Berlin Wall prior to the year 2000.
