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Poster for Witnesses

Witnesses

2003 · 1h 28m Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, War
Directed by Vinko Brešan

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Overview

Karlovac, Central Croatian Front, 1991. Three Croatian soldiers try to detonate a Serb civilian's home, but are stopped in their efforts by the homeowner, whom they kill in retaliation. The only witness to the murder is the man's daughter, whom they decide to kidnap to prevent the truth from spreading out and causing political unrest. Nevertheless, the case gets out and, unebenknownst to each other, five different people: a homicide investigator, a medical examiner, a local politician, a reporter and the brother of one of the perpetrators, decide to track the perpetrators down to stop the truth from getting out.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
Fresh

Spanning a year beginning in the summer of 1984, The Witnesses offers the considerable satisfaction of a beautifully acted ensemble piece built on the foundation of a serious subject%u2014the dawn of the AIDS crisis%u2014handled just so.

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Fresh

The occasional voiceover from Beart and a slightly mournful score from Philippe Sarde offer some sense of lament, but mostly this unfolds in the moment and is urgent and engaging.

Dave Calhoun, Time Out
Fresh

Witnesses takes us back to the turmoil in the Balkans. But the movie is not directly about the war. It's a cleverly told murder mystery.

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
Fresh

More than a thriller, the film is a portrait of the passions that drive ordinary people to kill and even worse, to accept the killing as something honorable.

Marta Barber, Miami Herald

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