The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent: What Would You Do?
by Sydney Reyes
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (2024) directed by Nebojša Slijepčević uses history as a commentary on our present. All shot in a train carriage, it depicts the happenings of the 1993 Štrpci massacre in Bosnia that killed around 19 people who were on a train to Bar in Montenegro. It is a film that confronts us about our actions, or inactions, in the face of danger targeted towards minorities. It’s a big “What would you do?” translated into a concise 13-minute film.
The film’s strength comes from its ability to transcend timelines and its characters. It asks a question that is applicable in any era: to speak, or not to speak. The film resurfaces a situation that has been asking for 30 years if you’d do the same and put up a fight. I find it powerful how a seemingly old story poses an issue that still occurs now. That you can directly make connections between this film and various events happening at the moment. Through the people in this train carriage, we get to witness the different types of reactions people can have as bystanders. These characters are a direct reflection of our human nature, allowing us to safely simulate opposite ends of the spectrum. Specifically, we get to explore how speaking up or staying silent may play out via the film’s two primary characters.
Dragan, played by Goran Bogdan does a stellar job of using his eyes to show us a performance that is of an imperfect human. The way he would gaze everywhere else to avoid the confrontation he was ready to do just minutes prior implies the amount of courage one actually needs to speak up. He’s someone who reflects the sentiments of most of us: we try our best to do what’s right, but it truly isn’t that easy. He’s a striking representation of the moral tug of war we face inside when uncomfortable situations arise. We try to act all high and mighty when we think it’s safe. But when there is true danger, will we still stand?
Tension oozed out of the train carriage windows. Yet all this is cut with a single line: “You’re treating honest folks like animals.” Tomo Buzov (Dragan Mićanović) powerfully calls out the injustices happening right in front of them. This line struck me, reminding me of all the times I have seen people be subjected to unfair scrutiny. Especially in the online world, where news travels even faster and words are more vile. I wonder then, if these people were able to encounter a person like Tomo at their worst. I wonder if I have ever been a Tomo to someone. The only one brave enough to speak, the film pays homage to people like Tomo who take a stand and speak up when others are wronged—even if the cost is heavy.
The ideas of this historical film are still relevant today. In our daily, modern life prejudice and violence still occur. Do we then choose to remain silent, or speak up for others? Slijepčević tells me in our conversation that the film is not meant as a history lecture from the past, but a timeless and ever-so-relevant remark on how we should fight violence now. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent wants us to sit with our behaviors, and deliberate how we act when situations like this arise. It is through films like this that we get reminded of the real struggles people face. That not everyone is safe from violence or discrimination, and if we were spectators of such situations, the film urges us to do something. Speaking up to change even just one life for the sake of ending injustice is a heroic act. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent makes a strong point in imploring us to strive to stand up for each other, always.