Kovačević's script is based on his 1984 theater play that was staged to great success in Belgrade's Atelje 212 and Novi Sad's Serbian National Theatre.

These rumours reach the villagers at the frontlines, and in order to prevent mutiny the army staff decides to recruit the invalids as well and send them to the front line.

They eventually break through the austro hungarian lines but both Gavrilo and Dorde are killed while attempting a last stand.

[6] For the shooting in Serbia, an entire village was built in early 20th century style in South Banat District near Deliblatska Peščara with full and detailed interiors created by cinematographer Miljen "Kreka" Kljaković.

[9] This resulted in Trifunović effectively being fired from the movie and young Milutin Milošević [sr] cast instead for the role of Gavrilo.

Towards the end of shooting, the movie's cinematographer Miljen "Kreka" Kljaković walked off the set, reportedly over not being paid in full the agreed upon amount in his contract.

Marković added: "Terrible damage has been inflicted with this project, which ate up enormous resources of both Serbia and Republika Srpska in order to portray Serbian soldiers as freakish monsters and Serb people as immoral scum.

[14] By the end of its theatrical run in Serbia, the film sold 125,000 admission tickets,[15] grossing $325,265 in the country,[16] all of which was far less than expected.

After seeing it at the 2009 Montreal World Film Festival, Variety's Dennis Harvey penned a lukewarm review, somewhat praising Dragojević for "directing the noisy, sprawling tale in colorful, confident fashion, at times recalling the rambunctious grotesquerie of Emir Kusturica's Underground (a more successful Kovačević adaptation, also starring Ristovski)" while pointing out that the whole thing still "seems schematic rather than felt" and identifying the movie's biggest problem to be its central romance, which is "neither convincing nor appealing".

The battle scenes capture the chaos and brutality of trench warfare, and the finale builds a mournful power.