What would you do to save your child? In Serbia's The Trap Mladen has to face just such a question. His son will die without treatment in Germany that will cost several thousand Euros. He has neither money nor collateral for a loan. He places an ad in the paper asking for money, hoping some benefactor will take pity and help. When someone does contact him it turns out to be something far different than he had hoped for.

Pause for a moment and consider your answer to the question.

The offer Mladen gets is that a man will give him enough for the treatment and other expenses with only one requirement -- that Mladen will kill the man's business rival, someone Mladen does not know. The man will supply the gun and instructions on how to find the man. Mladen is repulsed and immediately refuses, but as his son gets nearer and nearer to death will he reconsider?

There are a variety of twists sewn into the fabric of the story that put such a heartrending decision into new light and keep us thinking about what there is to gain or lose depending on which road Mladen follows.

The Trap was Serbia's submission for Oscar consideration last year. It's one of the films I thought better than any of the films that received nominations in the Foreign Language category. It certainly reflects the moral questioning that Serbia is dealing with in the post-Milosevic era. Serbia has had much killing in recent years. The Bosnian war resulted in over 55,000 military deaths and nearly 40,000 civilian deaths. Charges of genocide had been filed against Milosevic. But when you get away from large numbers and make killing about one person, does it change the equation -- even if it will give life to your child? Aren't wars nearly always about trying to save the life (or life style) of "our" people (whoever "we" are)?

At its heart The Trap is a study in morality. It was interesting as I watched to note how many times we would see a car run a red light. There were no crashes or cross traffic. I was beginning to think that the filmmakers just weren't paying attention as they filmed the scenes. But there was a purpose to it. It was as if there is no point in following rules. At least it portrays a society in which rules have been ignored. The film ends with a scene in which Mladen is stopped at an intersection even though the light is green -- an interesting contrast.

Although the film certainly reflects Serbia's struggle to reclaim its moral compass, it is a story that challenges every viewer to consider the lines we might be willing to cross and the price that goes with such decisions -- choices that might well cost one's soul.