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Prisoner of the Mountians is a Russian language film (1996) that I feel has been neglected by many. The film is based on the story of the same name by Leo Tolstoy but takes place roughly around the First Chechen War. Here's the gist of the plot: A Russian brigade is ambushed by Chechen rebels. All die in the fighting except for two soldiers - Sasha, a hardened veteran - and Vanya, a fresh recruit who has yet to shoot a single bullet. The two are taken captive by the village patriarch, Abdul-Murat, who plans to use them as bargaining tools for the release of his son.
The film is rife with symbolism, meaning and character development like I have never seen before. Every character relationship is fascinating and grows throughout the film; I never got bored once. Symbols abound within the film - I let you figure them out for yourself. The film blurs the line between enemy and friend, war and peace. It is bitter-sweet (maybe just downright depressing) film as it shows the inhumanity and cruelty of war. I rank this movie with others such as Patton and Lawrence of Arabia in terms of profundity and overall excellence. 10/10
P.S. I think the film is best put in these words from Ebert's review: "When your enemy considers his death a victory, it is impossible to defeat him".
The film is rife with symbolism, meaning and character development like I have never seen before. Every character relationship is fascinating and grows throughout the film; I never got bored once. Symbols abound within the film - I let you figure them out for yourself. The film blurs the line between enemy and friend, war and peace. It is bitter-sweet (maybe just downright depressing) film as it shows the inhumanity and cruelty of war. I rank this movie with others such as Patton and Lawrence of Arabia in terms of profundity and overall excellence. 10/10
P.S. I think the film is best put in these words from Ebert's review: "When your enemy considers his death a victory, it is impossible to defeat him".
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