Fedor Bondarchuk, the son of noted Russian filmmaker Sergei Bondarchuk, debuts as a director with the harrowing and relentless military drama 9th Company, set between 1988 and 1989 at the tail end of the U.S.S.R. Afghani war (the Soviet equivalent of Vietnam). The picture opens in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in late 1988, when military trainees Petrovsky, Ryaba, Chugun, Stas, Pinochet, Lyutev and Vorobyev are whipped into shape at a training camp by the brutal, sadistic commander, Warrant Officer
Dygalo - prior to being sent off to the front lines. After several one-by-one dalliances with the local whore, Snow White, and a cautionary lecture on the history, geography and culture of Afghanistan (which most of the men sleep through), the trainees head off to battle - first to the Bagram air base, then to the Afghani province of Khost to secure supply lines. But nothing can begin to prepare them for the brutal devastation into which they are plunged, or the relentless tide of slaughter that scatters thousands of Soviet victims in its wake. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
For all the grim reality of death and danger, it's mostly a paean to brotherhood, loyalty and honor in a lost cause, with a stock company of character types bonding under fire...
So is the director's beef with the barefoot belligerent fundamentalist Afghans or the beefy bungling brass of the Soviet Union? Less likely any of the above, than a battle of the blockbusters showdown with Hollywood, as to whose got the bigger bull-ets.
So is the director's beef with the barefoot belligerent fundamentalist Afghans or the beefy bungling brass of the Soviet Union? Less likely any of the above, than a battle of the blockbusters showdown with Hollywood, as to whose got the bigger bull-ets.
the movie's relevance to current events is inescapable - especially when underlined in dialogue like, "In all of history, no one has ever managed to conquer Afghanistan."
Director Fyodor Bondarchuk handles the action sequences impressively but relies heavily on a bombastic orchestral score and slow-motion effects, while the film's nationalistic sentiments ensure the enemy remains faceless and fanatical.
Full of good intentions and scattered with more than a few gob-smacking scenes, this could have really taken it to Hollywood if only it had a little more to say than "war is hell here too."
A excellent Russian Film based on a true story of a battle in the invasion of Afghanistan. See a group of young men from home town to boot camp to the war in Afghanistan. What we see what happens to these men, in the end Russia is a broke nation from a useless, senseless, life costly war. Does it sound familiar, one
line in the war by a Sergeant Major, Afghanistan a nation that has never been defeated. So what did we learn from the Russians nothing. A very bloody story, would not recommend for any solider who has been in battle the past year. 5 stars
July 26, 2011
Bruce Bruce
Super Reviewer
In a word, FANTASTIC! This film is so well made, you would think it was a big budget hollywood flick. The dvd has both english & russian soundtracks. Don't sell yourself short by watching the dubbed version. The acting, directing, and screen writing is top notch. I got goosebumps watching this film. This is basically a
story about the tail end of the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. The film tells of the gruesome nature of war, and it's lingering effects. The special effects, and action sequences, left me in awe. What a gem.
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