Description: A stunning, emotionally charged indictment of war, this OscarÂ(r) nominee* for Best ForeignLanguage Film is at once 'thoughtful, moving (Roger Ebert), potent, engrossing (Variety),and unexpectedly affecting (The Wall Street Journal)! Two Russian soldiersa fresh recruit named Vanya and a hardened veteran named Sachaare taken hostage by Chechen guerillas after a deadly ambush leaves all of their comrades dead. Their captor, a battle-weary village elder,wants to use them as a bartering tool to get back his own son, held prisoner by the Russian army. But when the trade goes sour and all trust is broken, Vanya and Sacha realize their hours are numbered and attempt to escape before they're forced to join their comrades in death. *1996
Amazon.com: There's a beautiful irony in the way that the most specific war tales are often the most universal. Set high in the imposing, isolated Caucasus mountains, where the 20th century meets ancient lifestyles, Sergei Bodrov's drama of the Chechyn war finds two opposing cultures locked in conflict for so long that the reasons seem moot. Young Russian grunt Vanya (Sergei Bodrov Jr., the director's son) and his jaded veteran Sergeant (Burnt by the Sun's Oleg Menshikov) survive an ambush by Chechyn guerrillas and wind up hostages of a village elder, a war-weary widower who has lost almost everything to fighting and wants merely to swap them for his POW son. Bodrov's humanism is directed with empathy and stirred with harsh realism--he takes no sides and offers no fantasies of happy endings, only small miracles of kindness that refuse to be swallowed in the destruction and mistrust. --Sean Axmaker
Marvelous acting by Menshikov It was hard to expect from any such a humanistic, unbiased movie of epic reach, given the history and blood weary relations in Caucasus. War movie that does not fall flat in combat scenes, landscape that does not sweeten the movie but enhances the story, complex dark relations not judged but honestly presented. Impossible to expect such a movie from Putin's Russia, check recent "9th Company" by Bondarchuk, which is identical to customary hi-tech Hollywood "patriotic" crap. Prisoner of the Mountains is the rare treat in any national cinematography.
Prisoner of the Mountain This was an interesting film. The realism and the magnificence of the mountain scenery infused life into a fascinating glimpse of rural Islamic Afghanistan. I recommend it even if the viewer does not understand any Russian.
Appreciation Under the limited Russian titles available for us to purchase. This film echo's my wish for more Russian films to be made. A great example of being a supporter of indi films. High in character development under a low budget circumstance. The dialogues are genuine. The environment is captivating. An excellent anti-war film. Great price!
Tovarich I was rather confused about "The Prisoner of the Mountains" from the synopsis and reviews I read. I postponed ordering the DVD because of that. What I saw when I finally watched the movie was one of the most outstanding anti-war movies I have seen. I won't delve too far into the plot because what I watched took me by surprise and I wouldn't want to spoil that for anyone else.
The story is about two Russian soldiers who are captured in an ambush by Chetnyn rebels. A Chetnyn father had asked for a hostage as ransom for his son. He got two instead. What happens after that point is the essence of the film.
While the storyline is very compelling, I really enjoyed the setting for the movie. High in the Causcasion mountains in a village that couldn't have been designed by any set director, I witnessed a world that I was grateful to be able to see. The Chetnyn village was a step back a century or so.
The events that transpired were a transcension of cultures in a way that left a lasting impression. That impression was very satisfying but it became all the more educational with the ending. At first I sensed a transition from hope to dispair but I understood the director's message to be that the hope is real but it will take some work by all parties.
A Tragic and Triumpante Forgien Film! This was truely a good film.
WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS
It's a tale about Russia being at war with Chechnya. There are two solders involved, Sasha (Oleg Menshikov, from "Burnt by the Sun", which I hope to God I never see), a very Chechnyan hating solder, and Vanya(Sergei Bodrov Jr, God rest his soul), a younger naive, yet more openminded solder. They both get captured by the Chechnyans, after their platoon has been killed.
It so happens that the Chechnyan who's holding the men hostage other sons have died, except one son who is currently being held a prisoner by the Russians. So he plans to trade the two solders for his son.
Well while they're being held prioners, some themes come into the plot. The most important, comradeship and friendship. Heck even Vanya falls in love with a girl who is like about 13 or 14 years old, and he's either in his late teens or his early to late twenties. But this girl happens to be the daughter of the Chechnyan who is holding them hostage.
Vanya and Sasha must help each other escape so that they don't suffer the same fate as their platoon.
This is a very sad film that sends out the message that the Chechnyans and Russians must get along or there will be no end to this war!
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Not Available Comics
Trevor
