After some recent war films made in Russia("Zvezda" and "Svoi")and too stylish or revisionist TV serials about WW2 and Imperial Russia("Chelovek Voiny" and "Gibel Imperii"), this debut film of Fyodr Bondarchuk seems to be very sincere. "9-ya rota" may be not completely correct in details(words used by solders in 1988, as some Russian critics blamed), may have too "predictable" things in storyline. But one thing is clear.
This film depicts solders' fate in Afgan battlefield with that maximum authenticity,which allows contemporary film industry(independent documentaries could have shown it in other way,but this is a fiction film for millions of people). The film is based on the real story, and the director knows how it must be shown for ordinary people, knows the strategy. Not too "patriotic", without any racist provocation.So in one training scene, a teacher stresses, "No country in the history conquered Afganistan,NEVER!", and in the second half of the film shown Afgan village with the almost documentary way. They are "other" people, with strong will and own faith. As young Russian solders' mentality had little in common with the Afgan people,and the film is told from their point of view, it is very natural that Afgans look not so sympathetic. Here is no exoticism at all. It is a war, that's all.
There was such a war, but the State, for which these lads fought and died, disappeared soon after the last battle. War is cruel for anyone, who is involved in it.The film is full of pure compassion for them.
This film depicts solders' fate in Afgan battlefield with that maximum authenticity,which allows contemporary film industry(independent documentaries could have shown it in other way,but this is a fiction film for millions of people). The film is based on the real story, and the director knows how it must be shown for ordinary people, knows the strategy. Not too "patriotic", without any racist provocation.So in one training scene, a teacher stresses, "No country in the history conquered Afganistan,NEVER!", and in the second half of the film shown Afgan village with the almost documentary way. They are "other" people, with strong will and own faith. As young Russian solders' mentality had little in common with the Afgan people,and the film is told from their point of view, it is very natural that Afgans look not so sympathetic. Here is no exoticism at all. It is a war, that's all.
There was such a war, but the State, for which these lads fought and died, disappeared soon after the last battle. War is cruel for anyone, who is involved in it.The film is full of pure compassion for them.