PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.0 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
Russia, 1996 U.S. Release Date: beginning 2/97 (limited) Running Length: 1:39 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, violence, nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Sergei Bodrov Jr., Oleg Menshikov, Jemal Sikharulidze, Susanna Mekhralieva, Alexander Bureyev, Valentina Fedotova Director: Sergei Bodrov Producers: Sergei Bodrov, Boris Giller Screenplay: Arif Aliev, Sergei Bodrov, Boris Giller based on the short story "Prisoner in the Caucasus" by Leo Tolstoy Cinematography: Pavel Lebeshev Music: Leonid Desyatnikov U.S. Distributor: Orion Classics In Russian with subtitles
Lyrical and evocative, PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS represents a balanced and telling examination of the absurdity of war. Director Sergei Bodrov uses an intimate tapestry depicting two Russian captives and their small band of captors to illustrate the similarities of human beings on either side of the battle lines. There's nothing fundamentally new about this observation, of course, but the manner in which PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS presents it is unique.
The film's first priority is to familiarize us with the characters. What transpires in the second half only has impact if we understand the motivations and aspirations of each of the main players. So, after a brief opening sequence showing the physical examinations of would-be recruits to the Russian army, the scene shifts to the Caucasus mountains, where Chechnyan rebels ambush a group of Russian soldiers. Two -- Vanya (the director's son, Sergei Bodrov Jr.) and Sacha (Oleg Menshikov, BURNT BY THE SUN) -- are taken prisoners. The patriarch of the village, Abdul-Mourant (Jemal Sikharulidze), wants to trade the Russians for his son, who is a captive of the army. But mistrust on both sides scuttles a deal. Unwilling to give up his son so easily, Abdul-Mourant demands that Vanya and Sacha write to their families so that their mothers can attempt to broker a settlement. Meanwhile, the captor's young daughter, Dina (the delightful Susanna Mekhralieva), takes an almost-proprietary interest in the prisoners.
Nearly every interpersonal dynamic in this film is fascinating. The best-explored is that of Vanya and Sacha, who, although they're fellow countrymen, have vastly different outlooks on the world. Vanya is young and green. He has never fired a shot at anyone, and is now desperately afraid that he will be killed before he ever gets a chance to experience life. Sacha, on the other hand, is a veteran. A career soldier who joined the army because he was "stupid, loved guns, and needed money", he's short-tempered and jaded. But, as the period of captivity wears on, his hard shell deteriorates, and he becomes fiercely protective of his naive compatriot.
Abdul-Mourant is painted as a fair, but emotionless, man. Of his three children, one is dead, another is a captive, and only his youngest remains with him. He refuses steadfastly to interact with his prisoners on any emotional level, leaving their care in the hands of his mute son- in-law, Hassan (Alexander Bureyev). Abdul-Mourant has no love of Russians, and, if not for the promise of getting his son back, he would have no compunction about shooting both of them.
Dina, Abdul-Mourant's 12-year old daughter, befriends the captives, but never loses sight of their relative positions. She's a solemn, serious girl who takes pity on them, and gradually begins to see them as human beings. But she has been hardened by the centuries old struggle and is in many ways less naive than Vanya, with whom she develops an oddly tender relationship.
There's an old saying that goes something like: "We have met the enemy and they are us." Words to that effect could easily describe the growth process undergone by the characters in PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS as they come to understand how little there is that separates them. Often, it's the little things that emphasize the connection. Vanya repairs Abdul-Mourant's watch. When she comes to bargain for her son's life, Vanya's mother tells the patriarch that she, like his son, is a teacher. Dina offers the Russians bread and water. Vanya, in turn, makes a toy for her. The participants on both sides of the struggle have to consider what the word "enemy" means and whether the phrase "It's war" is a good enough justification for a killing.
The movie, which was actually filmed in the Caucasus mountains, introduces a world that is likely to be unfamiliar to most Western viewers. PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS' camerawork effectively captures the setting, evoking a strong sense of place through views of mist-shrouded mountains, rough, rocky terrain, and green pastures. This is a timeless land that dwarfs human concerns, and it explains much about the hardiness of the inhabitants.
PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS makes us think about the absurdity of war. It brings the toll of battle down to a personal level, but without the bitterness and rancor evident in American productions like PLATOON and APOCALYPSE NOW. There's quite a bit of low-key humor to be found here, which may account for the tone being lighter than the subject matter might suggest. However, the final, darkly ironic sequence of the film drives home Bodrov's point with brutal clarity. The machines of war don't take into account the human pain that they inflict.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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