Prisoner of the Mountains

Prisoner of the Mountains   Subtitled Rating:

Political rivals, divided by a bloody war, are forced to come to terms with one another in this drama, which was adapted from Leo Tolstoy's short story "Prisoner of the Caucasus." In Chechnya, two Russian soldiers, nervous rookie Vania (Sergei Bodrov, Jr.) and hardened veteran Sasha (Oleg Menshikov), are captured by Muslim forces. Abdul-Murat (Dzhemal Sikharulidze), the leader of the village where the soldiers are held, also has a son in the war, who is being held as a prisoner of war by the Russians. Abdul-Murat demands the release of his son in exchange for sparing Vania and Sasha, and a level of understanding and respect begins to grow between the Russians and their captors. Kavkazsky Plennik, released in the U.S. as Prisoner of the Mountains, received both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations as Best Foreign Language Film of 1997. Mark Deming

INTRODUCTION: A dramatic look at the nature of the Stockholm Syndrome, the bond that develops between prisoner and captor , may not seem like everyone's idea of a fun night out but Bodrov's hauntingly poetic movie provides a telling anti-war story.

SYNOPSIS: Sacha (Menshikov) and Vanya (Bodrov Jnr.) two of the Russian soldiers sent to quell the Cechen revolution are captured by Muslim rebel Abdul-Murat, who hopes to exchange them for his son, who is being held by the authorities.

REVIEW: Winner of the audience award at Cannes '97 and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film this is an intensely moving parable, based on "Prisoners of the Caucus" by Tolstoy.

Bodrov's refusal to take sides in a conflict that was at the time still raging required a number of alterations to Tolstoy's blatantly anti-Cechen text. Tolstoy himself fought against them when he was a member of the Russian army. Bodrov even considered relocating the story to the Balkans or the former Yugoslavia but his decision to go up into the mountains and film in the midst of the war he was opposing ultimately adds further power to the sentiment. It was purportedly after watching this film that Yeltsin brought an end to the bloodshed in the hotly disputed Caucus region.

In a film that is driven entirely by the relationship that develops between the characters a truly gifted cast is required. Menshikov and Bodrov Jnr. excel as the Russian soldiers and Skarulidze is truly moving as their captor but special mention must be made of local girl Mekhralieva whose portrayal of the young Dina holds the movie together. Bodrov's decision to change the motive of the kidnapping from pure greed, in Tolstoy's text, to the emotive desire to free the captured son, in the film, adds a truly sympathetic bent to the character of Abdul-Murat, but may have been unwarranted as several of the locals hired as extras took the crew hostage when they found out that Mekhralieva, a mere girl, was being paid more than them.

Whether the rumour about Yeltsin is true or not, what you have here is one of the most powerful anti-war movies of recent years.