Montreal World Film Festival
The conflicts are personal and no less a bloody nightmare than clashes between large armies in the searing Russian film "War", which had its North American premieres at the Montreal (in competition) and Telluride film festivals. Young newcomer Alexei Chadov won best actor honors at Montreal in the latest film from Alexei Balabanov, who helmed the Russian boxoffice hits "Brother" and "Brother 2".
Set mostly in Chechnya and featuring in a supporting role Sergei Bodrov Jr. -- feared dead in last month's catastrophic avalanche in the North Ossetia region of the Caucasus Mountains -- "War" is brutal and superficially commercial in some aspects. Well-made and timely enough to warrant exposure to domestic foreign-film audiences, the movie's ultimate impact includes Slavic irony over the evolving morals and role-playing of sympathetic characters caught in a deadly game of rescue and revenge.
Opening with a very harsh sequence, shown mostly in long shots, of a Chechen rebel commander (Georgy Gurgulia) executing two captured Russian soldiers, "War" (in Russian and English with subtitles) immediately makes us witness to lawless bloodshed that shows the nature of conflicts in this landscape of rugged mountains and few inhabitants. Also witnessing the raw hatred and play-for-keeps tactics of the Chechen thugs are two scared-out-of-their-wits English actors, John (Ian Kelly) and Margaret (Ingeborga Dapkunaite), and two other Russian prisoners, Ivan (Chadov) and Capt. Medvedev (Bodrov). The four are thrown together in a pit and anticipate the worst.
Coming back frequently to an interview with Chadov's character after the events of the movie for commentary and insights, "War" is told in a fairly straightforward manner and achieves an acceptable level of believability despite the sometimes gung-ho final 45 minutes. Terrorized and held for ransom by the unapologetically vicious Chechen commander, John and Margaret gain nothing in the way of sympathy. But the former is allowed to leave with Chadov's almost-out-of-the-army Ivan to try to raise millions in ransom money.
Left behind to suffer from the elements and be abused by their captors are Margaret and Bodrov's injured captain. (Bodrov also played a captive of Chechens in 1996's Oscar-nominated "Prisoner of the Mountains", directed by his father.) John has no luck with officials and sells everything to raise cash, but it's not enough for the ransom. But word gets around, and he's approached by a media outlet that offers to pay him if he takes along a video camera and films the attempt to ransom the hostages.
Eventually, in an illegal and foolhardy attempt, John and new civilian Ivan take what money they have and head back to Chechnya. Armed and outfitted, they embark on what becomes an incredible adventure that John documents, even as it becomes bloody and truly horrific when they reach their remote destination.
Along with a reluctant ally in local shepherd Ruslan (Evklid Kyurdzidis) -- who helps them by leading the way across a glacier -- the duo and wasted-away captives, mission accomplished, are still in danger and must fight to escape Chechnya. Although ending in a seemingly heroic and tidy fashion, the souls of the all the survivors are scarred and the viewer shaken. One is again made aware that universal intolerance of violence is a goal to strive for, but it'll probably be a long time before they make many movies about it.
WAR
CTB Film Co.
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Alexei Balabanov
Producer: Sergei Selyanov
Director of photography: Sergei Astakhov
Production designer: Pavel Parkhomenko
Editor: Marina Lipartiya
Costume designer: Tatyana Patrakhaltseva
Music: Vyacheslav Butusov
Cast:
Ivan Yermakov: Alexei Chadov
John: Ian Kelly
Margaret: Ingeborga Dapkunaite
Captain Medvedev: Sergei Bodrov Jr.
Ruslan: Evklid Kyurdzidis
Aslan: Georgy Gurgulia
Running time -- 124 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The conflicts are personal and no less a bloody nightmare than clashes between large armies in the searing Russian film "War", which had its North American premieres at the Montreal (in competition) and Telluride film festivals. Young newcomer Alexei Chadov won best actor honors at Montreal in the latest film from Alexei Balabanov, who helmed the Russian boxoffice hits "Brother" and "Brother 2".
Set mostly in Chechnya and featuring in a supporting role Sergei Bodrov Jr. -- feared dead in last month's catastrophic avalanche in the North Ossetia region of the Caucasus Mountains -- "War" is brutal and superficially commercial in some aspects. Well-made and timely enough to warrant exposure to domestic foreign-film audiences, the movie's ultimate impact includes Slavic irony over the evolving morals and role-playing of sympathetic characters caught in a deadly game of rescue and revenge.
Opening with a very harsh sequence, shown mostly in long shots, of a Chechen rebel commander (Georgy Gurgulia) executing two captured Russian soldiers, "War" (in Russian and English with subtitles) immediately makes us witness to lawless bloodshed that shows the nature of conflicts in this landscape of rugged mountains and few inhabitants. Also witnessing the raw hatred and play-for-keeps tactics of the Chechen thugs are two scared-out-of-their-wits English actors, John (Ian Kelly) and Margaret (Ingeborga Dapkunaite), and two other Russian prisoners, Ivan (Chadov) and Capt. Medvedev (Bodrov). The four are thrown together in a pit and anticipate the worst.
Coming back frequently to an interview with Chadov's character after the events of the movie for commentary and insights, "War" is told in a fairly straightforward manner and achieves an acceptable level of believability despite the sometimes gung-ho final 45 minutes. Terrorized and held for ransom by the unapologetically vicious Chechen commander, John and Margaret gain nothing in the way of sympathy. But the former is allowed to leave with Chadov's almost-out-of-the-army Ivan to try to raise millions in ransom money.
Left behind to suffer from the elements and be abused by their captors are Margaret and Bodrov's injured captain. (Bodrov also played a captive of Chechens in 1996's Oscar-nominated "Prisoner of the Mountains", directed by his father.) John has no luck with officials and sells everything to raise cash, but it's not enough for the ransom. But word gets around, and he's approached by a media outlet that offers to pay him if he takes along a video camera and films the attempt to ransom the hostages.
Eventually, in an illegal and foolhardy attempt, John and new civilian Ivan take what money they have and head back to Chechnya. Armed and outfitted, they embark on what becomes an incredible adventure that John documents, even as it becomes bloody and truly horrific when they reach their remote destination.
Along with a reluctant ally in local shepherd Ruslan (Evklid Kyurdzidis) -- who helps them by leading the way across a glacier -- the duo and wasted-away captives, mission accomplished, are still in danger and must fight to escape Chechnya. Although ending in a seemingly heroic and tidy fashion, the souls of the all the survivors are scarred and the viewer shaken. One is again made aware that universal intolerance of violence is a goal to strive for, but it'll probably be a long time before they make many movies about it.
WAR
CTB Film Co.
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Alexei Balabanov
Producer: Sergei Selyanov
Director of photography: Sergei Astakhov
Production designer: Pavel Parkhomenko
Editor: Marina Lipartiya
Costume designer: Tatyana Patrakhaltseva
Music: Vyacheslav Butusov
Cast:
Ivan Yermakov: Alexei Chadov
John: Ian Kelly
Margaret: Ingeborga Dapkunaite
Captain Medvedev: Sergei Bodrov Jr.
Ruslan: Evklid Kyurdzidis
Aslan: Georgy Gurgulia
Running time -- 124 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/15/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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