Die neunte Kompanie

The movie has somewhat similar message as of other War movies. But there are some differences. While movies of modern war like Hurt locker depicting the situation of soldiers in Iraq War have gained huge attention. Most people are not interested in knowing that there has been a much worse War in the Afghanistan decades earlier. The War had somewhat similar circumstances but it was fought on much bigger scale. Sadly, no one is interested to know about the Russian troops in that Afghan War and no movie (depicting the Russia side) has ever been made except this one which therefore makes it unique.

The enemy America facing in Afghanistan right now is nothing compared to what Russian Army faced decades ago in Afghan War. The difference is that in Afhgan War, America sowed the seeds of today's War (for what?) This is a must see movie for everyone.

As the movie opens and we see a squad of young, boisterous, Soviet civilians enter basic training, get their heads embaldened, and loafing around joking afterwards, my initial thought what "WTF? What kind of an army is this?" We see a recruit attacking his barber and cutting a swath through his hair with electric clippers because he didn't like the barber's twitting him. I had my hair cut off too, along with dozens of others, but everyone was hypervigilant, too nervous to gripe about any indignities. Then, now bald, the men pass the time in the barracks waiting to be told what to do and they share a bottle of VODKA and get loaded. This is the first day of basic training? Later they sneak off and gang bang a local girl, then pass around a joint. This is an ARMY?

There is the usual diversity among the men, but not very like an American combat film. No Texans or wise guys from Brooklyn. But there are class differences. One soldier who has eaten out of garbage cans snaps at another who is an educated artist. The training regimen soon turns earnest, rigorous, and brutal -- and much more familiar. The F bomb is generously deployed, along with plenty of single entendres. The battle-scarred drill sergeant always in a rage, swearing and humiliating the men. The growing cohesiveness and developing friendships within the squad. Actually, we get to like the guys because we can identify with them, just as in an American movie.

There's a touching scene involving the camp's whore, who is blond and rather plain. The squad are all stoned but the chuckling dies down as they trade ideas about wounds and death. The artist is sent by the others into the next room with "Snow White," the blond, told to lose his virginity and become a real man. The girl is sweaty and bedraggled but the young man sees beauty behind the ordinariness. He tells her so and she giggles in surprise, disbelief, and the kind of relief an animal must feel when, instead of the usual kick, he's petted instead. And when the artist pulls her naked back into the squad room, he shouts that he's found Venus rising from the sea. The other men, howling with laughter, throw themselves at her feet while she holds her fingers to her over-ripe lips and laughs in little bursts, half uncomprehending and half swooning with pleasure.

In the second part of the film the squad reaches Afghanistan and most of the jokes disappear. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. (Eventually something is going to kill you, though.) The combat scenes are savage and yet recognizable from American movies about Vietnam or, more particularly, from "Blackhawk Down." It takes a little getting used to because at first the uniforms, weapons, and military protocol are a little different from ours. And at first it's odd to hear up-to-date American voices and slang terms from other nationals but the pattern soon reveals itself and we can sit back and watch another movie about a futile war against the masked and black-robed Mujuhadin against whom we would send our own troops in another twelve or thirteen years.

In all post Soviet republics you can find bunch of veterans of the Soviet war affairs in Afghanistan. It is good that finally such movie was made. The previous movies about Soviet war in Afghanistan never managed to be so successful and therefore they didn't reached the masses. Bandarchuk's movie helps the youth as well as other people in the post Soviet republics to understand, what the veterans of the Afghanistan war have gone through. It is actually pity that I living in Latvia now more about what Americans have gone through in Vietnam then my neighbor in the upstairs apartment in Afghanistan. I believe that such thoughts could share with me many, who live in the post Soviet area.

The actors were well picked and they plaid well. The sound effects were cool and the music was fine. But still the movie was not perfect. There were some little things that didn't fit together. For example the plain that got shot – with four engines on smoke and flaying at such a low altitude it would never be able to get back to the runway, besides if it even had, it would never crash in to gasoline cans, since on a battle airfield there are no open air storage for fuel. If they had then those Afghans would simply shoot at those cans instead of the plane. The last fight episode was not clear either. If Dzhakonda was sitting on the edge of a mountain, then how those Afghans could get to him without waking up anyone else? So the overall impression is that the movie was very good but not perfect.

Yes, we have all seen a lot of those movies that focus on soldiers in the battle, their bravery, weaknesses, breakdowns etc. Those films are always end up in a way that let's us know once again, how pointless is war and how it has its impact to every single life separately. This movie is not an exception in overall point of view. It has quite a same morale.

But few things make it still unique and are the reason to rate it a bit higher than just average.

At first reality. Not historically, but people in the movie are much more real than in Hollywood movie. It seems that only Russian actors can let the public see the soul of Russian people and soldiers. I'm not Russian myself, but I've met a lot of them and this is just the unique thing they call "Russkaja dusha" (Russian soul). Russians have very hot temper, they can blaze up in a second and start the fight, but they never let it damage their friendship.

Second dose of realism: people in war. I mean especially Dygalo was a very realistic character. When I was serving my time in Estonian army I met an officer who was also veteran of Afganistan war. And believe me, he was quite a copy of Dygalo. It is hard to understand, how real war experience could leave such a trace in human mind, but now when I saw Praporshik Dygalo in that movie, I noticed a huge similarity between Dygalo and that officer and I instantly understood that this is the real thing, this is exactly how war affected those soldiers. And the fact this film has managed to take it to public so real, gives it a great bonus.

And last, but not least: Russian language in a movie that also really sounds as Russian language. I'm always laughing about the episodes in Hollywood movies that should include Russian army or characters and I have to say that Russian language in Hollywood movies is more than ridiculous, therefore I'm quite happy that this film was made in Russian. By the way, Russian is considered to have the most developed vocabulary in swearing and as this is war movie and those guys are pretty rough as well, it sounds much better and more real in Russian. Translation usually manages to lost at least half of the meaning.

In conclusion: yes, I would recommend this movie to everybody. Although it shares the same morale than other war movies, it's still somehow unique and especially Americans could take a look and compare it to Hollywood stuff.

...are indeed bound to repeat them. This cracking Soviet/Afghan war drama from director and actor Fyodor Bondarchuk has echoes of US war stories like Hamburger Hill, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, but with none of the predictable American schmaltz, propaganda and dubiously good teeth. It grips the viewer entirely with impressive repertory performances from a great young cast of faces unknown to western audiences; deserving all of its accolades and every cent of the post-Soviet era record-breaking $20m the film has raked in. Worth a look for those who think current Western military ambitions in Afghanistan are anything but futile.