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So sad to see that the evaluation of this beautiful movie is negatively affected by so many 1-star evaluations from nationalistic Russians who can't stand seeing the truth about war.

The war in Czechia has been so devastating. So much death and cruelty. And all the war crimes are very well documented by international organisations so there's zero actual propaganda in this movie.

The movie is touching. And It's beautifully shot and directed.

This is one of the finest films I've ever seen (and there are over 2000 titles on my IMDb list.) It is a gutsy, grim, graphic story with some really horrible characters and some outstandingly good ones. Most amazing is the performance of young Abdul Khalim Mamutsiev. There is very little about him in the biography section but if this young boy (he's 9 in the movie) is this great now, he will be another Olivier by the time he's 20! This film captures the grim reality of the Chechan war, the mindless and corrupt brutality of the Russian army both within and outside its ranks and the bleak, blood soaked reality of the country. The entire film is shot in stark, cold colours with powerful effects and staging. I forget some films. It will be impossible to forget this one!

This film is a tad long and sad, but well worth watching. The topic is still important and the film shows how war brutalises people and how the international community turns a blind eye.

There are several reviews here that have been witten by Russian trolls that did not even bother to watch the film. In reality does the film strike a reasonable balance in portraying the russian solidiers. Ie not all russian solidiers are bad and not all Checehens are good. The depiction of how solidiers anre brutalised in an unjust war is not much different from the one in "Full Metal Jacket".

Both Kolja and Hadji produce very strong acting performances and Anette Benning shines as the all too overworked aid worker

This is a remake of a 1948 movie with the same name, but with a second story along side the updated original. Like the original movie, this will tug at your heart by displaying the real cost of war. But unlike the original, this movie not only shows the "victim" side through the use of a homeless little child, it also shows the "victimization" of 18 year old boys, those having to fight. This movie is a bit gory, but is very respectful and does not show gratuitous gore. The movie seems to develop slowly, a style many who enjoy European movies have come to expect. However, unlike many European movies, this one has a nice "twist" at the end that is likely to put a smile on your face, in the midst of the horrors and realities of war. The two stories are only tied together at the very end and only in a brief, somewhat unsatisfying way. But if one understands that the movie is reflecting on how awful war is on young lives, it does make sense. Slow, moving and powerful. Not the typical fast paced, complex and neatly wrapped up US production. If you want to watch, sit, relax and enjoy.

An outstanding, intelligent film with a heart - two films, actually, that run concurrently. The first: a realistic, near-documentary look at the Russian army and, specifically, one conscript; it's savage, brutal and makes one despair. The second: a heart-breaking and -warming story of a 9-year old boy and his teenage sister and baby brother who become estranged when their parents are murdered by Russian soldiers. The point at which these two stories touch is shocking and brilliant.