Hostages

I can't deny the technical strengths of the film. The film is well done. The performances across the board are strong, the cinematography gripping and effective for the kind of story being told, and the screenplay never feels exploitative. However, it's not exactly an enjoyable film to watch. I definitely do recommend it as a piece of filmmaking, but it's one that's hard to love. Still, one can't deny the impact the film has. I think the mysterious incident at the core of it does cloud it in mystery, and the film rightfully doesn't want to give easy answers or excuses for the behaviors shown.

Why is the title of the film in the original with a Russian word, when the film is released under a Georgian name.

This movie is based on a true event that occurred in 1983 in Georgia when it was part of the USSR. A group of young people, highly dissatisfied with life under the Soviet state, decided to hijack a passenger jet and force it to take them out to the West.

First off, it is great to have a chance to see movies made it parts of the world with little cinema output. For this reason alone, Hostages is a worthwhile film, given its Georgian origins. The story itself is one not known to me at all but it is certainly an interesting set of events. It is a film which operates in shades of grey as opposed to black and white certainties. We do sympathise with the frustrations of the hijackers and their daily grind but it is difficult to condone their actions given that people were killed as a result of it; then again, the Soviet response to the incident was extremely heavy-handed, although they were trying to resolve the problem. The result is a more even-handed and thought-provoking film than might otherwise have been produced, although it would only be fair to say that it is definitely critical of the life that was imposed on people under the communist regime. The gloomy early 80's period detail is well done and the film is very well made. Perhaps the material could have been focused a little more sharply in places maybe but overall this is worth seeing for sure.

A good story, but not very well acted. Besides, why would they hijack a plane from Tbilisi to Batumi within the boundaries of the same country if the ultimate aim was to escape the country itself? Why didn't they take the bus or drive, which would solve things peacefully? The movie should have told the reason behind this.

The film Hostages (Mdzevlebi) directed by the young Georgian director Rezo Gigineishvili was shown at the Berlinale in the Panorama section. It is based on the true events of a plane hijacking in 1983 by a group of youngsters belonging to the artistic elite of Georgia. The hijacking resulted in multiple casualties and all hijackers, except the woman, were executed. After the USSR dissolved, the participants of these events were sometimes romanticized and represented as heroic martyrs.

The film leaves a strong impression and leaves room for thought. The closing sentence of the film – " In 1991 the freedom of movement was finally granted" – is something completely unnecessary; first of all this is common knowledge and secondly the lack of freedom of movement cannot be an excuse or explanation for the atrocities depicted in the film.

The film does not offer answers and does not explain motivation of horrific actions of hijackers, however it poses some profound questions, which is also important, especially as this event is still shrouded in mystery. The picture filmed in minimalistic style and is made in an almost documentary fashion, it is tense and grips the viewer all the way through.

Read more at: http://indie-cinema.com/2017/02/hostages/