Cargo 200

Out of so many garbage russian cinema titles we saw the past two decades, this one is not trash and is outstanding. Not just because of a shock value, but the true-like depiction of Soviet Union in 1980s, good script and ok actors. Hell, this movie captivated me to the end. It's worth it.

I don't know if anyone noticed that most critical, "one star" reviews emphasize the movie's agenda rather than anything else: the primary object of their critique is not a play by the individual actors, extreme violence or disgusting scenes but director's attitude toward Soviet reality. An they are right. Every small detail in the movie is intended to show that it was indeed rotten and decaying society. The year 1984 was chosen not by the accident: it is the answer to Orwell' book "1984" where British author tried to predict how the communist society would look in 25 years. Balabanov's answer: it is worse than Orwell could even imagine. The letters "USSR" on the T-shirt are not accidental either. This is another Balabanov's answer, this time to the official Soviet literature which presented young people (komsomol)as heroes, ready to sacrifice themselves in defense of their mother-Russia or save little babies from the fire. This real "businessman-komsomolets", who was educated by the Soviet reality, who saw how Soviet officials meet fallen soldiers from Afghanistan, won't do anything like that. Indeed, the movie wants to say that such pervert like captain Zhurov could live anywhere, in any country. However, he could thrive only in USSR, in the country which lost its soul. Great movie.

This is a brilliant if dark movie. Showing corruption of the Soviet system in stark and horrific colors and the high price it put on the human soul, this cynical piece of movie making is based on a true story. And it rings true. More horrific than most horror movies, it is well worth a watch. It may scar you, so beware. But it is one hell of a great movie.

Balabanov's films are always aggressive. This one is a prominent dramatic film about the last years of the Soviet Union. Of course, many people say it is a horrible movie. Yes it is, but c'est la vie, our life is horrible and it is snobbish to argue with it. It is like a cold shower. The soundtrack is excellent, the actors are good enough, and the views of a decaying town are dreadfully beautiful. You really must see this movie if you still think our ex-country was a cool place to live. One of the best Balabanov's films. It is much better than 'Of Freaks and Men' because here the shocking effect is made not just to make people feel bad but to understand our rotten reality. Russian films become better and better

After watching the film to the end, i launched myself off the chair, toward the television and returned to the beginning - so i could reassure myself that the word 'based on true events' had been written there. He (Alexey balbanov) may have been messing with us or not, but then the complete repulsiveness and disbelief at the fact that human beings are capable of such things, was the most riveting thing. The film and characters deliver a slice of outright realism, social decay, dark and twisted tales i have ever seen. And nowadays in times unsurprising storytelling, this film shocked the hell out of me. It wasn't the disgust of Captain Zhurov nor the helplessness of Angelika (my name-sake) that irritated me, but the sheer intertwining and coincidence that could be experienced in the film. Everyone crossed everyone else's path. This, like others have said, is a very very dark, sick, twisted movie... in a good way. That it keeps you interested and intrigued. I loved it, only with an open mind.