Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a memorable, moving film, October 18, 2001
This beautiful award winner moves me every time I watch it, and there are scenes that are forever etched in my mind. Taking place in Chechnya, it has the same Central Asian rugged terrain that we've seen in recent news stories of Afghanistan, one of the many reasons that makes this an interesting film to view...a glimpse into what is an enigmatic part of the world for most of us. The cinematography (Pavel Lebeshev) and soundtrack (Leonid Desyatnikov) are marvelous, and the performances perfect. How director Sergei Bodrov managed to get such fine acting from the local villagers (like Susanna Mekhalieva, who plays "Dina"), is a marvel. As the two soldiers tied by fate, he cast his son, Sergei Bodrov Jr., and Oleg Menshikov (who was so brilliant in "Burnt by the Sun"), and they are superb. Losely based on Tolstoy's tale for children, "Prisoner of the Caucausus", it's a film full of compassion and love, and has plot subtleties that make this rare gem of a film deserve several viewings.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bodrov does it again, October 6, 2004
This review is from: Prisoner of the Mountains (DVD)
This film is absolutly amazing. Everything fits together, from the soundtrack, to the action, to the perfectly balanced love interest. It delves into a sensitive subject without seeming to be preachy or overly romantic or anything like that. An Americanized audience may have trouble with this movie. One of the most frequent complaints I hear is that it is 'slow moving.' It is true that since the film is character driven, there are many long scenes of contemplation, just watching the character's face to see his reaction to something. And while that may appear 'boring' to an audience accustomed to something blowing up every couple minutes, it does really make you appreciate and sympathize with the characters. This DVD is in the original Russian with English subtitles. I was overjoyed at this because many of my favorite foreign films can only be bought here in a dubbed version, and those just never do justice to the originals. The only extra on the disk is the English trailer. If you want to see a really good movie and don't mind reading subtitles, watch this one.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful and haunting, August 9, 2001
By A Customer
This is a wonderful movie, wonderful in its simplicity and powerful in its ending. The scenery, setting, and characters are completely authentic and mesmerizing. I bought the tape because I am a fan of Oleg Menshikov and was not in the least disappoined. (A tip: don't read too much of the VHS cover jacket as it really gives too much of the movie away and is not completely accurate, in my opinion). All the way through the movie you dont't really know what will happen and when at the end you finally do, it is devastating. This movie will stay with you.
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