Prisoner of the Mountains
Encyclopedia
Prisoner of the Mountains , also known as Prisoner of the Caucasus, is a 1996 Russia
n war
drama film
directed by Sergei Bodrov
and written by Bodrov, Arif Aliyev and Boris Giller. The film is based on the Caucasian War
-era short story "The Prisoner of the Caucasus" by the classic Russian writer Leo Tolstoy
.
Prisoner of the Mountains was awarded a Crystal Globe
at the 1996 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and the same year was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
(Russia) and a Golden Globe Award
for Best Foreign Language Film (Russia). It also received rave critic reviews. The film is rated R for some violence and language.
culture and Russian warfare through the skillful use of soundtrack
, costuming, and arms. The personal confrontation between two Russian soldiers and their Chechen captors is the main theme of the film, which was shot in the mountains of Dagestan
(mostly in the aul of Ritcha, whose inhabitants are mentioned in the film's credits), a short distance away from the then-ongoing First Chechen War
.
... Sasha
• Sergei Bodrov, Jr.
(Sergei Bodrov Mladshiy)... Ivan (Vanya) Zhilin
• Dzhemal Sikharulidze... Abdul-Murat
• Susanna Mekhralieva... Dina
• Aleksandr Bureev... Hasan
• Valentina Fedotova... Ivan's mother
• Aleksei Zharkov... Maslov
) works to escape while the young and naive conscript Vanya (Sergei Bodrov, Jr.
) tries to make friends with his captors. After an escape plan fails, the different personalities of these prisoners determine their fate.
Nominations:
(including 100% "fresh" by the top critics), with the average rating of 8.3/10.
As of December 2008, it has also the user rating of 7.7/10 at Internet Movie Database
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n war
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Sergei Bodrov
Sergei Bodrov
Sergei Vladimirovich Bodrov is a two-time Academy Award-nominated Russian-American film director, screenwriter, and producer.Bodrov was born in Khabarovsk, Russian SFSR, USSR . In the post-Soviet period he emigrated to the United States. His son, actor Sergei Bodrov, Jr...
and written by Bodrov, Arif Aliyev and Boris Giller. The film is based on the Caucasian War
Caucasian War
The Caucasian War of 1817–1864, also known as the Russian conquest of the Caucasus was an invasion of the Caucasus by the Russian Empire which ended with the annexation of the areas of the North Caucasus to Russia...
-era short story "The Prisoner of the Caucasus" by the classic Russian writer Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
.
Prisoner of the Mountains was awarded a Crystal Globe
Crystal Globe
Crystal Globe is the main award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, first given in the city of Karlovy Vary of the Czech Republic, in 1948.In the international competition of films, IFFKV presents the following awards:...
at the 1996 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and the same year was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
(Russia) and a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best Foreign Language Film (Russia). It also received rave critic reviews. The film is rated R for some violence and language.
Overview
This film illustrates the conflicting views between traditional ChechenChechen people
Chechens constitute the largest native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region. They refer to themselves as Noxçi . Also known as Sadiks , Gargareans, Malkhs...
culture and Russian warfare through the skillful use of soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, costuming, and arms. The personal confrontation between two Russian soldiers and their Chechen captors is the main theme of the film, which was shot in the mountains of Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
(mostly in the aul of Ritcha, whose inhabitants are mentioned in the film's credits), a short distance away from the then-ongoing First Chechen War
First Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
.
Cast
• Oleg MenshikovOleg Menshikov
Oleg Evgenyevich Menshikov ; is a Russian entertainer. He is a film and theatre actor, singer and director. He started his film career in the early 1980s playing in the comedy Pokrovskie vorota and in Nikita Mikhalkov's Rodnya....
... Sasha
• Sergei Bodrov, Jr.
Sergei Bodrov, Jr.
Sergei Bodrov Jr. was a Russian actor who had lead roles in the movies Brother, Prisoner of the Mountains, The Stringer and Brother 2. He was the son of the Russian playwright, actor, director and producer Sergei Bodrov...
(Sergei Bodrov Mladshiy)... Ivan (Vanya) Zhilin
• Dzhemal Sikharulidze... Abdul-Murat
• Susanna Mekhralieva... Dina
• Aleksandr Bureev... Hasan
• Valentina Fedotova... Ivan's mother
• Aleksei Zharkov... Maslov
Plot
A group of Russian soldiers is ambushed by rebels in the Chechen mountains and two of them are taken prisoner by an old man who wants to swap them for his son in the Russian detention. The two prisoners cope with the situation in very different ways, as the war-hardened and cynical officer Sasha (Oleg MenshikovOleg Menshikov
Oleg Evgenyevich Menshikov ; is a Russian entertainer. He is a film and theatre actor, singer and director. He started his film career in the early 1980s playing in the comedy Pokrovskie vorota and in Nikita Mikhalkov's Rodnya....
) works to escape while the young and naive conscript Vanya (Sergei Bodrov, Jr.
Sergei Bodrov, Jr.
Sergei Bodrov Jr. was a Russian actor who had lead roles in the movies Brother, Prisoner of the Mountains, The Stringer and Brother 2. He was the son of the Russian playwright, actor, director and producer Sergei Bodrov...
) tries to make friends with his captors. After an escape plan fails, the different personalities of these prisoners determine their fate.
Awards
Awards:- European Film Award - Outstanding Single Achievement
- Karlovy Vary International Film FestivalKarlovy Vary International Film FestivalThe Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary , Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival gained worldwide recognition over the past years and has become one of Europe's major film events....
- Award of Ecumenical Jury - Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Crystal GlobeCrystal GlobeCrystal Globe is the main award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, first given in the city of Karlovy Vary of the Czech Republic, in 1948.In the international competition of films, IFFKV presents the following awards:...
- Nika Awards - Best Actor
- Nika Awards - Best Director
- Nika Awards - Best Film
- Nika Awards - Best Screenplay
Nominations:
- Academy Award - Best Foreign Language FilmAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmThe Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
(Russia) - Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
- Best Foreign Language Film (Russia) - Nika Awards - Best Cinematographer
- Nika Awards - Best Sound Editing
- Satellite AwardsSatellite AwardsThe Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
- Best Motion Picture (Foreign Language)
Ratings
Prisoner of the Mountains received a very good score of 87% "fresh" (positive) reviews at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
(including 100% "fresh" by the top critics), with the average rating of 8.3/10.
As of December 2008, it has also the user rating of 7.7/10 at Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
.