Prisoner of the Mountains, also known as Prisoner of the Caucasus, is a film based on two old Russian tales with the same name, both set in the Caucasian War 1817-1864: First, a poem by Alexander Pushkin from 1822 - second, a short story by Leo Tostoy from 1872, based on a real life event. And no matter how much time had passed since Pushkin had written his poem, or Tolstoy his novella, this movie still played in the same setting: In 1996, when Prisoner of the Mountains was filmed, the First Chechen War was just coming to an end, and the Second Chechen War would soon follow.
To ensure the highest possible authenticity, Prisoner of the Mountains was filmed in the Caucasian Mountains of Dagestan, only a short distance away from the then-ongoing conflict. Dagestan is a region bordering on Chechnya, with very similar traditions and customs. Seven years after the making of the film, the Caucasus Mountains would become the grave of Sergei Bodrov Junior, only 31 years old at that time. In this movie, he played the conscript Vanya, one of its two main characters. A rock ice slide took his life and that of 124 other people during work for another film in North Ossetia.
At the start of Prisoner of the Mountains, you can see many young conscripts, among them the main character Vanya, being checked for combat suitability in a hospital. With their shaved heads they resemble the slaves of antiquity, whose heads were also shaved as a sign of their status: From now on, they are property of their commanders. They have to follow their all theit orders without exception. The boys are naked and vulnerable, showing only flesh and bones, and that's exactly what they are for their generals: Nothing more than flesh which they can shape in their own interest. As you look at this beginning, any blind hurray patriotism that evokes the unity of ordinary soldiers with their army leadership is gradually being lost.
Next, you can see the second main character, sergeant Sasha, drinking Vodka until delirious. He's senselessly shooting his Kalashnikov at his own Russian Army barracks, which he's supposed to defend. Drinking Vodka before a battle has a long tradition in Russia. During WW2, alcohol was given to every Red Army soldier directly before an offensive. Sergeant Sasha however, isn't drinking 100 grams. He's drinking the whole bottle. This suggests that he doesn't drink to boost his courage. Rather he wants to block out his entire reality. With this scene, the film shows how war represents a state of a real life nightmare you constantly want to wake up from.
The next day, sergeant Sasha, still drunk, leads his men into enemy territory. This picture is an allegory for the whole Chechen War: Russian president Boris Yeltsin, famous for his many alcohol excesses , led the Russian Army, largely consisting of 18 year old boys like Vanya, into battle. Subtle allegories like this make Prisoner of the Mountains a melancholic and intelligent work of art.
Sergeant Sashas BTR-Tank gets ambushed. Chechen rebels hide behind civilians to gain military advantage. They don't care that they endanger the lives of the people whose lives they claim they want to protect. A classic paradox of war. Sashas men, inexperienced and tired, react too slow and unprofessional. Many die, the rest flee. Sasha and Vanya are left behind and captured by the old Chechen Abdul who wants to exchange them for his son captured by Russians.
Sasha and Vanya become prisoners of the mountains. In a small Chechen village, they encounter a world they don't know. Nothing has changed here for hundreds of years: People live in stone huts, there is neither electricity nor running water, boys have to prove their strength in traditional wrestling, girls are married very young, and the faith in Allah gives people confidence. The people that were filmed here are no actors but real villagers from Dagestan, the houses you can see are their real homes. The authenticity of the film is breathtaking: The viewer also feels as if he has stepped into a new world.
Alone and locked into a room, an intimate chamber play develops between the cynic sergeant Sasha and the naive conscript Vanya. While Sasha views the chechens as bloodthirsty barbarians and can't forgive them his killed comrades, Vanya sees the beauty in their culture and the kindness in their actions towards them. The same contradiction as between the views of the Russians is also evident on the Chechen side. Many of the villagers want to see the two Russian soldiers dead, while something like a friendship developes between them and their silent guardian. After Sasha and Vanya survive digging for land mines at night, the Chechen rebels that forced them to do it start to recognize their courage. Even more, the daughter of the old man Abdul, Dina, falls in love with Vanya. These conflicting feelings between the two prisoners and their hostage-takers represent the complicated relationship between Russians and Chechens in general.
Vanya doesn't want to kill anybody, but Sasha tells him that's what he must do in a war - orders must be followed, after all: "I don't want to kill them." -"You have to, Vanya. It's war." This simple scene explains perfectly how war doesn't emerge from the people themselfes, but is imposed on them from above. Mentally healthy people are very reluctant to killing other human beings. Because of the mirror neurons system in our brain, the pain that we perceive in someone else is always also our own pain. Killing members of our own species has always to be learned before it becomes a matter of course, it is not natural.
In one scene, Sasha's telling Vanya about how he once tried to make love with a woman. But before it came to that, she simply passed out - it turned out that she had narcolepsy. This story is a metaphor for all of Sasha's life - he was looking for love, but it was never returned. Vanya has a loving mother who tries everything in her power to free him after she hears of his captivity. Sasha, at the other hand, is an orphan who never had anybody that really cared for him. This is the reason he's not capable of showing love to others.
While Sasha is thinking about how to escape, Abdul arranges an exchange with the commander of the local Russian troops. The commander, however, breaks his word and brings a Russian soldier in disguise instead of Abdul's son. Just as the Chechen rebels put their own civilians in danger at the beginning of the film, the commander has no problem with putting his own soldier's life in danger. As you later can see from his richly laid table, he benefits from the war and therefore has no interest in establishing peace. When Vanya's mother begs him to do something for her son's release, he lies to her and says he has already done everything he could do.
Sasha finally manages to escape together with Vanya. Their silent guardian, whom they became friends with, is killed by Sasha as a result. As long as there is war, there can be no cross-front friendship. They have a chance to escape for good. But after Sasha kills again, this time a shepherd to get his gun, a bullet goes off and the Chechens track them down. They are captured again. Sasha is put to death immediately. The reason he killed, is the reason he's being killed. With this, the movie shows how every action has a consequence.
While Abdul is hoping for his Son to come back alive, another Chechen father shoots his son in front of the local Russian headquarters because he was working together with the Russians: A honor killing. What one man is ready to give his life for, another wants to destroy. Sometimes, life is strange. He does it with a gun a Russian soldier exchanged for Vodka at a local Chechen shop. Another dead man because of alcohol, and the butterfly-effect at its best. In the ensuing uproar, Abdul's son, like Sasha, tries to escape his prison, but, like Sasha, gets killed. Now Abdul has no more reasons to let Vanya live. The Russian Commander knows this and promises to the mother "in advance" to avenge her son. Killing people is easier to him than saving lifes, after all.
The night before his execution, Vanya has a vision. He sees Sasha. He hasn't lost his sense of humor, but there's no anger anymore: "Remind me never to escape with you again." The first time Sasha seems really happy. Death gave redemption to him who could not find happiness in life: "I am dead, but I like it. Everything is peaceful now." The film invites you to think about whether death is really always a terrible event, or if it may deliver liberation to some. A very philosophical question.
Shortly before his execution, Abdul's daughter Dina wants to free Vanya. She hates what he and Sasha have done, but she still loves him: "You are like a dog now. It's not a shame for a dog to smell bad." Yet, Sasha's example taught Vanya that freedom at any price isn't worth it. He doesn't want to live anymore if those he loves have to die because of it. He knows that the Chechens won't forgive Dina for setting him free. Like in Alexander Pushkin's poem, the girl shouts "Run!" - but he declines. Vanya simply can't. Like Sasha, he has come to terms with his death.
Prisoner of the Mountains is a calm, poetic movie about the unknown, friendship, love and the destructive force of war. An inattentive viewer can miss out on many of the subtle details and metaphors of this masterpiece, so don't look at it half-heartedly. And if you've already done it, I strongly recommend you to look at it again.
To ensure the highest possible authenticity, Prisoner of the Mountains was filmed in the Caucasian Mountains of Dagestan, only a short distance away from the then-ongoing conflict. Dagestan is a region bordering on Chechnya, with very similar traditions and customs. Seven years after the making of the film, the Caucasus Mountains would become the grave of Sergei Bodrov Junior, only 31 years old at that time. In this movie, he played the conscript Vanya, one of its two main characters. A rock ice slide took his life and that of 124 other people during work for another film in North Ossetia.
At the start of Prisoner of the Mountains, you can see many young conscripts, among them the main character Vanya, being checked for combat suitability in a hospital. With their shaved heads they resemble the slaves of antiquity, whose heads were also shaved as a sign of their status: From now on, they are property of their commanders. They have to follow their all theit orders without exception. The boys are naked and vulnerable, showing only flesh and bones, and that's exactly what they are for their generals: Nothing more than flesh which they can shape in their own interest. As you look at this beginning, any blind hurray patriotism that evokes the unity of ordinary soldiers with their army leadership is gradually being lost.
Next, you can see the second main character, sergeant Sasha, drinking Vodka until delirious. He's senselessly shooting his Kalashnikov at his own Russian Army barracks, which he's supposed to defend. Drinking Vodka before a battle has a long tradition in Russia. During WW2, alcohol was given to every Red Army soldier directly before an offensive. Sergeant Sasha however, isn't drinking 100 grams. He's drinking the whole bottle. This suggests that he doesn't drink to boost his courage. Rather he wants to block out his entire reality. With this scene, the film shows how war represents a state of a real life nightmare you constantly want to wake up from.
The next day, sergeant Sasha, still drunk, leads his men into enemy territory. This picture is an allegory for the whole Chechen War: Russian president Boris Yeltsin, famous for his many alcohol excesses , led the Russian Army, largely consisting of 18 year old boys like Vanya, into battle. Subtle allegories like this make Prisoner of the Mountains a melancholic and intelligent work of art.
Sergeant Sashas BTR-Tank gets ambushed. Chechen rebels hide behind civilians to gain military advantage. They don't care that they endanger the lives of the people whose lives they claim they want to protect. A classic paradox of war. Sashas men, inexperienced and tired, react too slow and unprofessional. Many die, the rest flee. Sasha and Vanya are left behind and captured by the old Chechen Abdul who wants to exchange them for his son captured by Russians.
Sasha and Vanya become prisoners of the mountains. In a small Chechen village, they encounter a world they don't know. Nothing has changed here for hundreds of years: People live in stone huts, there is neither electricity nor running water, boys have to prove their strength in traditional wrestling, girls are married very young, and the faith in Allah gives people confidence. The people that were filmed here are no actors but real villagers from Dagestan, the houses you can see are their real homes. The authenticity of the film is breathtaking: The viewer also feels as if he has stepped into a new world.
Alone and locked into a room, an intimate chamber play develops between the cynic sergeant Sasha and the naive conscript Vanya. While Sasha views the chechens as bloodthirsty barbarians and can't forgive them his killed comrades, Vanya sees the beauty in their culture and the kindness in their actions towards them. The same contradiction as between the views of the Russians is also evident on the Chechen side. Many of the villagers want to see the two Russian soldiers dead, while something like a friendship developes between them and their silent guardian. After Sasha and Vanya survive digging for land mines at night, the Chechen rebels that forced them to do it start to recognize their courage. Even more, the daughter of the old man Abdul, Dina, falls in love with Vanya. These conflicting feelings between the two prisoners and their hostage-takers represent the complicated relationship between Russians and Chechens in general.
Vanya doesn't want to kill anybody, but Sasha tells him that's what he must do in a war - orders must be followed, after all: "I don't want to kill them." -"You have to, Vanya. It's war." This simple scene explains perfectly how war doesn't emerge from the people themselfes, but is imposed on them from above. Mentally healthy people are very reluctant to killing other human beings. Because of the mirror neurons system in our brain, the pain that we perceive in someone else is always also our own pain. Killing members of our own species has always to be learned before it becomes a matter of course, it is not natural.
In one scene, Sasha's telling Vanya about how he once tried to make love with a woman. But before it came to that, she simply passed out - it turned out that she had narcolepsy. This story is a metaphor for all of Sasha's life - he was looking for love, but it was never returned. Vanya has a loving mother who tries everything in her power to free him after she hears of his captivity. Sasha, at the other hand, is an orphan who never had anybody that really cared for him. This is the reason he's not capable of showing love to others.
While Sasha is thinking about how to escape, Abdul arranges an exchange with the commander of the local Russian troops. The commander, however, breaks his word and brings a Russian soldier in disguise instead of Abdul's son. Just as the Chechen rebels put their own civilians in danger at the beginning of the film, the commander has no problem with putting his own soldier's life in danger. As you later can see from his richly laid table, he benefits from the war and therefore has no interest in establishing peace. When Vanya's mother begs him to do something for her son's release, he lies to her and says he has already done everything he could do.
Sasha finally manages to escape together with Vanya. Their silent guardian, whom they became friends with, is killed by Sasha as a result. As long as there is war, there can be no cross-front friendship. They have a chance to escape for good. But after Sasha kills again, this time a shepherd to get his gun, a bullet goes off and the Chechens track them down. They are captured again. Sasha is put to death immediately. The reason he killed, is the reason he's being killed. With this, the movie shows how every action has a consequence.
While Abdul is hoping for his Son to come back alive, another Chechen father shoots his son in front of the local Russian headquarters because he was working together with the Russians: A honor killing. What one man is ready to give his life for, another wants to destroy. Sometimes, life is strange. He does it with a gun a Russian soldier exchanged for Vodka at a local Chechen shop. Another dead man because of alcohol, and the butterfly-effect at its best. In the ensuing uproar, Abdul's son, like Sasha, tries to escape his prison, but, like Sasha, gets killed. Now Abdul has no more reasons to let Vanya live. The Russian Commander knows this and promises to the mother "in advance" to avenge her son. Killing people is easier to him than saving lifes, after all.
The night before his execution, Vanya has a vision. He sees Sasha. He hasn't lost his sense of humor, but there's no anger anymore: "Remind me never to escape with you again." The first time Sasha seems really happy. Death gave redemption to him who could not find happiness in life: "I am dead, but I like it. Everything is peaceful now." The film invites you to think about whether death is really always a terrible event, or if it may deliver liberation to some. A very philosophical question.
Shortly before his execution, Abdul's daughter Dina wants to free Vanya. She hates what he and Sasha have done, but she still loves him: "You are like a dog now. It's not a shame for a dog to smell bad." Yet, Sasha's example taught Vanya that freedom at any price isn't worth it. He doesn't want to live anymore if those he loves have to die because of it. He knows that the Chechens won't forgive Dina for setting him free. Like in Alexander Pushkin's poem, the girl shouts "Run!" - but he declines. Vanya simply can't. Like Sasha, he has come to terms with his death.
Prisoner of the Mountains is a calm, poetic movie about the unknown, friendship, love and the destructive force of war. An inattentive viewer can miss out on many of the subtle details and metaphors of this masterpiece, so don't look at it half-heartedly. And if you've already done it, I strongly recommend you to look at it again.