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DirectorSergei Bodrov Initial DVD releaseJuly 1, 2003 CountryRussia
Kazakhstan
Release date1996 WriterArif Aliev, Sergey Bodrov, Boris Giller ScreenplaySergei Bodrov, Arif Aliyev, Boris Giller CastOleg Menshikov (Sacha Kostylin), Sergey Bodrov Jr. (Ivan (Vanya) Zhilin), Jemal Sikharulidze (Abdul-Murat), Susanna Mekhraliyeva (Dina), Aleksandr Bureyev (Hasan), Valentina Fedotova (Zhilin's Mother) Similar moviesSergei Bodrov - Jr movies, Story by Leo Tolstoy, Movies about Russia TaglineAn extraordinary story of hope, courage and humanity.
Prisoner of the Mountains (Russian: Кавказский пленник, Kavkazskiy plennik), also known as Prisoner of the Caucasus, is a 1996 Russian 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 in 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.
This film illustrates the conflicting views between traditional Chechen culture and Russian warfare through the 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.
Cast
Oleg Menshikov – Sasha
Sergei Bodrov, Jr. – 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 the two survivors are taken prisoner by an old man Abdul Murat, who wants to swap them for his son held by the Russians. The two prisoners cope with the situation in very different ways, as the war-hardened and cynical sergeant Sasha (Oleg Menshikov) works to escape while the young and naive conscript Vanya (Sergei Bodrov, Jr.) tries to make friends with his captors and falls in love with the daughter Dina. After an escape attempt fails, the different personalities of the two prisoners determine their fate.
Awards
Awards:
European Film Award – Outstanding Single Achievement
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – Award of Ecumenical Jury
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – Crystal Globe
Nika Awards – Best Actor
Nika Awards – Best Director
Nika Awards – Best Film
Nika Awards – Best Screenplay
Nominations:
Academy Award – Best Foreign Language Film (Russia)
Golden Globe Award – Best Foreign Language Film (Russia)
Nika Awards – Best Cinematographer
Nika Awards – Best Sound Editing
Satellite Awards – Best Motion Picture (Foreign Language)
Ratings
Prisoner of the Mountains received a very positive score of 87% "fresh" (positive) reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, with the average rating of 8.3/10.