The Beast of War (1988)

A Soviet tank and its warring crew become separated from their patrol and lost in an Afghan valley with a group of vengeance-seeking rebels on their tracks.

Director:

Kevin Reynolds

Writers:

William Mastrosimone (screenplay), William Mastrosimone (play)

Stars:

George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Dzundza	...	Daskal
Jason Patric	...	Konstantin Koverchenko
Steven Bauer	...	Khan Taj
Stephen Baldwin	...	Anthony Golikov
Don Harvey	...	Kaminski
Kabir Bedi	...	Akbar
Erick Avari	...	Samad
Chaim Jeraffi	...	Moustafa (as Haim Gerafi)
Shoshi Marciano	...	Sherina (as Shosh Marciano)
Yitzhak Ne'eman	...	Iskandar (as Itzhak Babi Ne'Eman)
David Sherrill	...	Kovolov
Moshe Vapnik	...	Hasan
Claude Aviram	...	Sadioue
Victor Ken	...	Ali
Avi Keedar	...	Noor

Storyline

During the war in Afghanistan a Soviet tank crew commanded by a tyrannical officer find themselves lost and in a struggle against a band of Mujahadeen guerrillas in the mountains. A unique look at the Soviet 'Vietnam' experience sympathetically told for both sides.

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Plot Keywords:

russian | soldier | tank warfare | war crime | brutality | 

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Taglines:

The Cause: freedom. The enemy: The world's deadliest fighting machine.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The tank used in the film is an authentic Soviet T-55, captured by the IDF during the Arab-Israeli conflicts (although it was modified by the Israelis and re-designated as the Ti-67 and fitted with a 105mm main gun in place of the original 100mm gun). The film's military advisor, Dale Dye, said that he negotiated the purchase of the tanks over drinks with Israel Defense Forces officers in a Tel Aviv hotel.

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Goofs

The Afghan women are not wearing face coverings, which they would have, especially in the rural areas.

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Quotes

Kaminski: I hate this fucking country.

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Crazy Credits

At the start of the film, just after the Columbia Pictures logo the following quote is given: When you're wounded an' left on Afghanistan's plains. An' the women come out to cut up your remains, Just roll to your rifle an' blow out your brains, An' go to your Gawd like a soldier. - Rudyard Kipling

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Alternate Versions

There are two versions playing on American Premium (Subscription) Movie Channels. One has subtitles for the Mujahadeen and the other does not. Currently, on STARZ, the version with subtitles is playing. Last year, on A&E, was the version without subtitles.

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Connections

Referenced in Syphon Filter 3 (2001)

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Soundtracks

Trolleybus
Written by Viktor Tsoi
Performed by Kino
Produced by Joel Bastener

User Reviews

The Soviets Lost In Afghanistan

The only movie that I am aware of that deals explicitly with the Soviet war in Afghanistan, "The Beast" is also a fascinating example of an American made war movie that features absolutely no American characters. The conflict here is totally between a group of local Afghan mujahideen and the crew of a lost Soviet tank struggling to find their way out of a valley in which they're trapped. (The image of the lost tank may well be a symbolic representation of the wider war - the Soviet Union being hopelessly lost in Afghanistan.) The movie features a fairly graphic portrayal of the horrors of the battle from the point of view of both sides, as well as of the growing weariness of the Soviets, who - with the exception of their gung-ho and somewhat insane commander - want nothing more than to get out of this country as fast as possible. The mood of the movie is complemented perfectly by the starkness of the desert landscape. Opening with an example of an atrocity by the tank crew against the inhabitants of a small Afghan village, the movie follows the mujahideen as they seek revenge against their invaders.

The performances in this movie were absolutely first-rate, headed by a fantastic piece of work by George Dzundza as the insane commander Daskal, who willingly kills his own men if he takes a dislike to them and who refuses a chance to escape via a Soviet helicopter that chances upon the lost crew, choosing instead to get out with his tank and his crew. Jason Patric was equally good as Koverchenko, a member of the tank crew who finally turns against Daskal, and eventually finds himself aligned with the mujahideen in a quest for his own personal revenge against Daskal.

The Russians in this movie speak English (thankfully without fake accents) while the Afghans speak whatever their particular native language is with subtitles, which suggests to me that the Russians (and how they respond to their increasingly hopeless situation) are the focal point of the movie. I approach this type of movie with a bit of a grain of salt. American movies that depicted the Soviet Union in the 1980's tended to be a little bit over the top in their portrayal of the Soviet Union as Ronald Reagan's "evil empire." Still, there's no doubt that the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan was a rather brutal affair, and this seemed a not unreasonable depiction of it. Truly one of the better war movies I've ever seen. 9/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Pushto

Release Date:

7 September 1988 (France)

Also Known As:

The Beast

Filming Locations:

Israel

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$161,004

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$161,004

Company Credits

Production Co:

A&M Films, Brightstar Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1