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Prisoner of the Mountains

Original title: Kavkazskiy plennik
  • 1996
  • R
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
DramaWar

Two Russian soldiers, one battle-seasoned and the other barely into his boots and uniform, are taken prisoner by an anxious Islamic father from a remote village hoping to trade them for his ... Read allTwo Russian soldiers, one battle-seasoned and the other barely into his boots and uniform, are taken prisoner by an anxious Islamic father from a remote village hoping to trade them for his captured son.Two Russian soldiers, one battle-seasoned and the other barely into his boots and uniform, are taken prisoner by an anxious Islamic father from a remote village hoping to trade them for his captured son.

  • Director
    • Sergei Bodrov
  • Writers
    • Arif Aliev
    • Sergei Bodrov
    • Boris Giller
  • Stars
    • Oleg Menshikov
    • Sergey Bodrov
    • Susanna Mekhraliyeva
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    4.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Sergei Bodrov
    • Writers
      • Arif Aliev
      • Sergei Bodrov
      • Boris Giller
    • Stars
      • Oleg Menshikov
      • Sergey Bodrov
      • Susanna Mekhraliyeva
    • 28User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 14 wins & 6 nominations total

    Photos22

    Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Jemal Sikharulidze in Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Jemal Sikharulidze in Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Susanna Mekhraliyeva in Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Sergey Bodrov and Oleg Menshikov in Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Jemal Sikharulidze in Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Jemal Sikharulidze in Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Sergey Bodrov in Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
    Sergey Bodrov in Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Oleg Menshikov
    Oleg Menshikov
    • Sacha Kostylin
    Sergey Bodrov
    Sergey Bodrov
    • Ivan (Vanya) Zhilin
    Susanna Mekhraliyeva
    Susanna Mekhraliyeva
    • Dina
    Jemal Sikharulidze
    Jemal Sikharulidze
    • Abdul-Murat
    Aleksandr Bureyev
    • Hasan
    Valentina Fedotova
    • Zhilin's Mother
    Aleksey Zharkov
    Aleksey Zharkov
    • Maslov, the Russian Commander
    T. Kibyev
    Valeri Kostrin
    Pavel Lebeshev
    Pavel Lebeshev
      • Director
        • Sergei Bodrov
      • Writers
        • Arif Aliev
        • Sergei Bodrov
        • Boris Giller
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        The film was shot within 20 miles of actual battles then occurring between Russians and Chechens. Local Muslim guerrillas served as bogyguards for the cast and crew. The film tells the story of two prisoners of war, but truth is stranger than fiction: when the guerrillas found out that amateur actress Susanna Mekhraliyeva was paid for her job in U.S. dollars they took the whole film crew prisoner! Her salary was soon changed for Russian rubles and the shooting continued as if nothing had happened.
      • Goofs
        After Sacha and Vanya escape and remove the shackles from their ankles, they begin running upstream. The scene cuts to a different angle, and they are running downstream.
      • Quotes

        Sacha Kostylin: I am dead, but I like it. Everything is peaceful now.

      • Connections
        Featured in 54th Golden Globe Awards (1997)
      • Soundtracks
        GO DOWN MOSES
        (trad)

        Arranged by Harry Thacker Burleigh

        Performed by Louis Armstrong

      User reviews28

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      10/10
      strong, warm and humane
      There are probably a lot of prejudices people have against Russian film. Mine were gone after I had seen this one.

      "Kavkazskij plennik" is a film about a youth who's being sent to Chechnya to fight for the Russian army. He's together with another Russian soldier being captured in Chechnya by an older Chechnyan man who wants to change them for his own son, who's is being held by the Russians. There being locked into an old house high among the Caucasian mountains. Soon a friendship develops between them and young girl who brings them food and water.

      This movie was made after and during the last months of the first Chechnyan war. Everybody's a victim and there is nothing to win in this war, specially for the Russians. It is just a matter of how much you lose. The persons in this film do not hate each other because their fighting on different sides. The Chechnyans probably hates what these Russian soldiers represent, but they know that this war isn't caused by these two Russians. They are both just a small, meaningless part of it. Russia does not give a damn about their lives, probably because it's leaders have lost the humane touch, while calculating their offensives. Lives have been reduced into numbers on white sheet. But there are people who care, even among the "enemies". Normal people still show respect for humanity.

      The rhythm of the movie is great, it leaves the viewer enough time to think and also find the deeper thoughts from the movie. The music is well selected too, I just cant get that tune out of my head. This together with a realistic humane aspect gives this movie a strong pacifistic tune. Definitely worth to take a look at.
      helpful•14
      2
      • micke83fi
      • Dec 25, 2000

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      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • January 31, 1997 (United States)
      • Countries of origin
        • Russia
        • Kazakhstan
      • Languages
        • Russian
        • Turkish
        • Georgian
        • Chechen
      • Also known as
        • Kavkaz asiri
      • Filming locations
        • Richa, Dagestan, Russia
      • Production companies
        • Karavan
        • BG Production
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Gross US & Canada
        • $790,078
      • Opening weekend US & Canada
        • $17,205
        • Feb 2, 1997
      • Gross worldwide
        • $921,886
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 39 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Dolby
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.85 : 1

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