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.
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Title: Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Oleg Menshikov | ... | Sacha Kostylin | |
| Sergey Bodrov | ... | Ivan (Vanya) Zhilin | |
| Jemal Sikharulidze | ... | Abdul-Murat | |
| Susanna Mekhraliyeva | ... | Dina | |
 |
Aleksandr Bureyev | ... | Hasan |
|
|
Valentina Fedotova | ... | Zhilin's Mother |
| Aleksey Zharkov | ... | Maslov, the Russian Commander | |
|
|
T. Kibyev | ||
|
|
Valeri Kostrin | ||
| Pavel Lebeshev | ... | (as P. Lebeshev) | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Based upon a short story by Leo Tolstoy, two Russian soldiers, Sacha and Vania, are ambushed by Muslim rebels in the grandly forbidding Caucasus and taken prisoner. Although complete understanding never fully emerges, their bittersweet ordeal reveals the human soul of two vastly different cultures. Written by Dawn M. Barclift
Plot Keywords:
russian soldier | caucasus | chechnya | slave labor | mountain region |Taglines:
An extraordinary story of hope, courage and humanity.Parents Guide:
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Ivan Zhilin: Did not get a chance.
Sacha Kostylin: What is your name, again?
Ivan Zhilin: Private Gilin.
Sacha Kostylin: You are a rotten soldier, Private Gilin.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The leading role of Vanya is played by Sergei Bodrov Jr.,the son of the director. See more »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. See more »Quotes
Sacha Kostylin: Did you shoot?Ivan Zhilin: Did not get a chance.
Sacha Kostylin: What is your name, again?
Ivan Zhilin: Private Gilin.
Sacha Kostylin: You are a rotten soldier, Private Gilin.
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Details
Release Date:
31 January 1997 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Prisoner of the Mountains See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$17,205, 2 February 1997Gross USA:
$790,078Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$921,886Company Credits
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One might assume that the title refers only to the two Russian soldiers taken hostage by villagers in the Caucasus. But the Russian army has the village surrounded, so the townspeople are also prisoners. Moreover, each side is a prisoner of their own hate: the Russians can't see the villagers as humans and the villagers can't see the Russians as humans, thereby continuing the cycle of hate. Even the village elder is a prisoner of tradition: he uses a ceremonial knife for something in which he could have used a gun.
All in all, "Kavkazskiy plennik" (called "Prisoner of the Mountains" in English) is a very well done movie. Oleg Menshikov and Sergei Bodrov Jr. do very well with their roles, and the situation in Chechnya makes the movie all the more relevant.