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9th Company 2 Disc Collectors Edition
RRP: £19.99
Editorial
Product Description
Post-communist Russia's highest grossing film to date, 9TH COMPANY is a stirring and extremely timely modern day war movie on a par with Hollywood blockbusters 'Full Metal Jacket' and 'Platoon'. Based on real events, the film follows the ill-fated fortunes of a small group of young Russian soldiers, from the trials of boot camp to their arrival in the heart of the war zone and the climactic, bloody battle that made them heroes.
Editorial
Synopsis
Based on real events, epic war movie 9TH COMPANY follows a group of Soviet soldiers from boot camp to fighting in Afghanistan and their battle against 400 Afghan rebels on the Djardan ‘3234’ Heights in January 1989. The 39 Soviet soldiers’ actions made them heroes in their home country. Featuring impressively realistic battle scenes, astounding cinematography, over 1,500 extras and enough military hardware to take a small country, the film is set on a grand scale. It also sheds new light on the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, a conflict that had only previously seen through Western eyes in films such as RAMBO 3 and THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS.
Still waiting for a good movie about the Soviet experience
Review date: 2008-08-21 Rating: 6 out of 10
The film is based on a real battle that took place early 1988, during the last large-scale Soviet military operation "Magistral". I was in the region myself along with the troops. In the movie, only one soldier from the company survives and the company is said to have been "forgotten" by the military command because of the Soviet withdrawal. But in reality, the story was different. The 9th Company, 345th Guards Airborne Regiment was pinned down under heavy fire on "Hill 3234" between 7 and 8 January 1988. They managed to stop several attacks by an estimated 250500 Mujahideen. The company lost only 6 men! Another 28 out of the total 39 were wounded. The unit was in constant communication with headquarters and got everything the regiment commander, Colonel Vostrotin, could provide in terms of ammunition, reinforcements, and helicopter evacuation of the wounded.
9th Company falls short of being an accurate account of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. It was perceived as a blockbuster movie with a lot of special effects and this goal was achieved. But Russian cinematography needs to revisit that war and create a real masterpiece, similar to those that appeared a decade after the end of the Vietnam war.
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Reviews
FMJ in russian salsa
Review date: 2008-05-18 Rating: 10 out of 10
A solid war movie, with a traditional story: rookie training, war routine, last standing battle. A mix between Full Metal Jacket and Hamburger Hill. Good action scenes (but without hollywood's technotricks). Only some errors in subtitles translation (the film original soundtrack is in russian)
Plagiarism and a little more Plagiarism!
Review date: 2008-04-05 Rating: 4 out of 10
The main problem with 9th Company (9 Rota) is that it is not sure whether it wants to be Saving Private Ryan or Full Metal Jacket. The attempts at Speilberg sentimentalism are embarrassing such as the burley sergeant crying in a field of red flowers. The training sequences have none of intensity or realism that Kubrick gave them in his masterpiece.
A further bone of contention is that the Afghan fighters are called Ghosts because they strike and are hardly ever seen. Here they attack a Russian strong hold almost in formation with no attempt to use cover. I am sure tactics have move on since Waterloo.
Every scene in this film has been seen before in other war movies and done considerably better.
I have to ask: Why do all talented marksmen need to chew on a match?
Finally, I am always suspicious of a film that starts with no narration yet needs it to qualify the end.
"We won!" ...errrr....... no you didn't.
9 Rota - Afganistan, USSR's Vietnam War
Review date: 2008-02-28 Rating: 6 out of 10
The film is based on real events. Based! that is and certainly not a true story any more than Full Metal Jacket is a true story but based on the Experience of the Vietnam War. Anyone looking up the real events this film is based upon will be greatly disappointed, it is not a true story but an interpretation of the War the Soviets fought in Afganistan. Good to clear that up!
This film was very popular upon its release in Russia, the culture is changing and as was with Vietnam movies in the US now a generation in Russia is looking for the untold story of Afganistan. In fact these experiences are on par. Full Metal Jacket is also the movie to compare it with for the story unfolds in a like manner, we follow new recruits from the start then through training on to deployment in Afganistan then to combat and finally a last battle.
The first part of the movie I thought was really good, the cast is a mismatched bunch of men turn into soldiers. Not many Hollywood faces and very gritty stories to the side make it very entertaining. One could say brutally funny. The second part at trainig is also impressive (even if you have seen movies like it before), they have the drill sergeant from Hell: Praporshik Dygalo. He pushes them and breaks them down harder than any other drill sergeant but as it turns out because he wants them to survive. The third part, deployment in Afganistan is also good, soldiers life of hurry up and wait, what to do to spend time, alcohol and such. Also the newcomers are nothing to the veterans. And then on to the forth part which is a bit of a let down. Plenty of explosions but not very good battle scenes and it is more reminiscent of old action movies with a lot of silly heroics. And an end that has nothing to do with the events the movie is based upon. As with Star the Russian film industry is just making an entry into modern filmmaking and they have a lot of catching up to do, but I think they will get there fast.
The first 3 parts of the movie are very entertaining and then it lets you down a bit but is still very watchable. Cinematography is here and there excellent and the Russians seem to have access to a considerable amount of military hardware. There is a scene with two Hind Helicopters flying that is very impressive but then you also have battle scenes that have plenty of explosions but bad choreography.
I enjoyed the film but don't consider it a masterpiece. But then I am not of the lost Soviet generation and I can understand why the movie would have a greater impact with them.
War is hell
Review date: 2008-01-23 Rating: 8 out of 10
A gritty compelling look at the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. It is built along the same lines as Hamburger Hill with plenty of tense situations and compelling action as a remote Soviet outpost has to maintain safe passage for Soviet convoys. Initially, one sees the complexity of the situation as the young Soviet soldiers find themselves truly in alien land, with some interesting exchanges with Afghan rebels and a nearby village, but ultimately this movie is about the valor of the soldiers as they make their heroic stand against a faceless Afghan army.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Fyordor Bondarchuk
Ivan Kokorin
Aleksei Chadov
Mikhail Evlanov
Creators:
Fyordor Bondarchuk (Primary Contributor)
Aleksei Chadov (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Contender Entertainment Group
Manufacturer: Contender Entertainment Group
EAN: 5030305511760
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Collector's Edition, PAL,
Release date: 2007-06-11
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 134 minutes
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Russian (Original Language)