Has anyone else seen this film?

It is a Russian film. The title means "Purgatory" in Russian. A colonel at the Carlisle Barracks has written a doctoral dissertation about the film and its meanings in modern Russian politics. It is extremely interesting on many levels.

The realism gave me nightmares for weeks. It convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I am ever in a position where someone is trying to kidnap me they will never take me alive, no way. Words aren't enough.

I believe this film should be included as a primer for any troops being sent anywhere in the Middle East so they have a very clear and graphic representation of what is possible where they are headed.

It is a clash of civilizations and religion.

I'll say, this movie has a load of propaganda, even it's author Alexander Nevzorov was not a movie maker, but journalist. Many things were hyperboled, for example, although war in the East, as I'm read the memoir of veterans, is quite cruel.

Are you mad because the two female snipers were Latvian?

It does have a lot of symbolism but that doesn't detract from the movie. All classics are LOADED with symbolism, double entendre and remember... its a movie, not a documentary.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Are you mad because the two female snipers were Latvian?

Actually they where Lithuanian. It's a little different.
And there are no strict evidences, that Baltic female snipers have been in Chechnya, although Baltic nationalists claims that there have been their volunteers. It still stays unproven, because Russian side has not captured any Baltic citizen (at least with Baltic passport with him ) and those, who have been there, does not reveal officially, since they fear from Russian revenge.

It does have a lot of symbolism but that doesn't detract from the movie. All classics are LOADED with symbolism, double entendre and remember... its a movie, not a documentary.

Maybe. I'm not the right target auditorium for symbolism and metaphors...

Fair enough but I know this film was being used by the US Army Staff College Carlisle Barracks to teach our officers about the modern Russian Army's current morale and related social issues.

Take for example the scene where the tanker whose legs were blown off is crucified and put up in the window as a human shield. That tanker symbolised the Russian Army and the officers in command of operations who felt that the Moscow leadership had crucified them and let them be slaughtered and then left Basayev a window of time and space to escape when the boots on the ground had him by the balls.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Fair enough but I know this film was being used by the US Army Staff College Carlisle Barracks to teach our officers about the modern Russian Army's current morale and related social issues.

I'm not sure is it still actual. Morale of Russian soldier@1995 and @2007 may be quite different...

Got a few friends serving now and to a man they have told me "**** all has changed and Chechens are still cunts." Talked to two veterans of Grozny and they said the movie was over the top with some things but accurate as sniper fire on most things. Its a farsight better than "War".