Ever read the book? It's 1,000 times better than the movie.
Posted on 04/05/2011 9:19:50 AM PDT by MrInvisible
Last night I watched the movie 9th Company on Netflix. This is an outstanding war movie that in my opinion is not to be missed by war movie aficionados. It's a riveting, true account of a group of young enlisted Soviet paratroopers. In the beginning, you follow this group of young men through the rigors of bootcamp where they eventually develop a close camaraderie. They're mentored by a tough, stomach-punching drill sergeant who's the lone survivor of his unit from the Afghan conflict. Even though he's tough as nails, he cares about his soldiers he mentors and wishes he could go with them, but his request for transfer is denied. As soon as these young Russian men set foot in Afghanistan they're immediately shocked by the harsh realities of what being in a war zone is really like. And they soon take a liking to their new officers who at times off harsh lessons on what it really takes to survive. These young paratroopers are tasked with protecting a convoy and take up position on top of a hill. They're confronted with swarms of Muj and much of the movie is filled with intense fire fights and brutally-realistic action scenes. If you've seen documentaries on the current US war in Afghanistan you'll quickly see how the Russian and American experience are similar and you can't help but compare the two. The cinematography is outstanding and this is a well produced war movie that obviously had a handsome budget. This movie ends on an interesting twist with a lesson that many American vets can probably identify with. I believe this is a war movie you'll remember. 9th Company.
Should be “Talvisota.”
Interesting scenes. Looks well done. Is this Russia’s version of “Platoon” only not hateful of its military like Oliver Stone is of America’s?
bfl
“Tavisota”, a Finnish movie about the Winter War. ................... That’s Part II, it was a sequel to another movie. Saw it. My uncle was there then.
Thanks for the tip.
Right you are. The first part of that movie has the same power as did the original "All Quiet on the Western Front."
Brilliant in its portrayal of those awful times.
The other night I blundered across “The 9th Company” on Netflix and livestreamed it to the TV. It was based loosely on the actual Battle For Hill 3234 in 1988 Afghanistan.
I enjoyed the movie, sex scene a little flaky, and thought the last battle scene was a little dumb, with the Mujahedeen coming zombie like abreast across open ground. But then done a little research on “Battle For Hill 3234” and found it was 39 Soviet paratroopers attacked 12 times in one day by hundreds of the Mujahedeen. When the battle was over, the 39 paratroopers had suffered 34 causalities, with 6 dead and 28 wounded, with over 200 dead Mujahideen, So maybe that final battle scene was not so dumb after all.
IMO, bravery by all military combatants is bravery, the cause they fight for may be wrong, but the brave, for being brave, have nothing to apologize for.
Netflix bkmk
ping
The story that the movie was based on, was just one chapter in the entire book.
But there’s one thing the movie had that the book didn’t, Rachel Weisz. ;)
Triumph of the Will is now streaming on Netflix. Everyone should watch that. I also like to call that movie “Obama’s Blueprint”
“Stalingrad” was another good German war movie.
I highly value the opinions of FREEPERS and I will definitely read it. Thank you.
Thanks for the info. Will have to check it out.
I would say it was pro military. There wasn’t any propaganda to it.
It didn’t have any commie propaganda. It’s just a story about a group of young Russian soldiers in the s#@t in Aghanistan. Once or twice you saw the Soviet flag but that was it.
No Putin, no commie propaganda. Just a good, but very intense war movie based on a true story. I thought it was very similar to what I’ve seen in documentaries on US troops in Aghanistan.
Thanks for the suggestion. Funny, I know someone who simply won’t watch movies or read books about “the other side”. He won’t watch “Das Boot”, “Letters from Iwo Jima” or any kind of movie like that.
I find it kind of interesting that some people feel that way. I don’t feel that way, and I certainly don’t engage in any kind of moral equivalency (specifically, comparing Japan to the US in WWII...we were NOT just two armed forces who were on opposing sides)
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