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Lee Eisenberg 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.

ereinion Sergei Bodrov shows here that he is one of the most talented filmmakers in Russia today, with this riveting tale from the Chechen war. "Kavkazskij plennik" stars his own son Sergei jr. and Oleg Menshikov and both do a fabulous job as the Russian soldiers imprisoned by the Chechens in Caucasus.This movie is just what the world needed at such a time-an open hearted and humanistic telling about the evils of war and the uselesness of it all. Although the Russians can sometimes seem portrayed as the better side here and Chechens as ruthless, primitive, barbaric religious fanatics, the portrayal of the Russian commander quickly erases that impression. Here we see the laid back and careless attitude that mirrors the real Russian generals' attitude.The film is pretty tragic, from the death of Menshikov's character and to the tragic and unfortunate killing of Abdul-Murat's son, yet it leaves some hope in the end as Abdul-Murat shows pity for the young soldier whose mother has appealed for his release directly to him. But just as you think that this film will end well, the airplanes come. The ending is truly remarkable and well shot. It echoes the message of the absurdity of war and leaves us with little hope for the peace in the Caucasus.10 out of 10.

Claudio Carvalho In the war between Russia and Chechnya, the two Russian soldiers Sacha (Oleg Menshikov) and Vanya (Sergei Bodrov Jr.) are ambushed and made prisoners of war by a group of Chechens. The old man Abdul-Murat (Dzhemal Sikharulidze) wants to exchange them by his last son, who was arrested by the Russian troops. His other two sons were killed by the Russians, and his family is composed only by his teenager daughter Dina (Susanna Mekhraliyeva) and himself. The two soldiers are kept alive in his village, while Abdul tries to negotiate them with the Russian Commander Maslov (Aleksei Zharkov). Sacha and Vanya are very different persons and while together, they get closer. Sacha has the mentality of a soldier, intending to kill the Chechens from the village, while Vanya is a teacher and prefers to try to understand the locals behavior and culture, performing small jobs for them, like fixing clocks. Vanya falls in love with Dina. This beautiful movie is another magnificent anti-war movie. The touching story, supported by an excellent cast and the Caucasian locations, makes this movie a worthwhile entertainment. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil): `Prisioneiros das Montanhas' (`Prisoners of the Mountains')

George Parker Sometimes I think you could show two hours of a ploar bear sleeping in a snowstorm and film critics would find some kind of interesting if not apocalyptic story in it. Such is the ability of cinema buffs to project their beliefs, sentiments, and subjective interpretations into film. For this and only this reason can one explain the many awards and nominations of the bleak, tedious, and uneventful "Prisoner of the Mountains". Adapted from a Tolstoy novel about the age old struggle between Russians and Moslems in Chechnya, this film follows the misadventures of two Russian soldiers who are captured and detained by agrarian, mountain dwelling locals. There a prisoner for prisoner swap goes sour. There's some brief violence and scurrying around which takes about 10% of the movie run time. The rest of the time is spent watching the two captive soldiers getting drunk, whittling, chatting with passers-by, and making friends with their captors, etc. Were is not for the fact that the film gives a rare look (for westerners) into the beauty of the mountains and people of Dagestan, this film would be difficult to recommend.