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The wars in Chechnya and Afghanistan are far from the brightest page in Soviet and Russian history. Wars claimed tens of thousands of lives, maimed and mutilated even more. A huge number of young guys left their health or even life in a foreign country.
Of course, such a topic could not go unnoticed by the directors, and many films and series were shot about those events. Some are openly propagandistic, others are simply weak. In this compilation, we have compiled a list of the top 10 best action films and mini-series on the theme of the war in Afghanistan and Chechnya, which will be a pleasure to watch for all fans of the genre.
10 Achilles heel (2006)
The action movie directed by Igor Talp tells about businessman Maxim and journalist Lisa, who, due to a tragic set of circumstances, are captured by a terrorist group led by Marat. They hope that a ransom will be paid for them and they will be free, but the transfer of money is frustrated. Then they understand that in order to gain freedom, they will have to rely only on their own strength.
The film, of course, does not justify the actions of the kidnappers, but tries to explain their actions. Marat is not a caricatured criminal without a clear motivation, but a hero with a difficult fate. He is forced to become a terrorist by the murder of his family, for which he intends to avenge everyone indiscriminately.
9. Two Steps to Silence (1991)
The film plunges the viewer into the events of February 1989, when Soviet troops were preparing to leave Afghanistan. At the same time, the war was not over yet, and most importantly, the soldiers began to ask questions. After many deaths and broken destinies, they began to wonder who they are? Can they consider themselves liberators? Or is the definition of invaders more suitable for them? The militant of Yuri Tupitsky does not try to give a definite answer, but gives the audience food for thought.
Real Soviet soldiers during the war asked themselves the same questions, and there is still debate around the world about who they were.
8. Landing. Nobody But Us (2009)
Mini-series “Desantura. No one but us” is centered around a group of paratroopers who, in a difficult time for Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, protect the interests of the Motherland, saving human lives. However, not only battles are shown here (which are well staged here), but also undercover games of officers, hazing, corruption, and other unpleasant, but real aspects of the army.
All this is shown, although not with 100% reliability and realism, but the very fact that they are talking about it, and not trying to hide it, pleases.
7. Storm Gate (2006)
Another mini-series (only 4 episodes), this time based on the book by Alexander Tamonnikov “Rota goes to the sky.” The film tells about the battle at the Storm Gate Pass. Here, at the height of 776, in 2000 a fierce battle really took place, but the tape, like the novel, is a fiction: the author claimed that he wrote it before the real events.
Courage, heroism, the ability to sacrifice – not only this is shown here, but also harshness, pain, fear and other hard-hitting aspects of war. After the battle, not many soldiers remain alive, whom everyone considers heroes, but they themselves have a different opinion. When they are awarded awards (one of the fighters becomes a Hero of Russia), each of them understands at what cost they got them and what is the value of these awards. The way the medals were earned left an indelible mark on everyone, and no reward can mend their broken lives.
6. 9 mouth (2005)
In recent years, Fyodor Bondarchuk has been criticized both for his directorial and acting work. It cannot be said that the claims are unfounded: he really associates with projects of dubious quality, but no one will dare to say that he does not know how to make good films. The drama “9th Company” is a vivid proof of this. This is, without exaggeration, a cult Russian film about the war, which shows without embellishment all the horror that young guys faced when they ended up in Chechnya.
Not having time to really live, they got into a situation that completely changed them. No one returned the same, and many did not return at all, and sometimes the reason was the inaction of their own leadership.
5. Kandahar (2010)
The main characters of the film “Kandahar” are 5 crew members of an Il-76 cargo plane who are captured by a terrorist group in Afghanistan. hoping for the help of the Russian authorities, they patiently wait until they are returned home, but time is running out, and no one is in a hurry to pull them out. They realize that if they do not want to die in captivity with the Islamists, they need to run. To do this, they have to pretend that they are ready to teach terrorists how to fly. In fact, they are growing an escape plan, which they manage to implement only after 378 days of captivity.
The film was shot for a decent amount by the standards of 2010 – $ 7 million. The fact that they managed to earn twice as much at the box office proves once again that the tape turned out to be good. For such a Russian cinema is not ashamed. Despite the fact that it has a minimum of dynamics and action scenes, the screenwriter, cameraman, director and actors managed to shoot everything in such a way that it is difficult to tear yourself away from the screen.
4. Shooter (2012)
And again, a mini-series, in the center of events of which is a group of soldiers, each of whom experienced a terrible tragedy – the loss of a partner and friend. They go to the mountains with a simple and understandable goal – to take revenge. Realizing that not everyone will return. He. ready to risk their lives, but what they are not ready for is the betrayal of someone who was considered a brother.
3. March (2003)
Action March tells about a simple guy from an orphanage who, during the second Chechen war, decides to join the army. Good physical preparation and inner core allow him to easily get into the best troops and find friends. Unfortunately, for him, as well as for other guys, the service turns into a tragedy: he is captured and loses a close friend.
But every cloud has a silver lining, because after going through a real hell, he manages to find love and a family. For him, who grew up in an orphanage and never knew a family, this becomes a much more significant reward than all the orders in the world.
2. Officers (2006)
Yegor Osoragin, nicknamed Stavr, and Alexander Gaydamak, called Shuraken, are not only close friends, but also the elite of the special forces. There are no impossible tasks for them, and wherever they are sent – to Afghanistan or even Africa – everywhere they carry out the mission entrusted to them with brilliance. Each of them is ready without hesitation to close a friend from a bullet, but when a girl Zhenya appears in their life, everything changes. Both fall in love with her, and love, as you know, can be stronger and stronger than male friendship.
1. Shooting Mountains (2011)
Captain Merkuriev is an experienced officer of the border troops, who is ordered to take up defense at the border outpost in the Pankisi Gorge. A group of terrorists led by Khasan is preparing to illegally cross the Russian border, but Merkuriev will not allow this. In that battle, he not only gets injured, but also finds in the person of Hasan a dangerous enemy, with whom life and war will bring him face to face more than once.