Without doubt the dirtiest war of the late 20th Century was the war in Chechnya . It was actually two wars from 1994to 1996 and flared up in to a second war that lasted from 1999 to 2007 and even today there's acts of sporadic violence . The wars have cost the Russians as much as 8,000 military while the Chechens themselves may have lost 250,000 people both combatants and civilian , a quarter of the population of Chechnya . The worst thing is neither can claim any moral high ground . The Chechens may claim to be victims of genocide but any resistance that involves massacring civilians at Russian schools , cinemas and hospitals has a hard time of claiming victim hood The most compelling account of the conflict comes from the pen of Arkady Babchenko in his book One Soldier's War In Chechnya . It tells of his time as a conscript in the Russian army in the first war and of his time as a regular volunteer in the second war . What quickly becomes apparent is what a brutal institution the Russian army is . Recruits spend the first year of their service under " the rule of the grandfathers " soldiers in their second year where recruits are subject to effective slavery at its most brutal and unrelenting which will shock anyone who has any military understanding PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS is set during the first Chechen war where two Russian soldiers , Sgt Kostylin and Private Zhilin , are captured by rebels . The film does allude to the structural gulf between an experienced soldier like Kostylin and a recruit like Zhilin , the older soldier doesn't believe the Chechens will trade the recruit because he's unimportant to the Russian army but this is quickly forgotten about as the film moves in to predictable and simplistic territory that states that no matter the conflict and the uniforms we wear we are all human beings caught up in situations made by others It's a well enough made film but by the same token there's nothing outstanding about it either . There's also the problem that if you've read Babchenko's book featuring the very real atrocities each side has committed against the other - in fact each side also commits atrocities on their own - then it does have a rather Walt Disney feel

As other have commented, the movie tries to apply a relatively even hand to both sides of the chechen conflict, possibly being a little more biased to the chechen point of view. What surprised me about this movie was that I came out of it more supportive of the Russian side of the conflict. Let me explain: Lets say you are a American living in present day Wyoming. Now imagine if there still existed unassimilated cheyenne indians in the area living out their old traditions and who would still periodically conduct war parties and scalp and kill anyone they found who was not a part of their tribe. If you are living in Wyoming, taking trips outside urbanized areas becomes quite harrowing. Such conditions would make one lose one's fascination of Indian culture quite rapidly.Present day conditions in the Caucauses are not so much different than the hypothetical example given above. These traditional Islamic cultures can be extraordinarily savage and haven't progressed much in the last 1000 years. The only current technology they have embraced is that which allows them to kill more people.The movie is well written and directed. It does try to be as honest as humanly possible with the subject matter. As a result, one is not preached to and allowed to make up their own mind, which is very rare in film.

In this film, I can find almost everything what I like in a movie. It presents the life of a small community, their thoughts, their feelings and their habits. It has a nice atmosphere, beautiful sights, good actors, and a strong story. What else do you want? Another reason to love Russian movies.

Best, most moving anti-war movie I've ever seen. The scenery is breathtaking. The acting and direction superb, and the story is without equal. Highly recommended for anyone who likes great movies. This Russian movie is incredible in scope and production. Two thumbs up!