Uriah43
While conducting operations during the Soviet-Afghan War, a Soviet tank gets separated from its platoon and becomes the target of Mujahideen warriors who seek to destroy it before it can reach the Kandahar highway and eventual safety. Compounding their problems, the crew is led by a tyrannical tank commander by the name of "Daskal" (George Dzundza) who becomes highly suspicious of his own men and is perfectly willing to punish—or even kill—those who threaten his authority. Two men in particular are held in contempt by him: The first is an Afghan interpreter named "Samad" (Erick Avari) who is a committed communist but is too cultured and well-mannered for Daskal's liking. The second is a Soviet soldier by the name of "Konstantin Koverchenko" (Jason Patric) who demonstrates an intellectual philosophy that is totally at odds with Daskal's view of the world in general. But rather than accept these inherent differences in order to form a coherent team, Daskal wages his own war with them while also engaging a fierce and implacable Afghan enemy as well. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I thought this film was one of the best "tank movies" I have ever seen as it captures the difficulties that a crew of this type might face in a life-and-death struggle against the harsh desert elements combined with a ferocious foe. Additionally, I especially liked the fact that the action was extremely realistic and that all of the aforementioned actors performed in an exceptional manner as well. A remarkable film!
birck
I knew nothing about this film when I decided to watch it-I was interested in tank warfare, and movies about that are thin on the ground. The first pleasant surprise was that (in the print that I saw) the Afghans' dialogue is subtitled (rare in a pre- 2000 Hollywood film), and that the Russian characters speak plain American English. No clunky Russian accents, just dialogue between characters who all speak the same language. At first the "plot", such as it is, seemed pretty predictable. That may be true, but the way the film presents the plot is not predictable. All the praise the film gets in these reviews is merited-the acting is good, the story is believable, and what drives the story comes as a surprise. It may be a low-budget film, but if I had known about it when it came out, it would have put my butt in a theater seat somewhere, and I would have loved every minute.
johnklem
... as do its origins as a play. William Mastrosimone's a good enough playwright but doesn't have a good grasp of screenplays. The potential's there in the idea but he makes his political points too clumsily and there are far too many convenient coincidences that would have been (were?) overlooked on a stage. Even so, the biggest problem is the miscasting of the tank commander. He's never credible, despite his acting abilities, which are considerable. He's just miscast. He's the overweight sidekick or the comic relief, not a driven, battle-hardened Soviet commander. The other mistake was filming it in Israel. While parts of Afghanistan are barren, using Israel as a stand in flattens the film and lessens the impact of the Soviet presence. Hard to explain but it's clear when you see the film that the backdrop is wrong. Not a bad film but it could have been so much better.
sydneyswesternsuburbs
Director Kevin Reynolds who also created other classic flicks, Tristan + Isolde 2006, One Eight Seven 1997 and Rapa Nui 1994 has created another gem in The Beast of War.Starring Jason Patric who has also been in another classic flick, Rush 1991.Also starring George Dzundza who has also been in other classic flicks, Crimson Tide 1995, Basic Instinct 1992 and The Deer Hunter 1978.Also starring Steven Bauer who has also been in other classic flicks, Charlie Valentine 2009, Pit Fighter 2005 and Scarface 1983.I enjoyed the battle scenes and the barren settings.If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic post Vietnam war flicks, Battle for Haditha 2007, Behind Enemy Lines 2001, Black Hawk Down 2001, Dirty War 2004, The Hurt Locker 2008, Invasion U.S.A. 1985, Jarhead 2005, Pretty Village, Pretty Flame 1996, Kandahar Break 2009, Lebanon 2009, Jarhead 2: Field of Fire 2014, Lone Survivor 2013, American Sniper 2014, Green Zone 2010, Eye in the Sky 2015, Jarhead 3: The Siege 2016, 13 Hours 2016, The Wall 2017, 12 Strong 2018 and Three Kings 1999.
AD
