User reviews

Yes, we have all seen a lot of those movies that focus on soldiers in the battle, their bravery, weaknesses, breakdowns etc. Those films are always end up in a way that let's us know once again, how pointless is war and how it has its impact to every single life separately. This movie is not an exception in overall point of view. It has quite a same morale.

But few things make it still unique and are the reason to rate it a bit higher than just average.

At first reality. Not historically, but people in the movie are much more real than in Hollywood movie. It seems that only Russian actors can let the public see the soul of Russian people and soldiers. I'm not Russian myself, but I've met a lot of them and this is just the unique thing they call "Russkaja dusha" (Russian soul). Russians have very hot temper, they can blaze up in a second and start the fight, but they never let it damage their friendship.

Second dose of realism: people in war. I mean especially Dygalo was a very realistic character. When I was serving my time in Estonian army I met an officer who was also veteran of Afganistan war. And believe me, he was quite a copy of Dygalo. It is hard to understand, how real war experience could leave such a trace in human mind, but now when I saw Praporshik Dygalo in that movie, I noticed a huge similarity between Dygalo and that officer and I instantly understood that this is the real thing, this is exactly how war affected those soldiers. And the fact this film has managed to take it to public so real, gives it a great bonus.

And last, but not least: Russian language in a movie that also really sounds as Russian language. I'm always laughing about the episodes in Hollywood movies that should include Russian army or characters and I have to say that Russian language in Hollywood movies is more than ridiculous, therefore I'm quite happy that this film was made in Russian. By the way, Russian is considered to have the most developed vocabulary in swearing and as this is war movie and those guys are pretty rough as well, it sounds much better and more real in Russian. Translation usually manages to lost at least half of the meaning.

In conclusion: yes, I would recommend this movie to everybody. Although it shares the same morale than other war movies, it's still somehow unique and especially Americans could take a look and compare it to Hollywood stuff.

At 38, Fyodor Bondarchuk makes his directorial debut at the same age at which his father, Sergei Bondarchuk, made his own classic "Destiny of a Man". An epic in every sense of the word, 9th Company boasts a rousing soundtrack, broad camera shots, unbelievably beautiful landscapes, empathetic characters and vividly brutal action sequences.

Based on actual events that culminated on 7th January 1988 on the Djardan "3234" Heights of Afghanistan, 9th Company follows the ill-fated fortunes of a small group of young Soviet soldiers, from the trials of boot camp to their arrival in the heart of the war zone and the climactic, bloody battle that made them heroes.

The 9th Company is first and foremost a war film. Not a anti-war film, and certainly not militarist - but a genuine war film. It is not about the glories of Russian weapons, rather the glories of those who fight with them down to the last round of ammunition. Apart from the odd radio murmur from Mikhail Gorbachev, the film has cast all politics aside.

Visually, great care was taken to immerse the viewer into the world of the 9th Company. The Afghan scenes are painted in a sepia, red-brown hue, while the training camp portions of the film appear colder, with more pronounced hints of green and blue. Fyodor Bondarchuk has a fondness for using slow motion for emphasis and in this instance it is particularly effective. The props, military equipment, costumes, specially constructed Afghan village, the characters, their speech, the sound, and finally the dust - all appear authentic. Bondarchuk makes good use of a $9m budget (lavish by Russian standards) and the film features some impressive hardware including 30 T-64-B tanks, 10 Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters, 10 Mi-8 multi-role transport helicopters, 22 AN and MIG fighters, 1500 Ukrainian army troops, and 42 three-ton loads of stone and rubble for pyrotechnic effects to name a few.

The 9th Company showcases some explosive action sequences. Violence and vodka are served up in equal measures and it makes for a highly intoxicating cinematic cocktail that's guaranteed to push your excitement levels over the limit by the time the climactic final firefight arrives. Drawing obvious parallels to numerous conflicts occurring around the globe today, 9th Company is a tense, powerful and tragically topical war film that demands to be seen. It's a timely reminder that war is hell, wherever you are from and whatever language you speak.

For those interested in purchasing a DVD copy of the film I suggest visiting either http://www.alldvd.ca or http://www.dvdigitall.com. I've had the pleasure of dealing with both sellers and have found them to be the most trusted dealer of imported European films on the Net. They have great customer support and are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to hard to find DVD's. Even more important is the fact that they only deal in legitimate, non-bootleg releases. Both sellers and film come highly recommended.

In all post Soviet republics you can find bunch of veterans of the Soviet war affairs in Afghanistan. It is good that finally such movie was made. The previous movies about Soviet war in Afghanistan never managed to be so successful and therefore they didn't reached the masses. Bandarchuk's movie helps the youth as well as other people in the post Soviet republics to understand, what the veterans of the Afghanistan war have gone through. It is actually pity that I living in Latvia now more about what Americans have gone through in Vietnam then my neighbor in the upstairs apartment in Afghanistan. I believe that such thoughts could share with me many, who live in the post Soviet area.

The actors were well picked and they plaid well. The sound effects were cool and the music was fine. But still the movie was not perfect. There were some little things that didn't fit together. For example the plain that got shot – with four engines on smoke and flaying at such a low altitude it would never be able to get back to the runway, besides if it even had, it would never crash in to gasoline cans, since on a battle airfield there are no open air storage for fuel. If they had then those Afghans would simply shoot at those cans instead of the plane. The last fight episode was not clear either. If Dzhakonda was sitting on the edge of a mountain, then how those Afghans could get to him without waking up anyone else? So the overall impression is that the movie was very good but not perfect.

The poster of this movie is not the most attractive, unfortunately, but everything else that's beyond that, exceeds the expectations to a Russian movie.

"9th company is a film about war cruelty, inhuman cross crippling the heroes' lives, about honour and duty, sufferings and friendship, about life that is one for all and death that is different for everyone."

9th company truly shows the beauty, the reality and the uselessness of such wars against locals. Now, 20 years after, the equipment has developed, all in all, it still gives an impression of the actions against the Iraq.

The characters were colorful and well picked, although some of them still looked too similar to me for messing them up.

The movie is high quality, with well mastered sound and Russian spirit in it, but vastly dramatic and definitely not a typical American movie with a happy end. It is a great example of human values and motivates to think about "What matters most".

The movie has somewhat similar message as of other War movies. But there are some differences. While movies of modern war like Hurt locker depicting the situation of soldiers in Iraq War have gained huge attention. Most people are not interested in knowing that there has been a much worse War in the Afghanistan decades earlier. The War had somewhat similar circumstances but it was fought on much bigger scale. Sadly, no one is interested to know about the Russian troops in that Afghan War and no movie (depicting the Russia side) has ever been made except this one which therefore makes it unique.

The enemy America facing in Afghanistan right now is nothing compared to what Russian Army faced decades ago in Afghan War. The difference is that in Afhgan War, America sowed the seeds of today's War (for what?) This is a must see movie for everyone.

I really expected to see some stupid clone movie and watched it 6 months after buying because nothing else was to see.

Darn this one rocks, I laughed, understood situations and it really nicely messed some things together like you were fighting there yourself. At the beginning I was thinking Full Metal Jacket, somehow it was pretty much alike.

I have seen so many bad and boring war movies, this isn't one of them. Excellent is my opinion.

Anyway I haven't seen any other Russian war movie and I like Russian movies...

Really worth of watching if you like war movies even a bit.

I am big fan of war films, specially from Vietnam and WWII. Afghanistan was taboo in Russia for long time, therefore I was very impatient to see 9th company and because of Bondarchuk, that is the name.

I was really surprised about this film. Perfect acting, spectacular special effects, costumes and different point of view on war. All of these made this film superlative. And something more. I felt something strange after the end of this film. It was mix of feelings like anger, sympathy and sorrow.

9th company is impressive successor of famous Russian war films and Fyodor is brilliant follower of his father Sergey. Is nice to see excellent masterpiece from different, like American production.

God bless Bondarchuk !

As the movie opens and we see a squad of young, boisterous, Soviet civilians enter basic training, get their heads embaldened, and loafing around joking afterwards, my initial thought what "WTF? What kind of an army is this?" We see a recruit attacking his barber and cutting a swath through his hair with electric clippers because he didn't like the barber's twitting him. I had my hair cut off too, along with dozens of others, but everyone was hypervigilant, too nervous to gripe about any indignities. Then, now bald, the men pass the time in the barracks waiting to be told what to do and they share a bottle of VODKA and get loaded. This is the first day of basic training? Later they sneak off and gang bang a local girl, then pass around a joint. This is an ARMY?

There is the usual diversity among the men, but not very like an American combat film. No Texans or wise guys from Brooklyn. But there are class differences. One soldier who has eaten out of garbage cans snaps at another who is an educated artist. The training regimen soon turns earnest, rigorous, and brutal -- and much more familiar. The F bomb is generously deployed, along with plenty of single entendres. The battle-scarred drill sergeant always in a rage, swearing and humiliating the men. The growing cohesiveness and developing friendships within the squad. Actually, we get to like the guys because we can identify with them, just as in an American movie.

There's a touching scene involving the camp's whore, who is blond and rather plain. The squad are all stoned but the chuckling dies down as they trade ideas about wounds and death. The artist is sent by the others into the next room with "Snow White," the blond, told to lose his virginity and become a real man. The girl is sweaty and bedraggled but the young man sees beauty behind the ordinariness. He tells her so and she giggles in surprise, disbelief, and the kind of relief an animal must feel when, instead of the usual kick, he's petted instead. And when the artist pulls her naked back into the squad room, he shouts that he's found Venus rising from the sea. The other men, howling with laughter, throw themselves at her feet while she holds her fingers to her over-ripe lips and laughs in little bursts, half uncomprehending and half swooning with pleasure.

In the second part of the film the squad reaches Afghanistan and most of the jokes disappear. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. (Eventually something is going to kill you, though.) The combat scenes are savage and yet recognizable from American movies about Vietnam or, more particularly, from "Blackhawk Down." It takes a little getting used to because at first the uniforms, weapons, and military protocol are a little different from ours. And at first it's odd to hear up-to-date American voices and slang terms from other nationals but the pattern soon reveals itself and we can sit back and watch another movie about a futile war against the masked and black-robed Mujuhadin against whom we would send our own troops in another twelve or thirteen years.

It's one of the best Russian movies about the war!The movie is great,it breaks all records in Russia.It became the most popular movie in Russia ever!!!I mean it has collected more than 20 millions$ in just 2 weeks.And there is a good sign that it will approach 30 millions$ or even more!!!Definitely this movie will go down in History!The shooting was perfect,it was very well done.Actors play is honest,vivid,sincere and touching.What strikes me most is the realism of this movie.Actors portray their characters as realistic as it possible.They perfectly manage to show us the real war atmosphere with all its horror and brutality. So if you want to see a real war movie,with a real war actions, you must see it!!!!I give all my respect to the creators of this fantastic movie and wish it could climb over 40 millions$ because this movie deserves it,it made a big stir in Russia and i wish it will be soon recognized and respectively appreciated in other countries.The point of this movie is not to show the audience the power a heroism of Russian army,but to make people realize what a terrible consequences may the war lead to,and what it can turn into people life's.This movie simply demonstrates us the inanity and bloodiness of the war.

My first review ever, but I have to do this. In my humble opinion this movie is an insult to the real members of "Spetsnaz". What's more:the high rated reviews must have come from Russian youngsters who you can offer (I know from real life experience) any cr*p as long its Russian cr*p! My advice:Do Not watch this movie. See instead "The Beast Of War" (1988). That will give you the chills ! Greetings from Ardu Bleu.

This is one of the best war movies I have ever seen. I won't laugh at ridiculously "low" grade it has got, because there are more important things to be said or underlined. First of all, it is stupid to compare such film with "Platoon" which is a common pattern of the comments on this site. Even though Platoon is a good war movie, it is still an obvious Hollywood product which is not the case with 9th Company. Platoon brought some important issues for the time it was made except very good filming, but it still serves American perception of the world - divided to good and bad guys: one group of the soldiers are following bad lieutenant (played by Tom Beringer), the others are followers of deceased model of "human" killer (played by William Dafoe). There are no such illusions in this film. Like no other Hollywood film, this one shows that good in the war is something we who live in piece can't comprehend. 9ya Rota shows that every person has good and bad in themselves (which is much closer to true) but the form of good in the war is not what we would expect. What is so well done are thorough and catchy analysis of social and psychological features of the soldiers from the time they entered the barracks as civilians to the time of their final battles as soldiers. We can easily follow their transformation through these times and the way they change. That is done childishly simply and beautifully as in no film before that. 9ya Rota keeps you nailed to the screen for whole 139 minutes. And it stays for good. Brilliant acting of fantastic crew and no amateurs even among the minor roles brings you very close to the drama. And drama is stunning and emotional. And whatta directing!!!? Regarding the site criteria, this film deserves at least 10 out of 10, if you ask me.

Everyone's heard the all too true expression "War is hell". Unfortunately, too few movies make it clear enough. "9-ya rota" actually manages to show the carnage head-on. This movie is not much different from other war movies; the plot has a bunch of young men going into the army, getting harangued by the drill sergeant, and going into battle where they experience hell. In this case, the battlefield is 1980s Afghanistan, under Soviet occupation.

No, "9-ya rota" isn't the best war movie ever made, but far better than anything starring John Wayne. Still, if you want to see a really good war movie from this country, check out "The Cranes are Flying", about WWII.

...are indeed bound to repeat them. This cracking Soviet/Afghan war drama from director and actor Fyodor Bondarchuk has echoes of US war stories like Hamburger Hill, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, but with none of the predictable American schmaltz, propaganda and dubiously good teeth. It grips the viewer entirely with impressive repertory performances from a great young cast of faces unknown to western audiences; deserving all of its accolades and every cent of the post-Soviet era record-breaking $20m the film has raked in. Worth a look for those who think current Western military ambitions in Afghanistan are anything but futile.

When watching '9 Rota' or 9th Company in English, I did not get that thrill; nor did I get that emotional reaction that the war genre can so powerfully put across. War is a sad and tragic thing so when we see a war film, chances are it will simultaneously act as a tragedy which means an emotional response or a feeling deep down of pain and regret that it had to happen. Alas, I did not evoke this reaction but it did enjoy most of what I saw even if most of it seems borrowed anyway.

Some may remember Rambo III, from 1988. At one point, Rambo of the title comes face to face with a top Russian and hisses at him: "We've had our Vietnam, now you'll have yours". Of course, he was referring to the Soviet led invasion of Afghanistan which is the background for this film. 9th Company is certainly a film that has its place in history. I'm not well equipped on my Soviet film history bar Eisenstein and his montage movement of the 1920s but I do know a thing or two about the politics of the Soviets and for a Soviet film to make an example out of a very nasty Soviet defeat could probably be called something of a rarity. I cannot imagine any Communist Soviet leader actually commending a Soviet film that depicts a Soviet or indeed Communist defeat on such a large scale, so this is where 9th Company earns its place as a sign of the times: this is a Russian film about a Soviet failure and as a result, would only have been made in the post Communist years. One thing I can see, however, is a Soviet leader commending and enjoying a Soviet film that glorifies their victories and their beliefs.

But when Rambo says that line in Rambo III, it seems ironic that 9th Company feels so much like on of those American Vietnam war films. 9th Company may be Russian made but it borrows a lot from the United States and their Vietnam war films; namely Full Metal Jacket and Platoon but what a twosome to be inspired by. Like the former of those examples, 9th Company splits itself into two segments, possibly three by the final twenty minutes. There is the training segment and the war zone segment, the training segment of which is probably more interesting and somewhat better than the war zone one. One thing this may be down to is that director Fyodor Bondarchuk is not on screen for the first half but is not behind the camera enough in the second part to keep the good direction flowing like he did up to that point.

Although the boot camp is at times by the numbers, it does contain a fair amount of examples of good film-making. The whole idea that these characters will get to know one another and we get to watch them interact is one thing but the constant build up of an off-screen item that is Afghanistan itself as a dangerous and deathly place to go is another. There is a scene that is so well constructed that demonstrates this and that is when they are being briefed by a man telling them all the information the recruits don't want to hear: the fact the enemy could be anyone; the fact you must use a certain word in the village to avoid certain death and that you have to remember this word as a consequence (too bad the scene that arrives when this must be done is not as good) but the sucker punch is when the general tells them the Afghans have never been defeated on their own land, thus; the Soviets have even more reason to be fearful.

But apart from the recruits' tom-foolery and some good scenes involving nice training sequences in which characters must take hills and disable tanks, the first part is anchored in a good way by shouting drill sergeants. The intensity may not be as good as Full Metal Jacket but the dialogue and authenticity is just as successful. However, it is when they get to the middle east that the film becomes patchy. The film does not come off the rails but it more or less sticks on the route you expect it to. The new drill sergeant is the director himself and the actual mission for the troops is not to venture out to find someone or something (Apocalypse Now/Saving Private Ryan) or to defend a certain area (Zulu) or to take a certain area (A Bridge Too Far) but to bed down and wait for a tank column to arrive – needless to say, it does somewhat disappoint. There is the odd attack by enemy forces to focus on but they are too few and far in-between everything else to get too excited over.

And that is the film; there is a good scene when a character must travel to the village to get matches but it is too refreshing to see a scene there of that drama rather than genuinely great. There is some dialogue between the soldiers and the film feels the need to focus on the soldier's events that must endured like celebrating the new year, fist fights through disagreements and uncontrollable egos spraying all over the place. But with the film bedding them down waiting for a column, what else can they do? The final fight may end the film on a high but so much action in a quiet film right until the very end feels out of place and a silly attempt to get us to change our minds on the film. This isn't a poor effort by any means but I get the feeling it could've been so much better had the troops in the desert had more to do.

Actually these were the words of Dzhokonda and he really believed in what he said. He is an artist.......... he has that right. But what Luty said in reply made the moment to remember - war is no beautiful, war is full of horrors and death. two opposite points actually describe the sense. They went to Afghanistan - but they had different reasons for that...... some had to pass the obligatory duty to the Soviet Union and had no chance to escape that so they chose Afghanistan for they saw some unknown reason in that.... or they were even ordered to, some just wanted to look cool, some didn't know where they were going to (they didn't realize). This war was terrible....... this episode of the war showed uselessness of it in the fullest size ever.

a different perspective. less heroic. more human. about fragility, friendship, errors, sacrifice and the importance of the other. a film about men in middle of terror. and about war. not as example of blockbuster's subject, not as fresco of cruelty and victories, far by romantic nuances or dark circles. only a honest picture about few men looking survive. a film who reminds a sort of innocence and force and courage and old fashion support for be in real, deep sense , yourself. one of Russian films who are not an artistic success but a story about life who defines things, events, sacrifice and purpose of facts in different, nuanced light.

It's one of the best Russian movies about the war!The movie is great,it breaks all records in Russia.It became the most popular movie in Russia ever!!!I mean it has collected more than 20 millions$ in just 2 weeks.And there is a good sign that it will approach 30 millions$ or even more!!!Definitely this movie will go down in History!The shooting was perfect,it was very well done.Actors play is honest,vivid,sincere and touching.What strikes me most is the realism of this movie.Actors portray their characters as realistic as it possible.They perfectly manage to show us the real war atmosphere with all its horror and brutality. So if you want to see a real war movie,with a real war actions, you must see it!!!!I give all my respect to the creators of this fantastic movie and wish it could climb over 40 millions$ because this movie deserves it,it made a big stir in Russia and i wish it will be soon recognized and respectively appreciated in other countries.The point of this movie is not to show the audience the power a heroism of Russian army,but to make people realize what a terrible consequences may the war lead to,and what it can turn into people life's.This movie simply demonstrates us the inanity and bloodiness of the war.

I've watched 9 rota over 10 times. 9 rota is the movie that turned my opinion for the Russian war movies. I've never seen better movie about the war in Afghanistan. There weren't heroes, there weren't glory and medals...only pain, caused by political decisions. There weren't even winners and losers...it was a lost war from the beginning till the end. There was a friendship between brothers, difficulties, small victories and fear. All the characters in the movie were brilliant chosen ! The actors played fantastic their roles. Different persons with same destiny...pain and death. Compliments to the producers and directors of the movie, that they showed a realistic point of view to the war...a point of view of the simple man. They could produced heroes and glorious soviet army ! Instead, they made a real masterpiece. Thank you. Your movie is beloved in Bulgaria !

I borrowed this on DVD from a friend the other day. I didn't really know what to expect. I haven't seen a lot of Russian movies, and i don't think i've ever seen a Russian war movie. Maybe that made me expect something different, something more along the line of an imagined Russian mentality. But whatever those expectations came from, they were put to shame as this is a quite ordinary war movie.

The whole formula of following a few young people from their recruitment, through training, to deployment and through some battles, is well known. We have seen it done both many years ago, as well as more recently (as with Jarhead). Sure, there's a difference here because the movie is about Russian soldiers instead of Americans as is almost always the case. But in general this could just as easily have been a Vietnam-movie. I guess that just underscores my feeling that Afghanistan was the Soviet unions Vietnam. A country that should have been a pushover for a superpower made the war drag on for years with terrible loss of life both for soldiers and civilians.

The good points in this movie i felt were good photography (there are some beautiful ambiance shots) and decent effects for what i guess must have been a rather low budget movie. What made me disappointed is mostly the story itself. It just doesn't manage to stir any emotion in me. Mostly because the character development is lousy. And to really feel something when people are gunned down you have to make them people, not just faceless cardboard cutouts. They fail to do that in this movie. Also it's overly long, and that seems to a kind of trend lately. In my opinion a movie that's more than two hours long has to have a lot to offer, and this movie doesn't cut it. Also there is a disturbing music that's put like a wet blanket over every scene. Especially in the action scenes this is highly disturbing, not that you need action-music but something more than just slow keyboard-music would be nice. Otherwise the production values were good enough, that was not where the problem was.

I don't know how to view this movie. As a reminder of the fact that no matter where you are, war sucks? That Russian film-makers have already watched too many American war-movies to make something original? Regardless of which, this movie is rather clichéd, lacks in spirit and while it has acceptable technical qualities, it lacks in script and character development. In the end it just becomes another of all those war-movies that fails to make you think, and fails to add something to the genre. I've seen a lot worse, but a lot better too. I rate this 4/10.

This movies is the soviet (yep, that former communist country that was much more than Russia only) version of the famous war movie Platoon, but it has it's own personality.

It's known that Afganistan was the same political war dump Vietnan was to United States. This movie shows that soviet soldiers have the same hell of life trying to survive to war than US soldiers in Vietnan.

I really like this movie. It's very well produced, dialogs are strong, very good actors and nice story.

If you like war movies, this one you need to see by all costs because it's superb. One of the best war movies I have ever watched, really.