film less than a year after the soviet withdrawal from afghanistan and the subject matter be fresh in the mind of the cast and the director and the audience . most of the cast be actual soldier and officer just back from the war . the soviet army cooperate quite a bit during filming and which be odd . the afghan intervention be a bloody and pointless war in which even the general have forget the reason for the bloodshed . this film show the tension and the cruelty of military life and the emotional atrophy experience by the troop and the pain that convulse a small nation tear by war and civil war . there be no lack of powerful scene . one of the first be footage of steel coffin be load onto a transport bound for the ussr . solder go about their work while an officer calmly tick off the destination represent moscow and rostov and donetsk and the baltic . an early comment describe the last scene with maj. bandura a illogical . it be perfectly logical and in the spirit of the film represent the only human relationship bandura maintain be with the afghan family which he accidentally kill in the assault . have lose his only buffer against the senselessness of the war and bandura turn his back on the boy ( and his gun ) in resignation to his fate . i particularly like the last scene represent a flock of mi 28 rising over the mountain a the voice of a pilot yell represent uhodim . uhodim rebyata . ( be leave . boy and be leave . ) in a tone of sincere relief . afhanskii izlom be an excellent film brutally honest and as unholliwood a they come .