i borrow this on dvd from a friend the other day . i do not really know what to expect . i haven not see a lot of russian movie and and i do not think i have ever see a russian war movie . maybe that make me expect something different and something more along the line of an imagined russian mentality . but whatever those expectation come from and they be put to shame a this be a quite ordinary war movie . the whole formula of follow a few young people from their recruitment and through training and to deployment and through some battle and be well know . we have see it do both many year ago and as well a more recently ( a with jarhead ) . sure and there a difference here because the movie be about russian soldier instead of american a be almost always the case . but in general this could just a easily have be a vietnam movie . i guess that just underscore my feeling that afghanistan be the soviet union vietnam . a country that should have be a pushover for a superpower make the war drag on for year with terrible loss of life both for soldier and civilian . the good point in this movie i felt be good photography ( there be some beautiful ambiance shot ) and decent effect for what i guess must have be a rather low budget movie . what make me disappointed be mostly the story itself . it just doesn not manage to stir any emotion in me . mostly because the character development be lousy . and to really feel something when people be gun down you have to make them people and not just faceless cardboard cutout . they fail to do that in this movie . also it overly long and and that seem to a kind of trend lately . in my opinion a movie that more than two hour long have to have a lot to offer and and this movie doesn not cut it . also there be a disturb music that put like a wet blanket over every scene . especially in the action scenes this be highly disturb and not that you need action music but something more than just slow keyboard music would be nice . otherwise the production value be good enough and that be not where the problem be . i do not know how to view this movie . a a reminder of the fact that no matter where you be and war suck . that russian film maker have already watch too many american war movie to make something original . regardless of which and this movie be rather clichéd and lack in spirit and while it have acceptable technical quality and it lack in script and character development . in the end it just become another of all those war movie that fail to make you think and and fails to add something to the genre . i have see a lot bad and but a lot well too . i rate this 4/10 .