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9th Company

Play trailer Poster for 9th Company R 2005 2h 19m Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
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69% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Russian army recruits complete training and take their posting in late 1980s Afghanistan, where the insurgents are slowly gaining the upper hand.

Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide The Times (UK) 02/16/2007
3/5
Tells a familiar story very well, thanks to a charismatic ensemble cast and boundless ambition when it comes to the scale. Go to Full Review
David Gritten Daily Telegraph (UK) 02/16/2007
It's beautifully shot and includes bravura set pieces from the front line. Unsurprisingly, it ends badly. Go to Full Review
Nick Curtis London Evening Standard 02/16/2007
3/5
It's all beautifully photographed and lit, using a bright palette that recalls old Technicolor, and exerts a cumulative power over its 130 minutes. Go to Full Review
Sean Axmaker Seanax.com 09/04/2010
For all the grim reality of death and danger, it's mostly a paean to brotherhood, loyalty and honor in a lost cause, with a stock company of character types bonding under fire... Go to Full Review
Prairie Miller WBAI Radio 08/14/2010
So is the director's beef with the barefoot belligerent fundamentalist Afghans or the beefy bungling brass of the Soviet Union? Less likely any of the above, than a battle of the blockbusters showdown with Hollywood, as to whose got the bigger bull-ets. Go to Full Review
Edward Porter Sunday Times (UK) 02/19/2007
3/5
The characters are given life by the script and actors, while the mountainous terrain (provided by Crimea) adds novelty to the combat scenes. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Deb C Sep 27 Frankly, I would place 9th Company above even the movie ‘Platoon.’ An incredible movie about a Russian Company of young recruits being sent to the ongoing battle in Afghanistan. The script and cinematography is simply astounding…..as is the following of the young men simply trying to survive what turns out to essentially being an unsurvivable situation. It truly is one of the finest war films I have ever seen; I would put it on equal footing with the film (cant remember the name) where a soldier was mocked by his comrades for not wanting to carry a weapon…and he ends up pulling about 70 of them to safety. If you watch 9th Company, you will see what a riveting story it is! See more Ari V Jun 29 Doesn't cover the full range as well as Platoon for example, but doesn't pull too many punches either. All in all, highly legit stuff that took me by surprise with its resonance and range. 4.25/5 See more Virgo V @vision Feb 3 The 9th Company is a 2005 Russian war film directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk and set during the Soviet-Afghan War. The film is loosely based on a real-life battle that took place at Hill 3234 in early 1988, during Operation Magistral, the last large-scale Soviet military operation in Afghanistan. The film was selected as the Russian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. It was also given the Golden Eagle Award for Best Feature Film by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts. The 9th Company was successful in the Russian box office, generating $7.7 million in its first five days of release alone, a new domestic record. The film received a mixed reaction from the veterans of that war, who pointed to a number of inaccuracies, but nevertheless, judging by ticket sales, it was embraced by the general public and even by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some critics and veterans of the war in Afghanistan have criticized the 2005 film The 9th Company for its historical inaccuracies and use of special effects. Historical inaccuracies A Soviet general who fought in Afghanistan said the film's depiction of the fighting was not realistic and that it used too many special effects. Some say the film's use of special effects makes it look like Rambo. Others say the film's use of CGI enhanced battle scenes is incredible. Other criticisms Some say the film is too simple and uses populist tricks. Some say the film is a paean to brotherhood, loyalty and honor in a lost cause. Overall reception The film received a mixed reaction from veterans, but was embraced by the general public. Vision asked if he was watching a comedy film or a historical war epic? Due to the immense amount of humour injected into every scene, until the end, its like watching two versions of the story one after the other; a comedy and an action version of the film. See more Ian C 12/19/2024 An absolute masterpiece.... the Russian version of Platoon...... its that good...... See more 04/01/2019 Great movie that show how elite russian troops act in battle. See more 07/21/2017 A really truthful story of war which is much better than those american "we-bring-democracy-by-bombing-countries-which-have-oil' movies. This film shows the real horror of war actions and you won't regret watching it! See more Read all reviews
9th Company

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Movie Info

Synopsis Russian army recruits complete training and take their posting in late 1980s Afghanistan, where the insurgents are slowly gaining the upper hand.
Director
Fedor Bondarchuk
Producer
Ilkka Matila, Fedor Bondarchuk, Elena Yatsura
Screenwriter
Yury Korotkov
Production Co
Slovo, Art Pictures Studio, Matila Röhr Productions (MRP), Art Pictures Group
Rating
R (Seq. of Strong Bloody Warfare|Pervasive Language|Drug Use|Some Sexuality/Nudity)
Genre
Drama, War
Original Language
Russian
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 9, 2018
Runtime
2h 19m