The Beast of War (1988)

Regisseur:

Kevin Reynolds

Drehbuchautor:

William Mastrosimone (play) (screenplay)

Premierendatum:

29. September 1988 (Bundesrepublik Deutschland)

Genre:

Drama | Historienfilm | Kriegsfilm

Werbezeile:

War brings out the beast in every man.

Plot:

During the war in Afghanistan a Soviet tank crew commanded by a tyrannical officer find themselves lost...

Plot Keywords:

Battle | 1980s | Revenge | Commander | Village

Filmpreise:

1 win

Nutzerkommentare:

One Of History's Unsung Greatest Movies

Besetzung

George Dzundza	...	Daskal
Jason Patric	...	Koverchenko
Steven Bauer	...	Taj
Stephen Baldwin	...	Golikov
Don Harvey	...	Kaminski
Kabir Bedi	...	Akbar
Erick Avari	...	Samad
Chaim Girafi	...	Moustafa (as Haim Gerafi)
Shoshi Marciano	...	Sherina (as Shosh Marciano)
Yitzhak Ne'eman	...	Iskandar (as Itzhak Babi Ne'Eman)
David Sherrill	...	Kovolov
Moshe Vapnik	...	Hasan
Claude Aviram	...	Sadioue
Victor Ken	...	Ali
Avi Keedar	...	Noor

Alternativ:

The Beast (USA) (video box title)
Bestie Krieg (Österreich) (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) [de]

Länge:

111 Min

Produktionsland:

USA

Sprache:

Englisch | Pashtu

Farbe:

Farbe (DeLuxe)

Seitenverhältnis:

1.85 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Dolby

Altersfreigabe:

West Germany:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16

Drehorte:

Israel

Firma:

A&M Films

Dies und das:

The fire commands and terminology used by the tank crew in combat are the same as used by U.S. Army tank crews. This was to add military flavor to the movie, and give it a very realistic feel.

Pannen:

Abfolgefehler: Not only does the Russian tank crew use American tank fire commands in a Soviet tank, they only use them correctly about half the time. For instance, they correctly yell "up!" when the round has been loaded, but the proper warning when traversing the turret is to yell "Power!" while they use "Traversing!"

Dialogzitate:

Daskal: I read your dossier, Mr. Intellectual. What would you say your record says about you?
Koverchenko: That I think for myself.
Daskal: You think for yourself. When I was eight years old, defending Stalingrad, I didn't *think for myself*. When the Motherland asked for our lives, we GAVE. My father didn't think of himself, he GAVE. My mother didn't think of herself, she GAVE. My brother didn't think of himself...

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Verweis/Anspielung/Erwähnung in Timecode (2000)

Soundtrack:

STREETCAR HEADED EAST

One Of History's Unsung Greatest Movies

My son found this movie, by serendipitous accident, in the $5.50 bin at Wal*Mart in vast abundance; Since viewing it, I've bought ten copies and given them to friends as gifts; Nine out of ten found it 'WOW!', and one 'really liked it'. It is simply that good.

Kevin Reynolds, along with the cast he 'enlisted' for this movie, has done what very few others in Hollywood have: Glued their viewer's butts firmly to their seats. In spite of trivial critique fielded, the movie is nonetheless a riveting, tachycardia-inspiring, sweat-inducing commentary of the inhumanities of war and the torment it invokes upon all involved. Dzundza, Patric and Bauer, although lesser-known among the 'gods' of Hollywood and together with a cast of very capable unknowns, have conspired to make a high-calibre testament to the evil of war and the resiliency of life and spirit in war's midst.

Others may fault the movie as they will: Soviet tankers with American accents, incorrect tank, inaccurate terminology, made in Israel, et al; The plot outshines all that. There is nothing thin about it. Consequently, I cannot recommend this film enough. You will not be sorry if you decide to buy this DVD; However, if you like the soundtrack (Tastefully done by Mark Isham), good luck finding it in CD, especially new. It's been long out of print and very rare, commanding prices often over $100, mint (I got mine for $50, luckily! Check eBay, keywords: 'beast isham soundtrack'). "The Beast" (Titled "The Beast Of War" overseas) is a MUST for any collection!

(EDIT) fairviewed's review comment of Osama bin Ladin being trained by the US is unfounded and purely conjecture. There is no evidence to support the claim, and should thus be regarded as urban legend.