dankolk Those who write negative reviews about this movie are of course entitled to their opinion, but I think somehow missed the point...it was not meant to entertain...it is to honor and give credits to the young men fighting a useless war and dying for the sake of silly political beliefs. I strongly sympathized with the characters depicted in the movie, and felt truly sad when their lives were lost. The dreams and expectations they had could never be realized. Maybe the movie wasn't completely true to the historic events it is based on, but the essence of the madness of war can hardly be missed by any viewer. If you want to see a raw depiction of war, with realistic acting, go see this movie. 10 out of 10!

Manuell Labor Unlike films made about war, this one paints the soul of the young recruit in different ways to capture a unique Russian feeling. The first half of the film is about seasoning the body for battle but reflected in the eyes of each boy. There is nothing new here except the director is able to capture moments that any soldier can understand.I found this part of the film extremely powerful and much better than what American and British directors have been able to produce even for some excellent films (Sean Connery in the Hill, Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory.) Lots of viewers compare 9th Company with Platoon. It's like saying apples and oranges are fruits but both are very different.The second half of the film becomes an obligatory showcase of battle and death that movies of this type require. Here again the flavor of Russian patriotism, or lack thereof is emphasized. Again the director shows flair and some interesting editing but many war movies have done this equally well. So its not boring but also not introspective.The best war movie ever is also Russian "Come and See". You should watch this and compare. I did and it knocked me over more so than the 9th Company which I still recommend worth seeing.

Bill Buckly The film 9th Company follows a group of Russian soldiers as they fight a bloody war in Afghanistan. This premise is what originally drew me to the film. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan is one that has not been widely covered in TV and films despite its historical significance. This war is often referred to as Russia's Vietnam after all. The film itself was entertaining at times but frankly just another war movie that will blend into the background. The film follows the typical narrative of a group of soldiers who originally hate each other but eventually learn to work together for survival and form lasting friendships. Almost all of the characters are sickeningly stereotypical with the exception of an artist who loves war and finds it "beautiful". Otherwise there are the jerks, the wimps and the crazies that seem to occupy most war movies. The group also seems to bond way too quickly. One minute they are at each other's throats and the next they are best buds. The action in the film is often boring and very forgettable. The filmmakers could also have done a much better job of creating tension in the film. Most films that deal with fighting an insurgency create a sense of dread and tension every time soldiers go on a patrol. This cements the idea that any moment could be their last. Perhaps my biggest problem with the film involves the depiction of the Mujahedeen. There is one exceptional scene in the film where an officer is describing the country of Afghanistan itself and the different groups that live there. The officer states that no one has ever conquered Afghanistan….no one. This scene shows the tremendous respect the officer has for the Mujahedeen as well as the futility of the conflict as a whole. After this scene however any attempts to portray the Mujahedeen as human beings falls flat. The final battle scene depicts the Mujahedeen as a giant horde, each person indistinguishable from the next. This dehumanizes the Russian's enemy and betrays all previous attempts depict the Mujahedeen as fellow human beings. All in all 9th Company is a poor war film that tries way too hard to portray the Russian's as the "good guys". The filmmakers seem to forget that in war nothing is black and white.

Michael Malak I was born and raised in Poland (until I was 18) and came to US 23 years ago. The reason WHY I mention it upfront is to make it understood that I viewed this film from the "Communist" and "Capitalist" perspective/indoctrination... and I didn't like anything about this movie. There is nothing original about the movie. There is nothing compelling (to me) about this movie. Just a very poor re-cycling of old Hollywoody clichés (like the helicopter raising behind a heroic soldier... or a reprimanded commander who is itching to get back in the fight, but who is prohibited from doing so). The scene where "the commander" is sitting in the field of red-poppy-seeds crying - is just such unsophisticated and clichedy scene that it evolved laughter in me instead of compassion which no doubt the director was shooting for. If you really want to see Russian war drama, a real tension, than nothing beats the old and tested "Seventeen Moments of Spring".