Daniel McDonald

Gillespe

Sergei Bodrov’s film “Prisoner of the Mountains” tells the story of a pair of young Russian soldiers who are captured and held as prisoners by Chechen villagers. More than a story of war and imprisonment however, Bodrov uses the film as a means to teach an old lesson in a uniquely effective way, namely that the more one learns of one’s enemies, the more he realizes the bonds that hold all of humanity together. To express this poignant message, the director uses the plot, setting, and even camera work to create an impression that lasts.

While there are many elements of the plot of “Prisoner of the Mountains” that contribute to the concept of shared humanity, there are three examples that do so most effectively. First among these is the shared fear and hatred felt by Sacha towards his captors and by villagers towards the prisoners. While Sacha assumes that “[the Chechens] just cut your balls off” and will eventually kill both he and Vanya, the Chechen elder takes for granted the fact that the Russians will attempt to trick Abdul if a prisoner exchange is attempted. Though there is initial mistrust on the part of both parties, time begins to wear away old misconception. In the case of Dina, her mistrust and apprehension dominate the first half of the film. By the end however, her scowls have turned to smiles, and the viewer watches as affection and even love begin to grow between she and Vanya. Only through proximity is Dina able to realize the warmth and innocence of Vanya and he, in turn, capable of peering beneath her stern façade to see the sorrows and doubts that make her truly human. Finally, we see the culminating display of the theme of shared humanity in Abdul’s mercy towards Vanya. Not only does his unwillingness to kill the boy show his appreciation and acceptance of Vanya as human being, it also shows his empathy towards Vanya’s mother whose tears he faced directly in the village. Abdul knows what it means to lose a child to a faceless enemy and until the end, the viewer half-expects that vengeance will win out and Vanya will be killed. It is a testament to the skill of Bodrov that the final example of the triumph of humanity is the most potent as Abdul sends Vanya home to his mother, a fellow parent who he is unwilling to punish for the sins of her government. In these examples, the film’s ubiquitous theme of a common human nature is borne out in particularly potent and moving ways.

While the plot is the main vessel used to convey this message, Bodrov also uses the camera work and scene construction to remind the audience that one can find decency by exploring the unknown. Early in the film, there are numerous shots of the mountains as distant, ominous and black. As the soldiers progress down the mountain road, fog begins to appear and the viewer is left with the impression that the mountains are mysterious, dark and dangerous. After the Chechens capture Sacha and Vaya and take them to the village however, the shots become closer, and the sets less ominous. Throughout the post-ambush scenes, we see the faces of villagers close up, warm fires, piles of straw, breathtaking landscapes and other examples of the richness and comfort of life in the mountains. The camera no longer distant, the viewer is taken down winding village streets and into homes until the village seems as familiar to the audience as it must have become for the prisoners. In stark contrast with this humanizing intimacy however, are the helicopters that eventually come to destroy all that the characters have gained. Once again, the camera shows them from a distance though they still dwarf the powerless figure of Vanya. There are no shots from within the helicopters and no suggestion whatsoever that they contain human beings capable of compassion. Instead, they are machines come to do the bidding of an equally inhuman government, flying into the now familiar mountains from some distant and unknown place. Through his use of photography and scene selection, Bodrov emphasizes the contrast of intimacy with the unknown in a way that draws viewers into the story and leaves them with a lasting impression.

Through plot, camera work and scene selection, Sergei Bodrov creates a film that in turn, creates a palpable sentiment in the viewer. While many films do little more than present a story, Bodrov uses the medium brilliantly to teach the lesson that what separates humanity is our lack of interaction and understanding, and that, given the chance, there is more that can unite us than there is that can divide.