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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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The Beast
Suspensful war drama with mutiny. Uncommon afganistan deasert mountainous location. I routed for the underdog.
Rating: -
underated film
In my opinion this is definaltey a classic war film. The characters don't speak russian nor do they fake accents which would have given better imersion into the movie and its the ony real reason I wont give it 5 stars i would say more like 4 and three quarters stars. Otherwise beside that acting, pacing, and quality are all pretty spot on and shouldn't be missed if you enjoy war and action movies.
Rating: 
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A curious example of Pro-Taliban propaganda Made in USA
This film shows how propaganda can turn over who made it.
In this film the soviet soldiers are a gang of fanatic assasins, sadics and undisciplined savages, but the Afghan Mujahideen (the actual Talibans) are nice and pacific pleople, so good and saint that can even accept one of their enemies among them. After 2001 this movie is funny, as can be "The triumph of the Freedom" after the Nazi fall.
This movie, along with the book "Valley of the lions" by Ken Follett, should be studied by all Politic Science, History and International relations students.
Rating: 
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A War Film Ahead of Its Time
From beginning to end the thing I could just not shake was, THIS WAS MADE IN 1988? The photography and production quality were very modern and ahead of its time.
So was the story. 5 western solders invading in Afghanistan become disillusioned with the war after battling with peasants. But this isn't 2008. It's the 1981 Soviet invasion.
The scene opens with simple peasants in mud huts being massacred by Soviet T-62 tanks. As the monsters remove their gas masks we are shocked to see they are the stars of the film, Jason Patric, George Dzundza, and Stephen Baldwin.
After the massacre Dzundza's T-62 becomes separated from their column and lost in the desert low on fuel and supplies. Worse yet they are being hunted by Afghan rebels armed with an RPG.
As the situation intensifies Patric begins to sympathize with the Afghans more and more while the vicious Dzundza preaches about fighting at Stalingrad and begins executing his crew as traitors to communism.
I can't ruin much more of the plot but at every single moment right up till closing credits anything is possible. Any character can turn evil, any character can die. `The Beast' is not afraid of anything.
In addition to the superb production quality and gripping story, the choice of cast is also interesting. The Afghans are lead by Cuban Steven Bauer even though most of the others are played by Arabs. The cultural conflict is not apparent as all the characters speak Afghan thus their true ethnicity does not show. I never understood all those WWII films which cast Germans as Germans speaking English with a thick German accents right next to Brits with fake German accents. Pick a language and stick with it otherwise it seems cheesy.
Likewise all the Russians are played by Americans speaking English with American accents. Having them speak English with Russian accents would be cheesy. George Dzundza was rather an odd choice for a villain as he is always known as the fat sidekick friend. But `The Beast' also proves Dzundza was once thin. Dzundza claimed he was at Stalingrad when he was 8, about ten years off for Dzundza, and placing his character's age at 46 or 47. Pretty old for a Russian solder. Is his story intentionally false to show how crazy he is? This is never made clear. Dzundza the actor was actually born in 1945 Germany. I'd never have guessed from his Brooklyn accent.
The `Beast' AKA `The Beast of War' not to be confused with Peter Benchley's `The Beast' is truly an amazing film.
Call me a war junkie but I really liked the way all of the T-62's many features were utilized.
Rating: -
Outstanding Performances
This film is highly underrated.
What is not to like about this compellingly complex tale of David and Goliath? Well, not merely a 'tale', it is also a commentary. A very poignant and familiar one, dealing with the horror of war and its implications.
PROS: astoundingly good performances throughout; well-written; great cinematography; great battle sequences; nice battle suspense.
CONS: story was somewhat predictable; audio.
If you like these kinds of films, you are not going to care if it is predictable.
It is a minor-masterpiece, in my opinion.
Check it out.
