War (2002 film)

2002 Russian film

War
Война

Film poster

Directed by| Aleksei Balabanov
Written by| Aleksei Balabanov
Produced by| Sergei Selyanov
Starring| Aleksei Chadov
Ian Kelly
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė
Sergei Bodrov Jr.
Cinematography| Sergei Astakhov
Edited by| Marina Lipartiya
Music by| Vyacheslav Butusov
Distributed by| CTB Film Company
Intercinema Art

Release date

* March 14, 2002 (2002-03-14)

Running time

| 120 minutes
Country| Russia
Languages| Russian, English, Chechen

War (Russian: Война, translit. Voina) is a 2002 Russian war film by Aleksei Balabanov about the Second Chechen War, starring Aleksei Chadov and Ian Kelly.

## Plot

[edit]

The story is told from the perspective of former conscript Ivan Yermakov (Alexei Chadov), a defendant in a pre-trial detention facility who is giving an interview to a journalist. As he begins recounting his story, the film cuts to Chechnya in the summer of 2001, during the Second Chechen War. Being held captive by Chechen warlord Aslan Gugayev (Georgy Gurguliya), Ivan serves as a domestic slave and Aslan's communications specialist, since Ivan graduated from a computer school and speaks English. One day, Aslan also captures two actors from England: John Boyle (Ian Kelly) and his fiancée Margaret Michaelsen (Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė). After a while, Ivan and the actors are transported to another village and put in a dungeon, where they meet Captain Medvedev (Sergei Bodrov, Jr.), paralyzed as a result of a shrapnel wound to the spine.

Aslan releases John so that he can collect £2 million for Margaret's ransom. He also releases Ivan, as no-one is willing to pay the ransom for him. As Ivan leaves, Aslan warns him not to come back.

John's efforts to raise money are unsuccessful, but one of the English television companies provides him with £200,000 in exchange for detailed video footage of the operation. In Moscow, John encounters complete indifference from military officials and decides to ask Ivan to help him free Margaret.

Ivan's life in his native Tobolsk is not working out. He cannot adapt to a peaceful life and he cannot find work. Before that, he came to St. Petersburg to visit the family of Captain Medvedev, whom no one is willing to rescue. Therefore, when John comes to Tobolsk, Ivan agrees to go to Chechnya for a reward.

After passing through Moscow and Vladikavkaz, Ivan and John secretly enter Chechnya, along the way capturing an SUV with a large amount of weapons in the trunk. On their way, they kidnap a local, Ruslan Shamayev (Euclid Kyurdzidis), and Ivan finds his way to Gugayev's village. After waiting for a large group of militants to leave, Ivan, John, and Ruslan attack the village. While Ivan and Ruslan shoot the guards with the weapons they seized earlier on the road, John discovers Margaret in a pit completely naked and assumes that she was raped by the militants. John, in a rage, kills Gugaev, complicating the situation: Ivan needed the Gugaev alive as a hostage.

Gugayev's militants organize a shelling of the village and a pursuit, but the group escapes on a makeshift raft and takes up defensive positions in an old fortress tower. Using a satellite phone taken from Aslan, Medvedev organizes support from the Air Force. Russian helicopters arrive, routing the militants, and deliver the group to a military base.

John gives Ivan the money he earned, of which Ivan gives Ruslan a thousand pounds. Ivan later gives the remaining money to Captain Medvedev for treatment.

The film ends with a brief commentary from Ivan. Margaret did not marry John. John, having constantly filmed his journey, released a film and a book titled My Life in Russia. After the release of the film, Ivan was brought to trial for the murder of "peaceful citizens of the Russian Federation." Ruslan, who moved to Moscow, testified against Ivan. The only one who stood up for Ivan was Captain Medvedev.

## Cast

[edit]

Actor | Role

|

Aleksei Chadov | Sergeant Ivan Yermakov
Ian Kelly | John Boyle
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė | Margaret (John's fiancée)
Euclid Kyurdzidis | Ruslan Shamayev
Sergei Bodrov Jr. | Captain Medvedev
Georgy Gurguliya | Aslan Gugayev
Vladimir Gostyukhin | Ivan's father
Irina Sokolova | Captain Medvedev's mother
Stas Stotsky | Fedya Kulik
Yuri Stepanov | Alexander Matrosov

## Film crew

[edit]

Director | Aleksei Balabanov

|

Screenwriter | Aleksei Balabanov
Camera Operator | Sergei Astakhov
Artist | Pavel Parkhomenko
Producer | Sergei Selyanov

## Production

[edit]

Aleksei Balabanov wrote the scenario for the film in 1998. after he saw on television the severed heads of English specialists who worked in Chechnya.

Balabanov tried to make a film that was as realistic as possible, to the point of naturalism. Before filming, he talked to former captives from the First Chechen War, traveled through the villages of Kabardino-Balkaria, met with the commander of the troops in Chechnya, General Viktor Kazantsev, and watched videotapes with chronicles of Chechen atrocities. He showed some of these films to the English actor Ian Kelly. According to Balabanov, Kelly was shaking during the screening.

> The work was difficult from a psychological point of view. Before that, we had watched tapes of people being killed for real, recorded by militants. This spectacle made a very strong impression, to an extent that I didn’t even expect. I probably walked around for three days like I’d been hit on the head with a hammer. I liked wearing striped shirts, and they killed one paratrooper in a striped shirt. So, while we were living in the mountains, for some reason I didn’t wear a striped shirt.

— Sergei Astakhov [ru]

The film was shot in Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Chechnya, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tobolsk, and London.

This was the first film role of the then twenty-year-old aspiring actor Alexei Chadov.[1] To film the scenes with the captives lying in the pit, the crew dug out a real pit. The actors laid there filthy for several hours, as Balabanov wanted everything to be as realistic as possible. The scene with actress Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė floating naked in a cold rapid was filmed without using a stunt double.[2]

The filming scared the English actor Ian Kelly the most, as he barely understood Russian. He spent the entire time reading War and Peace on the set.

> Poor Ian didn't speak a word of Russian, and Dapkunaite lives in England. And he kept rushing to her, complaining about how he was forced to sit in a hole, how he was forced to climb into a river, how he almost drowned there, how Balabanov told someone right in front of Ian that he was a bad actor. And for Westerners, this is a completely unacceptable form of communication. And Inga patiently explained that Russians always work like this, that Russians have this practice, that Russians always yell, and if they start shooting, then only with real bullets. That's why Russians are used to really drowning and really saving themselves.

— Sergei Bodrov Jr.

To make the film more realistic, many of the Chechens are played by real Chechens, and the Russian soldiers are played by real soldiers, helicopter pilots, and contract intelligence officers. In addition, this is the first film about Chechnya that was, although partially, filmed on Chechen lands, in particular at a checkpoint at the entrance to Grozny. The film was made close to live combat, because during the filming, the Second Chechen War was unfolding in those parts.[3] The shooting took place in calm areas, and the crew was guarded by SOBR officers. In order not to endanger the film's equipment, the CTB company insured it for $500,000.[4]

During the filming in Kabardino-Balkaria, a helicopter used for the film fired thermal missiles and accidentally hit an ancient Balkar cemetery, setting it on fire and destroying many graves. After that, an ethnic conflict almost broke out between the film crew and local residents, but among the SOBR officers guarding the group was a former Chechen captain, Kyuri, who was able to stop the angry crowd. During filming, everyone except Bodrov and Dapkunaite lived in the houses of local residents. Balabanov lived in the house of a woman whose graves of all her relatives were destroyed in the cemetery.[5]

The episode where the main characters of the film were shooting was filmed in the Abaev Tower [ru] in the Chereksky District of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic.

## Music

[edit]

War - Official Soundtrack

Soundtrack album
Released| 2002 (2002)
Genre| Russian rock
Length| 120 minutes
Label| Sony Music

Tracklist :No.| Title| Performer| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Voina (Война, War)"| Timur Mutsurayev| 0:52
2.| "Komandor (Командор, Commander)"| Tomas| 5:14
3.| "Volki (Волки, Wolves)"| Bi-2| 5:37
4.| "SOS"| Splean| 4:30
5.| "Bereg (Берег, Coast)"| Vyacheslav Butusov| 4:43
6.| "Lyutaya(Лютая, Fierce)"| Volga-Volga| 1:36
7.| "Chyorny voron (Чёрный ворон, Black Raven)"| Livan and PEKh| 5:53
8.| "Fellini (Феллини)"| Splean/Bi-2| 5:05
9.| "Yeshyo ne vecher (Ещё не вечер, Not yet evening)"| Bi-2| 4:55
10.| "Plastmassovaya Zhizn' (Пластмассовая Жизнь, Plastic Life)"| Splean| 3:31
11.| "Sokol (Сокол, Falcon)"| Bi-2| 7:07
12.| "Kholostye puli (Холостые пули, Blank bullets)"| Partisan radio| 4:11
13.| "Moya zvezda (Моя звезда, My star)"| Vyacheslav Butusov and Deadushki| 5:14
14.| "Vulitsa (Вулиця, Street)"| Okean Elzy| 5:28
15.| "Voina (Volki-2) (Война (Волки-2), War (Wolves-2))"| Bi-2| 4:33

Music that was featured in the film, but not included in the soundtrack:

Song | Performer

|

Iyerusalim, Shamil' vedyot otryad | Timur Mutsuraev
Gde zh moya lyubimaya | Arangulov brothers

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

* 2002 - According to leading wholesale companies, the film took fourth place among the 50 best-selling video films in 2002, ahead of a large number of high-budget blockbusters.[6]
* 2002, June - XIII Open Russian Film Festival "Kinotavr" in Sochi, the film participated in the contest, winning the Grand Prize.
* 2002, August - Yalta Film Festival, Grand Prize.
* 2002, August - X "Window to Europe" Film Festival in Vyborg, 3rd place in the "Vyborg Account" nomination.
* 2002, October - Montreal World Film Festival, Canada, "Best Actor" (Aleksey Chadov).
* 2002, December - Golden Aries Award of the National Guild of Film Critics and Cinematography in the nomination "Best Cinematography" (Sergei Astakhov).
* 2003, February - Golden Eagle Award in the nomination "Best Sound" (Maxim Belovolov).
* 2003, April - Nika Award in the nomination "Best Actor" (Sergei Bodrov Jr., posthumously).

## Similar films

[edit]

* Prisoner of the Mountains

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Народное кино: «Брат 2» и «Война»" [People's Cinema: "Brother 2" and "War"]. archive.ph (in Russian). 2014-12-22. Archived from the original on 2014-12-22. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
2. ^ "Интервью Ингеборги Дапкунайте". Эхо Москвы. 30 June 2002. Archived from the original on 2014-10-10.
3. ^ "В российский прокат выходит фильм Алексея Балабанова "Война"". News.ru. 14 March 2002. Archived from the original on 2014-10-10.
4. ^ "Новости NEWSru.com :: Новый фильм Алексея Балабанова застрахован на 5…". archive.ph (in Russian). 2014-10-10. Archived from the original on 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
5. ^ "Интервью Сергея Бодрова". Город-Томск. 10 July 2007. Archived from the original on 2014-09-26.
6. ^ "Пятьдесят самых продаваемых видеофильмов в 2002 году". ВидеоГид. Archived from the original on 2015-01-06.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* War at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Aleksei Balabanov

* Filmography

Films directed|

* Happy Days (1991)
* The Castle (1994)
* The Arrival of a Train (segment "Trofim") (1995)
* Brother (1997)
* Of Freaks and Men (1998)
* Brother 2 (2000)
* War (2002)
* The River (2002)
* Dead Man's Bluff (2005)
* It Doesn't Hurt Me (2006)
* Cargo 200 (2007)
* Morphine (2008)
* A Stoker (2010)
* Me Too (2012)

Related|

* Brother 3 (2024)
* Strength is in truth

* v
* t
* e

Chechen–Russian conflict

* First Chechen War (1994–1996)
* War in Dagestan (1999)
* Second Chechen War (1999–2009)
* Insurgency in Ingushetia (2007–2015)
* Insurgency in the North Caucasus (2009–2017)

First Chechen War|

* Battle of Dolinskoye
* Battle of Khankala
* Battle of Grozny (1994–1995)
* 1995 Shali cluster bomb attack
* Samashki massacre
* Shatoy ambush
* Battle of Grozny (August 1996)
* Khasavyurt Accord
* Russia–Chechnya Peace Treaty

Second Chechen War|

* 1999 Russian bombing of Chechnya
* Battle of Grozny (1999–2000)
* Battle for Height 776
* Battle of Komsomolskoye
* 2000 Zhani-Vedeno ambush
* 2002 Khankala Mi-26 crash
* 2004 Nazran raid
* 2004 raid on Grozny
* 2005 raid on Nalchik
* Counter-insurgency operations
* Guerrilla phase
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008

Major attacks|

* 1995 Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis
* 1996 Black Sea hostage crisis
* MV Avrasya hijacking
* 1996 Kizlyar hostage crisis
* 1999 Vladikavkaz bombing
* 1999 Russian apartment bombings
* 1999 Tukhchar massacre
* 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis
* 2002 Grozny truck bombing
* 2003 Mozdok bombing
* 2003 Tushino bombing
* 2004 Moscow Metro bombing
* 2004 Russian aircraft bombings
* 2004 Beslan school siege
* 2008 Vladikavkaz bombing
* 2009 Nevsky Express bombing
* 2010 Moscow Metro bombings
* Domodedovo International Airport bombing
* 2012 Makhachkala attack
* 2014 Grozny bombing
* 2017 Saint Petersburg Metro bombing
* Crocus City Hall attack
* 2024 Dagestan attacks

Related topics|

* Chechen Revolution
* Battle of Grozny (November 1994)
* Censorship of Chechnya coverage
* Crimes and terrorism
* Mass graves
* Suicide attacks
* Assassinations
* Casualties
* Aircraft losses
* International response
* First Chechen War
* Second Chechen War
* Politics of Chechnya
* Chechenpress
* Kavkaz Center
* Chechen genocide

Wars in culture|

* List of films
* Polina Zherebtsova's Journal
* War
* The 3 Rooms of Melancholia
* The Pathologies
* Alexandra
* Angel of Grozny
* Ant in a Glass Jar
* The Search

Federalists|

| Combatants|

* Russian Federation
* Armed Forces
* Ground Forces
* Ministry of Internal Affairs
* OMON
* ODON
* Internal Troops
* Federal Security Service
* Main Intelligence Directorate
* Special Forces (Spetsnaz)
* Republic of Chechnya
* Kadyrovites

|

Leaders|

* Russian Federation
* Boris Yeltsin
* Dmitry Medvedev
* Vladimir Putin
* Alexander Lebed
* Pavel Grachev
* Gennady Troshev
* Chechnya
* † Akhmad Kadyrov
* Alu Alkhanov
* Ramzan Kadyrov
* † Dzhabrail Yamadayev
* † Ruslan Yamadayev
* † Sulim Yamadayev

Separatists|

| Combatants|

* Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
* Caucasian Front
* Vilayat Dagestan
* Vilayat Galgayche
* Vilayat Nokhchicho
* United Vilayat of Kabarda, Balkaria and Karachay
* Vilayat Cherkessia
* Vilayat Iriston
* Islamic Djamaat of Dagestan
* Liberation Army of Dagestan
* Alperen Hearths
* Grey Wolves

|

Leaders|

* † Dzhokhar Dudayev
* † Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev
* † Aslan Maskhadov
* † Abdul-Halim Sadulayev
* † Ruslan Gelayev
* † Shamil Basayev
* † Arbi Barayev
* † Salman Raduyev
* Akhmed Zakayev
* † Turpal-Ali Atgeriyev
* † Vakha Arsanov
* Ilyas Akhmadov
* † Movsar Barayev
* † Muslim Atayev
* † Rasul Makasharipov
* † Ilyas Gorchkhanov
* † Rappani Khalilov

Mujahideen|

| Combatants|

* Caucasus Emirate
* Mujahideen
* Islamic International Brigade
* Riyad-us Saliheen
* Islamic State – Caucasus Province

|

Leaders|

* † Magomed Suleimanov
* † Aliaskhab Kebekov
* † Dokka Umarov
* Aslambek Vadalov
* (POW) Ali Taziev
* † Anzor Astemirov
* † Supyan Abdullayev
* † Aslan Byutukayev
* Movladi Udugov
* † Khuseyn Gakayev
* (POW) Tarkhan Gaziyev
* † Said Buryatsky
* † Magomed Vagabov
* † Rustam Asildarov
* † Asker Dzhappuyev
* † Arthur Getagazhev
* † Ibn al-Khattab
* † Abu al-Walid
* † Abu Hafs al-Urduni
* † Muhannad
* † Abdulla Kurd
* † Zalim Shebzukhov

Bibliographies|

* Bibliography of Russian history (1991–present)
* Bibliography of the history of the Caucasus

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[POW]: Prisoner of war