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Title: Tragic but Powerful!
Review: This Russian movie presents the story of a Platoon-sized group of young trainees that enter into Soviet Army service and undergo difficult and abusive basic training that ultimately develops unit cohesion among them. They are transferred during the late stages of the Soviet War in Afghanistan to serve in the 9th Company of the (345th PPD) of the Soviet Airborne Troops on a hill known as Hill 3234. The movie is a blend of Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, Stalingrad and Saving Private Ryan and has very realistic and graphic portrayal of war violence including blood-lust, but also of the subtle transformation that results in self-sacrificing heroes being made of regular young men. The visualized mountains and valleys effectively convey separation and isolation, if not even abandonment. One minor complaint is that the English subtitles seem to go by very fast, so you better be ready to read quickly.
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