What an excellent film. THE BEAST is a thought-provoking war film that is unusual to say the least. However, it is its odd storyline that drew me in, and made the film a unique and interesting view.

The film is perhaps the only American produced film based on the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the early '80's, taking its setting in 1981, the second year of the Russian invasion. The "war" seems like anything but: disgruntled Russians blowing away stone villages of the Afghanis, who fight a guerilla style war against their technically superior enemies. What keeps the Afghanis going is their religious beliefs, which tell them that they are fighting a holy war, and that if they die, they are destined for paradise. This makes the Afghanis much more passionate about the war they are fighting, evidenced by the man who puts himself under a Russian tank and is crushed.

The story follows a Russian tank lost in a valley after destroying an Afghani village. The tank's crew is pretty much manhandled by a ruthless commander(played quite capably by George Dzundza), who goes out of his way to punish and demoralize the Afghanis. There's also a native Afghan on the tank crew, and he and the commander are verbally going at it most of the time. The driver(played by Jason Patric) is somewhat of a humanitarian, who feels the plight of the Afgan people, and who ultimately feels the rath of the commander's anger.

I really believe this may be one of the greatest war films ever made. It doesn't stick to the standard formula, as both sides of the conflict are given equal screen time, and neither side is designated as being either the "hero" or the "villan." This allows the viewer to make up his own mind based on the situations and story. The film also definitely is somewhat of a metaphor for American involvement in Vietnam as the Russians speak English, while the Afgahis speak Arabic with subtitles.

I can't say enough about the location shooting they did for this film. There are several shots that are just amazing. The one shot of the same place of the cavern wall that is shown two times, with the tank going different directions either time is breathtaking photography, and there is plenty of it here to go around. The desert locale is also very effectively shot, and through the shooting, a sense of complete isolation and desperation is added to the situation.

Perhaps the best thing about the film is its anti-war message. We see the Russians bombing the hell out of a basically helpless Afghan village in the opening scenes. From this point on, we almost get the idea that the Afghans are the "heroes" of the story, because basically they seem to be just fighting for their freedom from these technologically superior Russians. There also is a nice scene where the Russian tank comes across an oasis where due to poisonous chemicals that they dumped into the water, a Russian helicopter crew has been completely wiped out by the poison. This scene again adds a sense of uselessness to what the Russians are doing. The way they are conducting the war almost lead them to completely futility and the accomplishment of nothing.

I really can't say enough about this film. It's a great film that really deserves a better rep than it has gotten. Excellent performances, story, photography...everything is top of the line. The Arabian styled soundtrack is also quite good. I really would urge you to give this forgotten film a second chance. I think you'll be suprised.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older