Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

pesic-1 If it wanted to tell us the war in Chechnya was horrific, it succeeded, even if a lot of the content was historically inaccurate, yet posing as truth in all its documentary style horror. If it wants to tell us that in this war virtue and morality got squashed just like corpses under a tank, and sacrifice lost all nobility in this pit of man-made Hell, it succeeded. But after taking the audience to the depths of Hell, or 'Purgatory', as the film is called, why does it not leave us with even a hint of catharsis? Anyone can assault the audience with scenes of gore and sadistic savagery. But film as an art form needs to provide emotional and intellectual payoff for the audience. Otherwise it's just abuse.

overninethousand First of all, the other reviewers said things like "sort of a documentary-like this movie", "this one shows what really happened", and even a "terrific documentary drama". This is completely wrong, as this is a fictional story about fictional characters. In short, it's a fiction - and it doesn't have a documentary feeling neither.The movie is utterly unrealistic portrayal of the possibly bloodiest battle of Grozny of 1994-1995. Taking place in the biggest city in the North Caucasus region, there is a complete absence of civilians (thousands of which died, Russians and Chechens) - but there are, to cite another reviewer, "women snipers (from the Baltics), black mercenaries (speaking in English)" (both being Russian propaganda myths). The Russian tank survives multiple RPG hits to be knocked-out (after it fires many salvos despite the Chechen fighters standing in a line like a firing squad carrying grenade launchers even before it opens fire), but the Chechen tank is destroyed after being hit once. There's not a single RPG-7 ("Chechen atom bomb") in the movie, everyone fire just a one-shot Mukha launchers. The Russians use ASG (heavy automatic grenade launcher on a tripod) to shoot at people inside the same building, few meters from them, just for a "cool" execution (target being a man carrying a wounded). And so on.Chistilishche is a weird movie. It's full of strange, pointless gore (like the Russian tank - there is only one such working in the movie - driving back and forth on a Russian bodies in a long close-up scene), but it's not an anti-war film. Writer and director Aleksandr Nevzorov is a Russian ultra-nationalist and Duma deputy who supported this war at the time when it was extremely unpopular. It's a grind-house propaganda flick, like if John Wayne's Green Berets was made by Lucio Fulci.In addition, not only Nevzorov tried to get all discredited myths into one movie, he also helped to create new ones, which then circulated further. To cite The Jamestown Foundation's review of a book The Wolves of Islam: "The sensational tone of the book is set in the opening pages, which warn that "graphic descriptions of terror, acts of torture, and human cruelty in this book will disturb the reader." Indeed, much of the first half of the book is devoted to detailed descriptions of various atrocities allegedly committed by Chechens. The author devotes some space to a gruesome account of the crucifixion and mutilation of a Russian soldier during the 1994 battle for Grozny. The "crucifixion of the innocent soldier" is a recurring propaganda motif that dates back to the Belgian front in the First World War (where the victim is usually described as a Canadian soldier victimized by Germans). But the author insists on the authenticity of his account, citing a scene from a novel (though Murphy does not describe it as such) by Vyacheslav Mironov and a similar scene from the 1997 movie Purgatory (Chistilishche), made by Russian nationalist and Duma deputy Aleksandr Nevzorov."I find it unsettling this movie's user score is higher than of the critically-acclaimed (Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated) Kavkazskiy plennik (Prisoner of the Mountains/Caucasus), which is a so much better film about the same war.

thesiouxfallskid A terrific documentary drama very well done. The director himself was a TV journalist at the scene at the time of the fighting depicted in the film. I liked the brutalization rather than the family entertainment kind of glamorization so often seen in war film that hold back because of those who would complain of too much violence. The better we face reality, the better we can deal with it. I know of no version with subtitles but this should not keep anyone from seeing it. After reading what I write here you should be able to follow along. NO SPOILERS here. I am only starting it off so it can be understood, and I give away nothing of what happens. The quote at the very beginning is from the 137th Psalm of which the last part goes like this: "O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you for what you have done to us and he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks." Early January 1995 the Russians have entered Grozny (capital of Chechnya). In the first scenes a military unit is pinned down by unexpected fierce resistance at a hospital complex. They try unsuccessfully to take away their wounded. The camera switches constantly from one side to the other, and usually it is not difficult to tell which is which. The Chechen side includes women snipers (from the Baltics), black mercenaries (speaking in English), fighters in Islamic headdress, and a pony-tailed commandeer. The Russian officer (just lost one eye) seeks help by radio but keeps connecting to the Chechen commandeer using a scanner to listen to Russian communications. Killing, hate, blood, grime. The Russians pin hope on a tank. I have spoiled nothing so far, and even if you do not understand Russian your imagination should carry you along. Much effort went into this film. Ten stars. P.S. I add this note April 2013. English subtitles - good ones as well as one set of horrible ones - do exist but you need to know where to look.

eksellentz Not an easy piece of cinema to swallow, but still a great movie! Being a sort of a documentary-like this movie is not easy to watch. The bloody scenes aren't easy to swallow, they are filmed in a very realistic way.But still - this movie does not hold out anything. It shows the war the way it really is - a very horrible event...Many didn't like this movie. Many have judged this one based on their political believes. But argue or not this one shows what really happened. Without withholding anything at all.It wouldn't be easy to find a copy of this one around these days. But still if you get your hands on a copy of this movie - be sure not to miss it! 10 points out of 10.