It was a big event in Russia and re-opened the question of war veterns. Apparently based on a true story.....! A company assigned to 'protect' some hilltop in the vast expanses of Afghan, only to be forgotten by high command, and left to fend for themselves "ZULU DAWN" style.

 

The film reminds me a bit of FULL METAL JACKET: half of it is a training sequence, the other half action in Afghanistan.

 

We see the absurdity that the men have to deal with: issued non functioning weapons, given impossible mission objectives, and so on.

 

The acting is good and the action believable except near the end where the death throes of the company take on melodramaitc proportions.

 

Some of the characters are a bit weak: the training seargent was a bit too over the top, walking around slugging guys to teach them 'to expect the unexpected' and so on.... but we feel the helplessness of the recruits, being thrown into situations time and time again that they can not hope to handle.

 

Strange how the Russians waxed nostalgic over this film. There was much sympathy over the plight of Afghan veterns and a sort of yearning for 'the good old days' of the USSR, but no analysis over the folly of the war itself, no critique of the regime that brought about this state of affairs.

 

But all in all, a good film.

I picked it up myself only a few months ago having seen it in the 5.99 bargain bin.  I was quite impressed.  As yimmy stated the kit was all pretty authenitc.   

 The combat scenes during the convoy ambush left a lot to be desired, but they are certainly a lot better than the human wave attacks in 9th Company. Anything like that would have been shot to pieces by rifle fire alone, let alone PKs/mortars/Dushkas/Plamyas

Again, as I said it seemed a tad unrealistic - but it could well have played out that way.  I have read recent accounts of British SAS training Afghan's in infantry tactics, with apparent success, only to have them to revert to charges on horseback and human wave assaults when contacted.

The Afghans consider themsevles to be natural warriors, and don't follow the same doctrine as European armies - they never have.