Movies - Afghan Breakdown

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	Movies - Afghan Breakdown

Afghan Breakdown (Afganskiy Izlom in Russian) is a 1991 movie about the Soviet war in Afghanistan directed by Vladimir Bortko and co-produced by Italy and the USSR.

Michele Placido, from the Italian mafia TV series The Octopus/La Piovra plays the main hero, Major Bandura, a commander of a unit of paratroopers. The events unfold just before the start of the Soviet pullout from Afghanistan. A son of a high ranking military boss arrives in Afghanistan, hoping to take part in combat and earn some medals before the war ends. This leads to a chain of events and a dramatic finale. Major Bandura, who had a chance to leave for home, decides to stay with his men and take part in another operation and at the end is shot in a remote village by an Afghan boy.

"Afghan Breakdown" was the first in-depth war drama on the subject made in Russia after years of Soviet propaganda and censorship. It was also the first to talk about how pointless the 9-year occupation of Afghanistan was, the traumatic experiences of the thousands of soldiers and officers, and the atrocities committed by the army.

Vladimir Bortko visited Kabul and Kandahar in 1988 to do research on the ground.

The movie is still regarded by most veterans as the best account of the war, despite new box-office hits coming out like 9th Company.

SPOILERS

Since this is NOT an English language movie, and, at least in my copy, there are no subtitles, it can be a bit confusing, so scene and plot descriptions follow. If you are fluent in Russian, just watch the movie...

Note the seeming pun IZLOM vs. Islam.

This is a very long movie...

Scene 1: Local villagers conduct circumcision ceremony - two of the characters in this scene, the father and young son appear repeatedly in the movie.

Scene: A Russian unit is attacked, and loses the battle. Afghan mujahed walk the battlefield, slay survivors, and recover or destroy equipment.

Scene: A female approaches a hut, and is met by a Lieutenant Colonel. it develops that the women is the love interest of Major Bandura, who is married and has family back in Russia; The (lieutenant) colonel, Bandura's supervisor, reveals that he is in love with the woman. The woman takes note, as she is reminded, that the major has another life, another wife.

Scene: Our protagonist, Major Bandura and his unit first appear. A Russian paratroop unit "desantniki" engages in a ground battle, wins, takes prisoners, and treats them in kind. No quarter given.

Scene: The unit returns to base, as a helicopter arrives, and drops off a young officer. The officer asks for directions of Major Bandura, and is simply directed "Follow me." Major Bandura leads the officer to the Major's personal shack. The Major takes cleans himself up, and prepares for an after action report, and the two socialize. The Lieutanant sees a collection of handguns, and "likes" one. Bandura gives him the hadgun. "You are in the far east, such is the custom, if you say that like it, it is given to you." The Lieutenant is the son of an important official, who is escaping his father's influence, and getting "fresh air." Bandura informs him he will become a hero, he will recieve awards, it cannot be avoided. (Misha) Bandura's love interest enters, and lieutenant leaves. The woman and man scheme mildly to take some advantage from the fact that their new charge has important relatives.

Scene: Major Bandura reports the results of battle. The Colonel notes that a specific request has been made that the young officer be assigned to an experienced and heroic leader - Bandura. The lieutenant, in another room, meanwhile is noting all of the luxury items available to soldiers from the markets of Afghanistan, that cannot be purchased within the Soviet_Union (Japanese watches, and so forth.) The lietenant is summoned to meet his commander, is assigned to Bandura, and makes some social gaffes; The commander was once assigned under the lieutenant's father in Czechoslovakia - and the lieutenant opines that that campaign was politically inadvisable. Since the Soviet Union is in decline, the officers choose to ignore this impolitic remark. A trip is arranged so that Bandura, the lieutenant, and others may go shopping. The girls - nurses are to go with. Soldiers close out the scen by removing furniture from the office - a move is clearly in progress.

Scene: Now to the motor pool, where a sergeant asserts authority over the lieutenant, and torments the lieutenant, asserting that he is not yet man enough to be a leader.

Scene: On the way to the market. A convoy drives through the Afghani countryside. Women in a truck sing a song to pass the time - Alla Pugacheva's "Starinie Chasy" - about time not standing still, and history being immutable. One of the singers is a women who may become the lieutenant's love interest. A local truck is run off of the road, and no note is taken of the accident.

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