*****
As the world sat glued to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a matter of far greater import was unfolding in Georgia, but few of us knew and even fewer cared. Having gained its independence from Russia following the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Georgia found itself essentially being invaded once again, following the expressed desire by two republics of Georgia (South Ossetia and Abkhazia) to separate and rejoin Russia. Russia claimed its involvement was solely to assist these republics, whereas Georgia saw itself as a victim of Russia’s desire to once again expand.
Georgia reached out to the US and the EU, but there was little in the way of a response. Perhaps it was felt to be simple local skirmish, irrelevant to wider, global concerns. Certainly that seems to be a gross over-simplification and the fact that Russian forces remain in place in the separatist republics gives the lie to this not being about Russian expansionism.
Fortunately for all of us, Renny Harlin (who has long-since established his large-scale, big-budget credentials with Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight) came to hear of the conflict and embarked on this thrilling and yet deeply moving portrayal of a relatively unknown war. As Harlin said during his exclusive interview with us (which will be on the site later today), he grew up in the shadow of the Soviet empire and felt that he understood the tensions and complex issues surrounding Georgia’s relationship with Russia. Certainly the end product is a film about which Harlin feels very strongly and he is able to bring his considerable expertise in large-canvas action to bear as well.
Evenly spread across the film, yet feeling genuinely organic within its fabric, we have a number of military attacks on towns and villages. Tanks rumble, helicopter gunships destroy buildings, fighter jets roar overhead. Harlin has clearly not lost one ounce of his touch in staging these sorts of sequences, with a seemingly effortless sense of geography, scale and movement. Unlike these sorts of sequences in other big budget tent-pole releases I could mention, you can see precisely what is happening and they feel nothing like stand-alone set pieces, instead threading seamlessly through the overall narrative of the film.
There are engaging and satisfying human beats as well, no mean feat given the scale of the action sequences and the global dimensions to the conflict that was rapidly unfolding. Although some of the characters do feel a little like cyphers at times, for the most part we are presented with living, breathing, flesh and blood people, whose eventual fates we care about deeply. The exception would be the invading Russian and mercenary forces, who are a little two-dimensional and boo-hiss villainous for the most part, rarely presenting anything in terms of characterisation or motivation.
This is a minor gripe however, amidst some of the finest work that Renny Harlin has ever put on screen. Some of the resolutions are a little simplistic and it is abundantly clear where the sympathies of all concerned lie, but it is an exceedingly accomplished piece of film-making, bringing to us some much needed education on a significant conflict about which we would have to say we know very little. When I spoke to him, Renny Harlin expressed a great deal of pride in the film and rightly so. The action sequences are as gripping as any from his considerable back catalogue, but he engages the emotions here in a way he has rarely managed in the past.
Despite covering such a large-scale series of events, Harlin never allows the film to become or feel bogged down. It moves along at a good energetic pace, allowing time for each character to develop, but always keeping the film moving along within its disciplined running time. The acting performances are mostly spot on, with the well-known faces (Val Kilmer, Dean Cain, Heather Graham, Andy Garcia) never feeling like stunt casting, being instead as well-immersed in their roles as anyone else on show here.
It is a great shame to see this film miss out on a theatrical release in the UK, however it is due to enjoy a theatrical run in the US later in the summer and you can get it on DVD in the UK from today.
5 DAYS OF WAR RELEASED ON DVD AND BLU-RAY ON 13 JUNE 2011 FROM ENTERTAINMENT ONE
[Rating:4/5]
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06OvCxx977g’]
What a load of crap that movie is! It does show tho director’s conscience struggling to portray the truth instead of what he’s been paid for, resulting in the best part of the movie — the opening shot with a tag line “The first victim of war is truth”.
If you want to know what really happened then read online sources (with NATO/observers’ reports that there was no provocation from South Osetia), if you want well-made propaganda watch this movie.
Shut up you Russian pig!!! propaganda is what your government is telling you happened. open your eyes to THE TRUTH!
yes Russia invaded… but did it after Georgians killed 23 russian observers and several hundred ossetians who were russian passport holders… everyone smart enough to do some research know this fact… only some really brainwashed or retards would think that it is true what is shown in this movie.
yes Russia invaded… but did it after Georgians killed 23 russian observers and several hundred ossetians who were russian passport holders… everyone smart enough to do some research know this fact… only some really brainwashed or retards would think that it is true what is shown in this movie.
Agreed. typical propaganda movie. Not sure though if it was made like that by willful ignorance or false innocent believe. Anyway – it’s sad that authors didn’t even try to get to the bottom of things. Many US citizens were, zombified against soviet union through the means of government propaganda and the after-effects of that propaganda still shows it’s signs even today, 20 years after the fall.
Inglorious Bastard
Zombified against the Soviet Union? haha that is where you dig your own grave you filthy Russian. Tell me one good thing about the soviet union, you guys live in your fantasy land over there in Moscow and believe everything you see in your TV’s sponsored and fully controlled by Putin. I honestly feel sorry for you for being so ignorant.
I really feel sorry for the people who firmly believe that the story portrayed in the film isn’t true, because it is. Russian media has being trying its best to cover it up, but has fortunately failed to do so.
23 Russian observers?? r u kidding dude?? before war started there was killed more then 20 Georgian civilians.. houses in Eredvi were bombed, 4 Georgian MP were killed… and were are the facts of died Russian peace keepers?? Russian TV’s all day long are showing have Georgia attacked “sleeping” Tskhinvali… come oooon… and why there is no killed anyone?? I was in Tskhinvali when the war was going on… and do you know what did i saw there?? the city was empty!! there were trenches all around, question: where did they come from?! war has been started and suddenly thousands of Russian troops was ready for war and were on the Russian side of border (between Georgia and Russia)… isn’t it strange?
Russian media was talking about killed and dead “Ossetians” (it’s not a nation, today’s South Ossetia before USSR was called Samachablo! and it’s a historical Georgian land for to know!! the only Ossetia was today’s North Ossetia, which was called just as Ossetia!) but we can’t see facts of dead Russian or Ossetian civil people… the only two or three shots which were shown in Russian media was also Georgian civil people! so you should get more information before you open your mouth!!!
P.S. watch film by Russian journalist Andrei Nekrasov – “Russian Lessons” (Уроки русского)… there you can see true story of this war…
I hope you are smart enough to google the unbiased EU report on this conflict…. go and study! but if you beleive everything what the US state department says then ok… I don’t care.
I’m so tired of drunk russians all over the internet trashing everything that makes them look bad.
Nobody cares, Russia, and truthfully, nobody likes you!
Putin has his tiny penis in every single stupid russians mouth. He controls all of russian media. The average IQ of a russian is like 10. The only smart russians are jewish.
Hhahahahaha, who do you think has more propaganda than russia? Are you stupid or insane?
ok… continue show your ignorancy….moron!
well we do believe that average US citizen IQ is like 0% … you live in Matrix and have no idea whats going on in the planet… you love to show your ingnorancy here and there… so go on.
You are a tipical russian lier ! STOP lyeing ! mudak chto ti pizdish ? tvoi mamu ebal ves kavkaz !
Lol, this movie is blatant LIES. Complete distortions of historical facts, every single thing is upside down in this movie, its bizarre. Not to mention the pathetic military mechanics and tactics in this movie, looks like some kid’s fantasy. Shooting down a Mi-28 Hind with a LAW AT rocket, REALLY? is laughable by any person that knows how these weapons work. The actors are complete fail, no depth and no feeling to them. I’m disgusted that Val Kilmer and Emmanuelle Chirque starred in this movie. But they’re actors, its their job. But I’m sure they would find a better production than this drivel. All in all a 1/10 crap. Everyone knows Georgia started the war. To those who said everyone hates Russia, only a a little pissed off moaning georgian says these things. And for the one that said only smart russians are jewish russians…..hmm , look at your own damn country first, what? You think fat ass rednecks made your economy the most powerful in the world? Dumb asses.
Petrov(Desinger of Radio) was russian not jewish. Korolev(Director of
the Soviet Space Program) -Russian. Yuri Gagarin(First human in space).
BTW Russian satellites were also first in space. Igor
Sikorsky(Helicopter inventor)-Russian, Developer of the Rocketry theory
was Russian. Russian sportsmen like the well known hockey players,
football etc were Russian. Great imperial generals like Suvorov who
never lost a battle and Kutuzov who defeated Napoleon were all Russian. Even Russian Jews thank most of their achievements on Russian/Soviet education system. The guy who designed Google and took over YT, Sergey Brin, was brought up in Moscow. Both of his parents attended the Moscow State University. Russia enabled them this, you dumb fucking yank. Thats right bitch, say something now, faggot.
Everyone sees what heshe wants to see. Most of people have stereotypes, stereotypical enemies as well. Without them life woudn’t seem so simple, like “we are good, they are bad”. That’s a plenty retarded point of view, and all, who paint, for example, Russians, or Georgians, or Americans or else with one color, color of the painter’s hatred, – they are retards. Sorry.
You really think people in Russia adsorb mass-media bullshit like a sponge and pray on Putin like Allah-))) Most of Russian media follows the main political trend, but Western media is stereotypical and tendentious, witch makes it the same bullshit. So everyone needs just to think wit HIS(HER) brain, not to take what THEY tell you. And living between all theese lies onlt helps to form YOR OWN point of view.
I understand all who proves this film is truthful, they just like it and want it to be so. But its not. The conflict really was. The real truth is buried, we lack facts,(but have plenty of fakes from both sides) But sorry, cutting throats, shooting missiles at random houses, capturing girls for rape, line-shooting civillians – thats too much for the truth.
So the main point of this film is to paint an evil Russian – uncivilized, dirty, beast-like, tatooed murders. Just as with another epic trash by renny harlin – “born american”. So who is stuck in the Cold War(mentally, at least) Why do THEY need it – it’s clear: people of the world have to think of Russians as of soulless things, when THEY will come to “democratize” us with bombs, “make us free” from our own country and lives – the world wil applaude:-( and the trend of showing Russia always as evil, of digging all shit and posting it in press( I read foreign press) – is a small detail in the information war.
are you 12 or something?
You, like many others commenting on this review, just choose to believe the “facts” that you want to believe. I’m not saying that I know what really happened because I do not, and neither do you.
Sad thing is that you’re bashing the actors as well for doing a horrible job, wich only comes across as you being shallow and trying to find the fault in everything to do with this movie.
So please, just state whatever nonsense you want as your *opinion* instead of facts.
You, like many others commenting on this review, just choose to believe the “facts” that you want to believe. I’m not saying that I know what really happened because I do not, and neither do you.
Sad thing is that you’re bashing the actors as well for doing a horrible job, wich only comes across as you being shallow and trying to find the fault in everything to do with this movie.
So please, just state whatever nonsense you want as your *opinion* instead of facts.
And of course your source of information is the right one. It’s always the other person who has it wrong. As long as you can’t admit that you too have little idea of what the hell happened back then (because you do not!) you’re just as big of a fool as the ones you’re commenting on.
If there is one thing this film did portrait very well it’s the importance of media, and if you blatantly follow yours then I am sorry for you.
And of course your source of information is the right one. It’s always the other person who has it wrong. As long as you can’t admit that you too have little idea of what the hell happened back then (because you do not!) you’re just as big of a fool as the ones you’re commenting on.
If there is one thing this film did portrait very well it’s the importance of media, and if you blatantly follow yours then I am sorry for you.
Heh, commendable that you try, but it’s pretty pointless to respond to a troll like him.
Heh, commendable that you try, but it’s pretty pointless to respond to a troll like him.
pshel nahui gomodril!
pshel nahui gomodril!
It is necessary to be the full idiot to believe that is shown in this film.
Who won? Russians. Who lost? Georgians. No one is interested in listening to sad stories about “the truth”, “who started it first”, “who’s right” etc. Georgians failed. They lost the war. They didn’t succeed at capturing the territory they believed is theirs. They are crybabies who lost the war. End of story.
Citizens of the USA like to eat hot-dogs, to make war and to love another’s oil. They have not made something fine.
stalin was georgian, peter the graet was georgian, ruric who established russia was viking the 3 most influential people who made russia what it is know were foreigners
stalin was georgian, peter the graet was georgian, ruric who established russia was viking the 3 most influential people who made russia what it is know were foreigners
Peter The Great wasnt georgian LOL, where did you get that stupid story from? Ruric established the Kiev Rus state, but it was nordic ruler, most slavs are same as nordic. Stalin was the only georgian ruler who considered himself to be Russian and he is not a great person, he was a murderer and a tyrant. Russia under him wasnt rising, he gets no credit. Real russian achievements came after his death, during Stalin Russia saw WWII. What do you expect happen when socialists run your country, they dont care whether he is russian or not.
sukashvili in Russian jail, coming soon.
Also, you name one georgian that achieved anything worth mentioning and something that revolutionary improved the life of a daily person in its entire history. The point is that georgia is an unheard of shithole with nothing to offer to the world. You keep trying to become “european” and you say Europe started from georgia but in reality no one cares for georgia, no one considers you european and never will because you’re not european. You’re closer to turks and arabs. Culturally you’re ancient, but in modern world you’re cruel and savage like chechens, maybe you got that from turks or mongols who knows. So why dont you georgians shut the fuck up, sit in your unheard of hole and let the big boys talk. You’re insignificant.
Besides, if it wasnt for Russia, georgia would be half Iran, half Turkey today. You’re country benefited the most from foreign rule, mostly Russian. So look who’s talking, dickhead.
lol NATOs observers? there were no observers from NATO during the war… go fuck yourself!
that would be true from you if you were not the full idiot yourself 🙂
keep on drinking vodka poor russians…it makes you more stupid and incapable 😛
I saw this movie a while ago. Not astonished obviously but as being Georgian I’m kinda subjective I guess =)) The movie itself is very subjective. Anyway I liked it… but I realized it wouldn’t be that interesting for the rest of the world.
Nobody really cares about the truth that obviously can’t be revealed no matter how many movies they make and stuff : It’s also obvious that Russia’s not the only one to blame. and it’s easier to play victim ’cause there’s always someone else’s fault..
I myself don’t know the real story but I do know some things.. facts!
I just don’t see the way how they can be proved..!
How would you prove your truth when the girl who’s been raped was your sister or daughter?? or the boy who’s been killed in Russia just ’cause he was Georgian was your brother?? I just don’t see the way how the world is going to believe all these that has really happened around here…
well, I personally think that the world doesn’t give a damn about us =)))
I don’t know what Georgians did, maybe even worse things maybe not.
I just wanted to say that the stories in this movie is not a lie, it’s just subjective, one sided story based on Georgians’ point of view about the war.
And I’m sure the Russians won’t stay still either ^^
you must be russian or osetian , there is every day provocation from russia
where are the facts ??????????
you just talk
russia is not capable doing that ???
bravoooooooooooo . that is very , very true , they had one leader stalin who was georgian and rest where jewish
and russia does not ? wow they are the ones who starts the war
at soviet time now one could say they where jewish , every jewish changed there names , sikorsky so not russian , yes russia was 13 republics everything people from 13 republic invented , russia where taking it and name it as russian ,
thats the truth. every one who’s from soviet union knows that . so do not B.S others who do not know
at soviet time now one could say they where jewish , every jewish changed there names , sikorsky so not russian , yes russia was 13 republics everything people from 13 republic invented , russia where taking it and name it as russian ,
thats the truth. every one who’s from soviet union knows that . so do not B.S others who do not know
P.S only russian writer you have is turgenev and tolstoy
rest where not russians , you guys just like to lie about everything just to make your country better but its not working :))))))
kathrin the grate was german
you are ignorant alex
a lot alex but russia would never ever admit it was georgian idea . till you guy(russians) are a live not only georgia world will not be in peace
thats very true
just leave everyone around you alone and we all be happy . leave us alone .
he was not great person but he is the one who you supposed to pray about every day
You savages used toxic weapons against Chechens. Chechnya is the perfect example of Russians cruelty. Well it’s not a surprise because Russia was once a place of savages. Well we may not ever avenge Russia for their treason in the past, but, in time Russia is so culturally divers they will rebel and that’s where the Russian Empire will fail. It is vary fairy tail but it will happen in time.
Glory to Georgia
LOL, I’m a christian russian. I hate commies, Stalin was a commie and a georgian grandpa, I hate him double and I hope he rots in hell as we speak.
Name one, just one. You cant, because there is none. Mofo.
Actually, if you didnt know, most of the royal European families wed their children on purpose with other European royal families. For example, Nicholas II(Last Tsar) was a cousin of King Georgia V of British Empire, so he also had Russian blood. So a half Russian ruled British empire. So dont be thinking of in that stupid ass context that Russia love to be ruled by foreigners, fucking idiot. Russians make their own destiny with great people, while Georgia had no choice to be ruled by stronger Empires.
You’re an obvious idiot that doesnt know shit about Russia, so why talk? You fucking georgian faggot.
Why didn’t you leave Ossetians and Abkhazians alone? Slap a lion and you become his breakfast. Very simple. You’re blaming the lion for ripping you apart but you conveniently forgot you slapped him first. See what happened to Afghanistan and Iraq for slapping a lion? You’re no smarter. So smarten up, because no one believes your fairytales.
The truly sad thing is that PEOPLE died. People were killed, hurt, raped. It really does not matter WHO started or WHO ended it, PEOPLE…men, women, and children.
To have to watch, to survive that, no matter who “won” a war–which is a JOKE to say that anyone really ever “wins”… that does not make you a cry baby.Just imagine if it was your mother or father or child or sibling.
Shame on anyone who makes fun of someone who has lost a loved one or seen the horrors of war. That does not make you strong, and it does not make you right.
And by the way, using small, silly, foul, petty AMERICAN curse words just makes you small, silly, foul and petty…no matter where you are from or whose side you take on this issue.
The truly sad thing is that PEOPLE died. People were killed, hurt, raped. It really does not matter WHO started or WHO ended it, PEOPLE…men, women, and children.
To have to watch, to survive that, no matter who “won” a war–which is a JOKE to say that anyone really ever “wins”… that does not make you a cry baby.Just imagine if it was your mother or father or child or sibling.
Shame on anyone who makes fun of someone who has lost a loved one or seen the horrors of war. That does not make you strong, and it does not make you right.
And by the way, using small, silly, foul, petty AMERICAN curse words just makes you small, silly, foul and petty…no matter where you are from or whose side you take on this issue.
First, I like America and I love American words. I am not Russian and I’m not a Russian symphatizer. I live very, very far away from Russia and Georgia.
It’s a cold hard fact of life that you Georgians started the war and then lost it. It’s also a cold hard fact that you are crybabies, because now that you lost the war, you’re trying to play the emotional card, the “women and children” card, but you don’t mention that you first ravaged Tskhinvali and killed women and children. Everyone sees that you’re just trying (unsuccessfully) to manipulate and lie to people with your fairytales. So please don’t even go there, people are not stupid, and you’re definitely not smart enough to fool anyone. Move on, forget about your lost war and your lost territory, stop inventing alternate reality, accept the world as it is and look into the future.
There are oficial report of EU comission headed by Tagliavini that blames Georgia in starting the war. You can easily find it’s text or numerous analysys articles in the internet.
For YOUR information, I am not a Georgian. So why do you keep assuming over and over in your above “rebuttal” that I am?? Is it because I care about PEOPLE???
I never said WHICH men, women, or children suffered or died. I just said PEOPLE, and shame on anyone who makes fun of SOMEONE (Russian, Georgian, American,,,ANYONE) who has suffered loss or been ravaged by the scourge of war. I am a HUMAN with feelings for HUMANITY that has suffered, regardless of the reason.
With regard to my intelligence: My intelligence is shown in the fact that I am NOT in trying to fool anyone. I am smart enough to find my intelligence rooted in a deeper place of the mind and heart, than just spitting out hatred and nasty words. And that kind of smart grows daily, through caring and being a sympathetic human being.
Any person, regardless of who they are or where they are from, who would purposefully stereotype any other PERSON who shows sympathy for ANYONE who died or suffered loss, and any person that runs around assuming that these sympathetic souls are all Georgian, or Anti-Russian, well…you show yourself small, scared, and a person of low self esteem. And you seal the deal of your smallness when you spit foul language and disparities. Anyone with a simple command of just about any language can do that, it is easy…little children can do that, bullies on a playground do that. It’s easy to point fingers and shout childish insults from afar.
The point I was making is only that PEOPLE suffered died during that war…and that is SAD.
And until PEOPLE stop caring about putting others down and taking childish, cheap shots at stereotying ALL of one or another race, this stupid cycle will never end, and innocent PEOPLE will continue to suffer…everywhere.
Open up your heart and think about it…instead of opening up your mouth and continuing the cycle of hate.
It’s also very “sad” what an incredibly boring, overlong pointless drivel of a post you terrorize us with. You tell me to think and stop opening my mouth, but you write an endless snorefest and bore us into oblivion. It just shows what a hypocrite you are.
If Georgians didn’t want people to suffer, what the hell were they doing with tanks in Tshivali? They must have been wanting to stop everyone’s suffering with tanks, bullets and their “liberation”.
How stupid do you think the world is? Georgians need to admit defeat and move on.
Clearly this movie was backed by someone in Georgia. The US has not produced this type of obvious propaganda since WWII. The secret to propaganda is its 90% of the truth where this I found very difficult to believe since it was so one sided and the EU report on this subject firmly puts the blame at the hands of the Georgians for starting the war. The Russians rather simplistically where effectively portrayed as an invading horde of barbarian 14th century vikings and set up like the bad guys in an action movie. The subject matter here is fascinating and on a geopolitical scale and this film instead of investigating the truth as it claims papers over it with propaganda which is a waste.
Georgians started the war. EU investigation clearly claims that.
Well said. I wanted to know more about the historical facts and when I picked this up, I thought it would be a real eye-opening experience. Instead, it was the most biased, unbalanced, cliched and historically dubious war film I’ve ever seen.
you American pig, Fuck OFF. And read THE TIMES, dullard
you American pig, Fuck OFF. And read THE TIMES, dullard
Yeap, read all the shity newspapers there were too busy in those days to write a report about what really happened in Georgia. You’ll find anything but the truth.
I have a better idea: go fuck yourself and, after you finish, go fuck Putin, Bush, Sarkozy and Berlusconi, the true killers of that war.
Just think of one thing:
There is a war between two countries, and one of them looses it. 3 years later, the loosing side bankrolls a movie about the war. How impartial can you expect that movie to be? Would it not naturally present the losing side as a victim?
The attempt to present this piece of fiction as “what really happened in that unknown war” is an utter disgrace.
Russians are Russians even if you dip them in to hot grease. Old saying from finnish 2nd war veteran while fighting them. Finnish director paying back ruskies.Nice.
fuk yu russian muthafuker
starting war on our territory dont forget that
we rather believe us than fukin comunist russia,
in our fukin territory bastard
I am Georgian my family left in last to escape the present government. Protesters are shot any reporter who stands against the government is arrested on charges of being a spy
Truth is painful for people to accept. Huge respect to the Director for being so honest and FEARLESS!!! ,showing all the details as they were.
People can comment and rate however they wish, as they have no clue about what happened, media rules their mind, as they dont even bother looking further . but this movie is great ! ITs not JUST about the war, its just amazing!!!