I thought the Prisoner of the Mountains was an intriguing film. I’m generally quite interested in war films, but the ones that seem to be the most popular focus on Western Europe, so watching one about Russia was a breath of fresh air. The film puts a Russian twist on love, war, and cultural differences. What is truly intriguing is the way the Chechens and Russians approached war, and more specifically, the conflict between the two sides. The idea of empathy, at least from the view of the Russian military, is looked down upon heavily. Russian dominance is more valuable to the Russian army than anything else. The Chechens, however, are pushed to their motives because of a desire to remain free. It is rare to see a movie highlighting the quiet power of the Chechens, as towns like the one featured are isolated and quickly overrun by Russians. The introduction of the Chechens is especially powerful, as the first scene with Abdul highlights the quiet power his people have. Although Abdul and his people have Sasha and Vanya entirely at their mercy, the decision to not immediately kill the two is remarkable. Abdul’s decision to not kill Vanya at the end of the film is especially impressive considering the next few scenes showing Russian helicopters heading to annihilate the village. This irony showed indicated to me that the decisions of a few people might put off the illusion of peace, but it is the big corporations (or armies, in this case) that have a more significant influence in war.