Unlikely Friendships Amidst Relentless Warfare

Read Time:3 Minute, 52 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Beast (Beast of War)
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Genre: Adventure, Drama, War
Year Released: 1988, 2023 Kino Lorber Blu-ray
Runtime: 1h 51m
Director(s): Kevin Reynolds
Writer(s): William Mastrosimone
Cast: Jason Patric, George Dzundza, Steven Bauer, Stephen Baldwin, Don Harvey, Kabir Bedi, Erick Avari, Chaim Jeraffi
Where To Watch: available now here www.kinolorber.com, or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: Drive headfirst into the murky and tumultuous waters of 1980s Afghanistan as THE BEAST unchains a dramatic saga where the Soviet military might clash with unwavering Afghan grit. The lens, albeit American, transports audiences to a world where allegiance, ethics, and survival battle in a dangerous back and forth. What comes from the conflict is a narrative as unyielding as the rugged terrains it's set against, offering a vantage point to dissect imperial tendencies from a safe yet emotionally charged distance.

This narrative expedition is helmed by Kevin Reynolds, whose directorial compass navigates the stormy seas of duty, violence, and the ceaseless moral discord accompanying them. THE BEAST is not your run-of-the-mill war saga; it unveils the horrific visage of warfare and human dissonance amidst a whirlpool of action and fleeting camaraderie.

In the heart of THE BEAST lies a young soldier's battle between allegiance and integrity. The narrative unfolds on a harsh and relentless Afghan backdrop of 1981, morphing into a nerve-wracking chessboard of survival between Soviet troops and Afghan rebels. An unforeseen twist lands a Soviet tank crew into a ferocious chase by local insurgents under Taj's steely command. This narrative curveball catapults tank driver Koverchenko into a whirlpool of moral turmoil as the authoritarian tendencies of tank commander Daskal scorch an Afghan village. The tension hits a crescendo when Daskal's paranoia leads him to abandon Koverchenko to the harsh embrace of the desert, triggering a chain of events that shapes the narrative tableau.

Riding the wave of previously acclaimed war dramas, the directorial reins of THE BEAST dropped into Reynolds' capable hands. With roots tracing back to William Mastrosimone’s play Nanawatai, this cinematic rendition pares down verbose dialogues, letting the dire straits of a stranded Russian tank in the Afghan wilderness speak volumes. Though engaging, the film sometimes succumbs to the simplistic moral binaries typical of war dramas yet manages to probe imperialistic overtones of violent foreign encounters, offering a quiet yet resounding anti-war tune.

THE BEAST thrusts you into its unyielding chaos of war, unveiling the savage facets of human nature, highlighted through the haunting imagery. With Mark Isham’s melancholic score matching the narrative, the evolving camaraderie between Konstantin and Khan Taj illustrates a fragile yet poignant understanding blossoming amidst a storm of violence.

There's a biblical subtext waiting to be explored further in Reynolds' narrative. It flirts with allegories, likening the Soviet tank to a formidable Goliath amidst Afghanistan's harsh landscapes. Amid the unfolding gloom, Konstantin’s introspective journey post-abandonment sheds a ray of hope.

Despite its cinematic merits, THE BEAST lingered in relative obscurity post-release. The lukewarm theatre response and muted promotional fervor reflected the chill of the political climate as the Cold War drew curtains. Thankfully, Kino Lorber has brought this film to the masses again in a gorgeous presentation that allows you to feel like you’re watching this heartwrenching story from just around the corner. Through its narrative highs and lows, THE BEAST etches a journey through the gritty realms of history, morality, and the unyielding shadows of war, crafting a cinematic outing that's as audacious as it is poignant.

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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