Afghan Breakdown
Encyclopedia
Afghan Breakdown is a 1990 war
drama
film about the Soviet war in Afghanistan
directed by Vladimir Bortko
and co-produced by Italy
and the Soviet Union
(Lenfilm
). Michele Placido
, an Italian
TV star popular in the USSR, plays the main protagonist, Major Bandura, a commander of a unit of Soviet paratroopers
, co-starring with several popular Soviet actors.
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
. Vladimir Bortko visited Kabul
and Kandahar
in 1988 to research on the ground.
has expired, decides to stay with his men and lead yet another mission in a remote village. The mission turns into the unit's extermination and subsequent massacre of the village by Soviet retaliation airstrike.
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
film about the Soviet war in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
directed by Vladimir Bortko
Vladimir Bortko
Vladimir Vladimirovich Bortko , born on May 7, 1946 in Moscow, is a Russian film director, screenwriter and producer.-Biography:...
and co-produced by Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(Lenfilm
Lenfilm
Kinostudiya "Lenfilm" is a production unit of the Russian film industry, with its own film studio, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, formerly Leningrad, R.S.F.S.R. Today OAO "Kinostudiya Lenfilm" is a corporation with its stakes shared between private owners, and several private film studios,...
). Michele Placido
Michele Placido
Michele Placido is an internationally known Italian actor and director. He is best known for the role of Corrado Cattani in the TV series La Piovra.-Life and career:...
, an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
TV star popular in the USSR, plays the main protagonist, Major Bandura, a commander of a unit of Soviet paratroopers
VDV
The Russian Airborne Troops or VDV is a military branch of service of the Russian Military, on par with the Strategic Rocket Forces and the Russian Space Forces...
, co-starring with several popular Soviet actors.
The movie is still regarded by most veterans as the best account of the war, despite new box-office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
hits coming out like 9th Company
9th Company
The 9th Company is a 2005 Russian–Finnish–Ukrainian film directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk about the Soviet War in Afghanistan.-Plot:The film follows a band of young recruits from a farewell ceremony with friends and family back home. They train in Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley where they befriend a...
. Vladimir Bortko visited Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
and Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
in 1988 to research on the ground.
Plot
The events unfold just before the start of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1988. A son of a high ranking military general is assigned to Afghanistan, hoping to take part in combat and earn some medals before the war ends. This leads to a chain of events in both combat and the paratroopers' private life on a local base. Major Bandura, whose tour of dutyTour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
has expired, decides to stay with his men and lead yet another mission in a remote village. The mission turns into the unit's extermination and subsequent massacre of the village by Soviet retaliation airstrike.