The saying is: We are tank; If we lose mobility, we are bunker; If we lose main gun, we are machine gun nest; If we lose machine gun, we are pillbox; If we are destroyed, we become tomb for brothers.
American tankers "DEATH BEFORE DISMOUNT " lol just ribbing yah guys . i do the same to my mortar man brother . HIGH HELL ANGLE or something like that . Can you guess my ol MOS Bang bang
I watched this movie in the early '90s as a private in an American tank battalion with a bunch of fellow American soldiers. If I'd only known back then that over a decade later I'd be fighting another pointless, doomed war in the same place.
@@kristiangustafson4130 In comparison to the amount of wars you fought with France between 1066 and 1815, you barely made acquaintance with Afghanistan.
You said it. Just some of the things that broke on my tank in the six years I was a crewman... Radios (multiple) Brakes won't lock Brakes won't unlock Ballistic computer busts and puts 99 mils of superelevation on a sabot round Transmission frags itself Shift linkage falls apart .50 spontaneously switches from low to high rate of fire and back again .50 feed jam Coax feed break Coax firing circuit breaks Magnetic break fails in the locked position (aka cadillacs engaged, moving the controls traverses without grasping the handles) Doghouse door jams Sprocket stud strips Snapped torsion bar (both #1s at the same time) Hydraulic line blows and sprays FRH all over the crew compartment End connector busts Integral pin busts Center guild busts Heater exhaust leak Crew compartment exhaust fan busts Purge pump busts And probably a lot more that I'm forgetting... And yet in spite of all of that, I still loved that hog. She was my home.
Saw this when I took Arabic in college. My professor was Middle Eastern and he loved this movie. I’ll never forget how it helped me understand and appreciate Pashtunwali culture. Truly a masterpiece.
One cool thing is for a movie filmed in Israel, the Afghans are speaking real Pashtun. During my first tour in Afghanistan, my "Terps" loved the movie. Must see "9th Company"....great movie.
Another fact because it was filmed in Israel is that the tank in the movie is an actual soviet tank (a t-55) captured during the wars with their neighbours. Most movies at the time would have just mocked up American tanks as russian tanks like red dawn.
The one made by Bondarchuk? Damn, it's not a good movie! The fight at the end is pure fiction and what actually happened there was much more interesting. It was so bad that actual people who fought on that hill campaigned against the movie.
The funny bit most actual afgan Mujahideen in the conflict against the sovijet were Tajiks which mostly live in the North and the Pashtuns are in the south and classed mostly as Taliban.
I've recommended this movie dozens of times, but never run into anyone who's ever seen it. The ending...the dude getting stoned to death by women... Tough way to go.
@@JohnSmith-mk1rj "When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains, And the women come out to cut up what remains, Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains An' go to your Gawd like a soldier." Rudyard Kipling. There's a reason they call it the Graveyard of Empires
This has been one of my favorite war movies and probably my favorite tank movie. I love that they used real Soviet tanks (I know it’s not a real T-62) and they actually fire the gun. They are using water weighted blank shells. The water weight make the gun recoil as it would firing live rounds. It looks a lot better than shooting pyrotechnics out the end of the barrel.
Interesting fact - most Russian equipment used in the film is original. Mind that this was 1988 and USSR still existed. The film was shot in Israel, all weapons, uniforms etc were borrowed from Israel as they had a lot of Soviet produced stuff captured during conflicts with Arab countries. Cool film btw, watched it a long time ago, I will never forget the scene where an Afghan man is being crushed under the tank's tracks ... A very well made and brutal scene ...
I used to teach IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) classes in the US Army in the 1980's. Stumbling on this movie a while back was a real treat because it showed a lot of the equipment in more detail than our own training aids did.
I remember watching this movie when I was in the U.S. Army, back in the early 1990's. I agree, it is an excellent flick that doesn't get the attention it deserves.
I saw this film in the 90's. It's because of this film I thought it would not work out well when the US went into Afghanistan. It does a great job explaining why it is so difficult to control Afghanistan militarily.
I'm really glad that you reviewed "The Beast." It's one of my favorite war movies, and as a film, it has interesting characteristics that make it worthy of a dissertation. For example, I first saw it in the middle of the night on cable in the eighties, and because I started the movie in the middle on the first viewing, I was puzzled about the nationality of the tank crew. When I tried to place the scenes, I thought that maybe the movie was about some Israeli conflict, and after a short time, I was struck to realize that the tank crew was supposed to be Soviets. The disorientation was caused by some deliberate choices. In making the movie, the director could have had all of the characters speak English and have the Afghans and Soviets pretend not to understand each other. He could have had them all subtitled and speaking their own languages. Finally, he could have subtitled the dialogue for either the Soviets or the Afghans. He chose to subtitle the Afghans, a decision that takes full advantage of the unique characteristics of film in contrast to a play or book, where only the language of the target audience can be used because there is no true analog of subtitling, and by choosing to subtitle the Afghans, the characters who would have been the audience's natural ally because of the relentlessly anti-Soviet tone of the American life at the time, he put distance between the Afghans and the audience, not much but enough. Other choices kind of forced the American viewer to identify with the Russians and made them seem less foreign. In addition to speaking American English, characters like Golikov or the Soviet helicopter pilot seem a little like American archetypes. (The helicopter pilot looks and sounds like a California surfer.) The overall effect is to subtly bring the audience a little onto the side of the Soviets with the intention in my opinion, to make a statement about similar conflicts like Vietnam, a war too painful and central to American psychology to fairly address from the point of view of the Vietnamese. (Can you imagine a similar movie about Vietnam? How would such a treatment have sat with an American viewer at the time?) The combination of story and choices in production and direction combine to let an American audience experience the harsh realities of asymmetric war from the point of view of the technologically inferior party but without triggering the kind of reflexive defense of the conflict that might come with different subject matter and without descending into pure propaganda as might have happened if the Afghans had spoken English and the Soviets had spoken Russian and been subtitled. Also, another way in which the movie was underappreciated was the research. I think that the source material was a carefully researched stage play script, and if you look into details about for example, the Pashtu code of honor, you find that the author faithfully represented the Afghans and skillfully incorporated their beliefs and customs into a logical and compelling narrative. Anyway, it's a great movie, and I'm glad that you're promoting it on your channel.
Yeah, that Pashtu code of honour is great. Really is. I mean they don't have a near 300 year history of being bandits causing misery and hell. Absolute peachy guys. When they behead a captured Soviet pilot they give him a slap up last meal first. And as for the Arabs like Bin Laden who were fighting there, have you ever heard a bad thing about the guy?
@@Norvik_-ug3ge Yeah, they're savages, every last one of them, and I'm really glad that the American government didn't give them a lot of weapons and money. Oh, damn! Wait a minute . . . . I don't follow your point. Without having the courage to just say what you mean, you appear to be sarcastically suggesting that my praise of the research is incorrect because no Afghan, not a single one, would ever live up to their own ideals, and therefore, the movie was flawed for not presenting the Afghans as complete savages at every moment. Is that your point? Can you say it directly, or are you just going to dance around the point? Anyway, I'm sure that you can anticipate my objection: the point is pure nonsense and rank bigotry. If you're saying something else, for example, that you wanted a movie about savage Afghans or would find a movie about savage Afghans to be more appropriate, well, go find one to review or go make your own movie. The tone of your remarks makes me think that you didn't even watch the movie. I was reviewing the movie, not whatever is happening in your head. In the actual movie, the credits start after an excerpt from a poem by Rudyard Kipling, an excerpt talking about Afghan women combing plains after a battle to mutilate and kill incapacitated enemy soldiers, and the film ends shortly after a group of Afghan women stone the tank commander to death. Along the way, the same women attempt to stone the main character to death, and one rebel is thwarted in one attempt to use a knife to murder a tanker who had surrendered and another attempt to shoot the main character as the main character is rescued by a Soviet helicopter. The movie doesn't seem to be all sunshine and rainbows with regard to the Afghans. My review didn't heap praise on the Afghans. In fact, in my review, I praised the choice to subtitle the Afghans as a means to other them and to have the Soviet soldiers speak English as a way to help an American audience to identify with the Soviets, who were enemies of America but not aliens. Anyway, I don't know who you think that you're writing, but I don't have any love for Afghanistan or Afghans. Going all the way back to the nineties, I thought that America made a terrible mistake in Afghanistan. I used to read the BBC News online in horror as Afghanistan descended into brutality. I sent friends articles about the early days of the Taliban, things like their plans to make minority Hindus wear distinctive garments ostensibly to prevent harassment by virtue police. I sent friends articles on the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas. I was in Hungary on the night before the terrorist attacks in 2001, and I watched the breaking news of the Taliban and al-Qaeda assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, one of the holdouts against Taliban rule. Why did I pay such close attention to the developments in Afghanistan if I don't have a special interest in Afghanistan? I paid attention for the same reason that I paid attention to the Russian invasion of Chechnya and the developments in Bosnia where Elijah Izetbegovic played identity politics with Islam and flirted with forming an Islamic republic in a Balkan state where Muslims were a mere plurality. I paid attention because I agreed with the comments of Putin at the time, that there was an arc of instability stretching from the Philippines to Algeria. (He was referring to Islamism.) I paid attention because I consider Islam to be a brutal, dangerous conquest ideology that cannot help but produce brutally violent extremists, and the developments across central Asia and the Balkans had convinced me that we had been on the wrong side in Afghanistan. Despite a harsh view of Islam and serious concerns about the basic human decency of devout Muslims, I still don't have an opinion that cannot be conditioned on additional information, a position like you appear to have, and well, I can remain sane while watching a movie and actually comment on the craft and the substance without foaming at the mouth about the subjects of the film even when I am suspicious of the entire class of people from which the subjects are drawn.
The Beast also has an amazing cast and possibly one of the most overlooked actors in Hollywood, George Dzunda who plays Daskal. He's sadly underused these days yet when you see him in roles like this, you're reminded of how compelling his presence is!!
Not only is he a great actor, but he's particularly believable as a Russian, which is an issue in a lot of Hollywood movies! The most blatant example that comes to my mind is Atomic Blonde - decent flick, but the "Russians" are so obviously Scandinavian actors it takes you out of the film.
@@b.chaline4394 There's a late 80's Twilight Zone episode in which he plays a KGB officer sent to a remote Russian village. I can't remember the name of it yet it stars George Dzunda and Victoria Tennant, it involves Vampires in a small village. Highly recommended checking it out, I remember it being repeated in the early 90's and it has stuck with me over 30 years later!!
A seriously underrated movie. The dude getting crushed in the first village confirmed my phobia of going under tank tracks lol. This movie really had you feeling claustrophobic even though a lot of the movie was outside of the tank. One of the best tank movies ever made.
There’s a similar scene in Band of Brothers where they actually ran over a stunt man with a tank, in a way that he would survive of course. But an really visceral scene none the less.
Thank you, Mr. Drinker. I will definitely watch it. Truth is, there isn't much cinematic representation of the Afghan war in Russian cinema either (I'm not counting the obnoxious examples like some recent attempts). And there's still a lot of those who fought there and are left deeply traumatized, simultaneously motivated and disenchanted. Movies with an angle like this might just save us from more stupid conflicts on many levels. I salute you for doing what you do and saying what you say.
@@danieldz7906 well, to be honest, I friggin hate the director's manner. However, I can totally get that people see some merit in it, that's mainly a matter of taste. Historically, though... It got a lot of negative feedback from the veterans, and the war is still pretty fresh in the nation's memory, so it kinda became a synonym for a subpar theme exploitation. Still, gotta keep in mind that is local context and many war movies might be inaccurate and still be good.
Yeah, saw this in the 80's - I seem to remember it being called 'Beast of war' I remember the scene where they fed a guy under the tracks of the T55 and then the driver finds his hand jamming the track. And the commanders story of him being dangled by rope over a tank to drop bombs onto them. I'd become a bit anesthetized to the stream of Vietnam movies being churned out at the time and this was different.
I've loved this movie for years. It has one of the best "trying to communicate without knowing each others languages" scenes I've ever seen in a movie.
This was one of those movies I saw years and years ago that really surprised me by how well made it was. It's also a movie that I was surprised to find out hardly anyone ever mentioned or discussed.
There IS one other movie about Afghanistan that deserves attention: "The 9th Company". And yes, "The Beast" is a fantastic movie that deserves a watch from everyone.
Been waiting for the Drinker to give this film some love, first saw it late night on ITV4 ages ago and it instantly made it into my top 5 list of greatest war movies.
Just earlier today I was trying to remember the movie that I saw years ago about a T-55 crew in a desert. I cannot believe the coincidence that you post the video about it today. Awesome movie that should get more attention. (that gruesome death scene of a guy getting slowly crushed sticks in your memory)
Man, this Movie was something else when I watched it at midnight HBO. It made me see the gruesome and hard life of tankers stuck in a metal box in the hot desert with everything against them.
I remember allot of good mostly B movies airing late night during the early 2000s on cable, some were forgotten theater releases as well. It was a good time.
This is one of my favorite war movies of all time. The best part at the end, when Constantine convinces the Khan to let the crew escape after they disable the tank and he says "Are you an Angel or a Devil?" So introspective.... then of course the crew gets caught by the women of the village.
Kipling: "When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains, And the women come out to cut up what remains, Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains An' go to your Gawd like a soldier."
I remember at the time there were tales of the Afghans skinning captured soldiers alive for entertainment. Just because they considered it funny to tie a man down, skin him then send him back, sometimes without being castrated.
Drinker, thank you for reviewing this film. I regard it as one of the best war movies about Afghanistan. I am retired US Army so that is part of my prospective. Anyway, thank again for reviewing "Das Tank"
There is Charlie Wilson's War, starring Tom Hanks. Pretty decent movie. Was banned in Russia for portraying Soviets like cartoon villains (the helicopter raid scene on the village). It's definitely worth a watch though. Also, saying US had nothing to do with Afghanistan war of the 80's is extremely incorrect. US and it's proxies, mainly Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, trained, sponsored, and equipped the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan. Those Stinger missiles were not growing on trees there. Osama Bin Laden and his unit got Uncle Sam's money, training, and weapons. China and Pakistan were the main sources of the light arms.
That film is a gross misrepresentation the US' and Charlie Wilson's specific involvement with funding the mujahideen. Wilson did not come up with the idea independently. Reagan actually chose him to be in charge of funding the covert war in Afghanistan. Still can't figure out why it was necessary to make up the details of this story for the film. I just can not understand why.
@@935323 Yes. It had quiet a few inaccuracies. The movie tried to portray a picture of a disinterested US and a lone warrior who made the US care. While from actual history we know, US was planning the "Afghan Trap" for the USSR and they were very much on top of it from day one. There was no need to beg the US administration to help the Mujahadeen. US was gladly "returning the favor" to the Soviets for their Vietnam role. However the movie is well made and acted. Just for that, I think it's worth a watch.
@@donaldc3884 how was that lefty propaganda? Just saw it the other week and I am very cautious and suspicious of everything media these days, but that movie didn’t trigger anything
Quite enjoyed that film. A few really good gut punch 'you're really in it now, lads' moments too. It doesn't run on the pure dread of something like Kajaki but has similar undertones.
Never heard of The Beast until I got the notification for this video. Wanted to actually watch the movie before I watched Drinker's thoughts. Just finished it and it may now be my favorite war film. Much better than anticipated in just about every way a movie can capture you. Cheers Drinker, and thank you for helping me discover this film! Side note: Manny from Scarface is actually great as an Afghani, and Jason Patric was excellent as well. Kinda surprised they didn't have bigger careers based on their performances here.
Sheesh... I though this movie was my personal secret. Such a great movie... even more so when you realize how little the production budget. Great review. Well done!!!
I've owned the DVD of this for a decades...always recommend it as little-known war films. Another is Dark Blue World (about the Czech pilots in the RAF), and Guerreros (Spanish war movie about peacekeeping mission gone sideways).
Back in the old days (VHS tapes) this was already a hidden gem. Glad the drinker has discovered the movie now and gives it the proper recognition. Better late than never.
Had this recommended to me by a Marine tank commander. He said the authenticity of the commander kicking the crew in the head from his position is straight up pure truth. And that look of total disgust the commander gives when they abandon the tank when the round fails and he says, "you touched it last" to the Afghan... Perfection!
My stepfather absolutely loves this movie and I'm glad you're featuring it here. The effects of the conflict portrayed still affect the world today and is one people in the western hemisphere could stand to know more about. It's a well-made, down to earth movie that doesn't take a side in it's portrayal of the war.
This movie is pretty amazing and I'm glad you talked about it. I'm just a little sad that you don't talk about the casting, as I think that played a major role in the film's greatness. We see several great actors get one of their first major roles.
I loved this movie. Back in the 90's when I first found this film I knew next to nothing about the Soviet invasion of Afganastan. This film inspired me to dig deeper. Even thirty years later it still ranks among my favorite 'war' films.
I'm about 12 years your senior Drinker. So, when The Beast was released I was eighteen and had outgrown the phase I had so heavily immersed myself in only a few scant years before. A phase that had me so engrossed with Rambo, Commando and the Missing in Action franchise that I adopted a persona and a rucksack full of personal interests in activities and literature (ie. The Anarchists Cookbook and US Army field manuals on Improvised Explosives, Incendiary Devices and Unconventional Warfare Tactics) that only ten years later would have landed any teenager on the honor rolls of the FBI watch list because of tragic events like the Columbine High School shootings. I was not a violent young man by any measure. I had never even dreamed of harming anyone (who didn't have it coming) But there was little to do in a very rural areas of East Texas save for hunting, guns, drinking and blowing things up. And as it would happen I took to it like a duck to water. I cut my teeth on an AR-15. But, as fun as it all was there was something missing as I reached my later teen years. I still had the love of war movies but the intellectually vacant action movies of the 80's (though important to the careers of many loved actors and to the history of cinema) began to fail me with their repetitious and hollow message of "Good guy kill bad guy" and The Beast was the very first movie I watched that offered that missing element of a thought provoking movie experience. It was the very first glimpse of a not so black and white view of a people that had been so heavily vilified in American movies that I honestly think if I had met someone who was Russian in the mid 80's I would have questioned what they were doing in my country. I am ashamed to admit that but the cinematic propaganda was thick during the cold war era and even beyond. But The Beast smeared the black and white lines in my mind into streaks of grey that remained for the rest of my life. It deprogrammed an unhealthy mindset and began my journey of seeing a little streak of grey in every person, event and situation I encountered for my entire life after. So to see you go back and review it all these years later and largely echo so many sentiments that I personally experienced was fantastic. It validated my feelings about a pivotal personal movie experience that I dared not share with anyone at the time. I stumbled across your channel at a time when I felt as though RUclips was a vast wasteland of mindless morons seeking 15 minutes of Warholian fame. I was about to turn away from it altogether. I have only ever subscribed to a handful of channels and while it won't make you any more famous or fill your shelves with awards you can take comfort in the honor of being among the Pantheon of my personal favorites. By the way when I went to look up the movie on IMDB I had a hard time finding it at first because there it is called The Beast of War. I don't recall any movie posters or VHS Boxes with that title. And I have to give thanks to Jason Patrick because a primary reason I saw The Beast was due to his role in The Lost Boys. And props to him and his largely unappreciated role as a Narcotics officer in Rush which was based on real events that took place in my home county in East Texas. Thanks for all you do and may your success and sphere of influence grow beyond even your own narcissistic aspirations.
I stumbled across this movie late one night many years ago and it has stuck with me ever since. BTW Drinker have you ever drank brake fluid filtered through a loaf of bread? 😉
First time I saw this movie, I was probably about 10 years old, and the scene where they run the guy over with the tank freaked me right the Hell out, that scene stuck with me for years. About ten years later, I re-watched the movie and realized that it was an astoundingly good movie. Not only is the storytelling great, but the cinematography is as well.
I saw this movie when it first came out on video (Yes, when you rented VHS tapes at Blockbuster and dinosaurs still ruled the Earth😁) and was impressed with the quality. I saw it again about five years ago and it stands up well. Still a good, well paced, well written movie.
This movie does something that so many, many, many movies do not: it uses action not only to propel plot (no wasted action either), but it also uses action to reveal character and fill out the story. This is one of my favorites, and people I know who are addicted to their phones, will put them down to watch it. You can't ask much more out of a movie.
F*cking A! Ive owned this movie for almost 20 years. LOVE it! It is an excellent "small" film, dealing with just the guys in the tank and their dynamics. F*cking awesome film.
Saw this on VHS almost as soon as it was out. Never forgotten, always recommended. It's just always great to hear an educated opinion that lets you know you're not alone.
The Beast is one of those movies that seems like it should have been popular years ago. If it had gained more traction I can't help but feel it would have had changed some minds about the more recent conflict in Afghanistan.
Everyone who’s even ‘occupied’ Afghanistan have got their asses kicked... Alexander the Great (330 bc) Genghis Khan (1220) The British Empire (1842) The U.S.S.R. The U.S.A.
Fred, I think you are mistaken about Genghis Khan, who thoroughly destroyed Afghanistan's then ancient and cultured cities, and slaughtered their inhabitants. He also destroyed ancient irrigation systems, in effect 'bombing Afghanistan back to the Stone Age'. Mongol Khanates ruled the ruins until Timur the Lame, even crueller than GK, invaded in 1370, and Afghanistan remained under the rule of Timur's descendants (who included the Mughals) into the 18th century.
Alexander pretty much kicked their ass, at some point some tribesmen stole Bucephallus (his horse) and he made an announcement that if he is not to be returned asap, he will slaughter everyone. Bucephallus was back by the morning by the thieves themselves.
I've never seen this movie, but the small amount I have seen in your review seems to paint a much nicer picture of the mujis than I think would be warranted. I'm also wondering where the rest of the Soviet army is and why they aren't looking for their missing tank. The crew I'm sure the soviets would be okay with being eaten by crows, but they would want the expensive tank back.
Eh, the Soviets probably didn’t even care about the tank that much. It’s a mere T-55 after all, those were already pretty much obsolete by the time of war.
As a retired Armor officer I love the Beast. Before Fury this was the best movie about tanks. Still one of my favorite. I watch this movie at least once a year
Honestly, the only time I've ever seen the Soviet-Afghan war in media is Metal Gear Solid 5 and a tiny scene in Black Lagoon. Militarily speaking, it's a perfect example of an inferior force effectively combating a superior one with unorthodox tactics, at least enough to force a withdrawal, even contributing to their overall downfall. I'll definitely give this one a watch, as I not only want more from this era of history, I also just fucking love tanks and a good old war movie. Thanks for the recommendation, you beautiful bastard!
I stumbled upon this film when I was a young teenager over 20 years ago and was gripped by it. Missed the title back then, but remembered everything so vividly. Thanks for the nostalgia kick, but I'm not sure if it will live up to my fond memories if i watch it again.
*Edited* The US did have a big role in that war, actually. We covertly supplied the Afghan resistance with -RPGs- MANPADS which played a deciding role in helping force the Soviets to give up, as the military advantage they had with their mi24 helicopters was negated.
MANPADS like the FIM-43 Redeye and FIM-92 Stinger, but to be honest both of those were more a contributing factor to the Soviets pulling out. After all, if it was only the 'RPGs' (which are a whole other class of weapons, btw), the communist regime in Afghanistan would've folded just as quickly as the 'democratic' one last year and not held out for actually longer than the USSR had left in it :D The boring truth is that the economic (and political) situation going to shit and the lack of a sane endgame (or benefit to keep fighting) in sight did the heavy lifting on why the USSR left. Basically, it seems to've been Vietnam 2.0, but without a powerful economy to keep the living standard at home high enough to cushion the blow of a military quagmire (because why provide for yer populace, when there are newer and shinier tanks to buy :D )
@@joshrandar They did in fact do it to the americans, it was called the Vietnam (or Second Indochina) war. The sad truth is that history is one big pissing contest between the great powers, with everyone overtly or covertly trying to screw over the opposition like supporting muslim fundamentalists fighting against a secular, but communist government (Afghanistan) or supporting a despotic government as a lesser evil to a sectarian civil war (Syria), or even working with one of your sworn enemies against one of your other sworn enemies... supported by your closest allies (Iran/Israel vs Iraq/US,GB,France) with nary a thought on knock on effects down the line
I watched this today because of your recommendation and it doesn't dissapoint. It's a really good movie that knows how to ask the right questions without beating your head over with answers. Would have never heard of this movie without your video, thanks again!
@@jfb.8746 That's the funny thing about Cold War insurgencies; the Viet Cong and Castro tend to be romanticized while those like the Mujahideen and the Contras (the majority of whom were peasants that had fought against Somoza, not former soldiers of his) are depicted retroactively as 'reactionaries' and American puppets. Of course, God forbid anyone fight AGAINST the Communists...
@@theduxabides9274 It's true that OBL had daddy's money but I seem to remember that he was also logistically helped by the CIA. I could be wrong though. And didnt the Stingers go to all the moudjahideens?
Thanks for bringing up this movie. When I got cable in the late 1980s, this was one of the first movies I saw in heavy rotation. I only saw it in bits, and out of sequence, but I knew that it was a movie it was a movie worth sitting for.
One of the best war movies in ages, in my opinion. I came across it in the mid 90's on TV, and wow... Thanks for reminding me of it! I'll have to watch it again 🙂
This movie messed up my 13 year old mind when I watched it. The tank commander was a vicious monster. I also didn’t know Russians were human beings just like us in the US. My simple mind just saw them as “the enemy”. What a different time it was.
Yes!!! Thank you Drinker. My older brother brought this movie home when I was very young and I remember some of it but I never knew the name. And now I do.
Thanks for this! I was recommending The Beast to a friend yesterday, for its perspective on the two cultures represented. Underappreciated solid movie.
I vaguely remember seeing this on tv when I was a kid. So when I saw it on the shelf 20-ish years ago, I bought it. It's a well made movie, but very much a product of its time. Thank you for putting this out.
I'm a huge war movie fan and I've never heard of this. And lucky enough it's on Amazon prime! Thank you very much Drinker, for this and The Outpost. You are a true gentleman
This is one of my favorite tank movies, and indeed war movies in general. I was a tank crewman for 12 years, and while there are a few issues in here (you sure aren’t getting five guys in that tank), the authenticity and attempt at realism really stand out. Drinker my dude, if you ever want to do a deep dive on this one I’d love to join in! Lots of heat stuff to talk about with this movie the average viewer wouldn’t know!
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Remember your standing orders...
Out of gas, become a pill box.
Out of ammo, become a bunker.
Out of time, become heroes.
---Soviet tankers creed
TAAAANNNKKKK BOOOOYYYY!!!!!
The saying is:
We are tank;
If we lose mobility, we are bunker;
If we lose main gun, we are machine gun nest;
If we lose machine gun, we are pillbox;
If we are destroyed, we become tomb for brothers.
American tankers
"DEATH BEFORE DISMOUNT "
lol just ribbing yah guys . i do the same to my mortar man brother .
HIGH HELL ANGLE or something like that .
Can you guess my ol MOS
Bang bang
How does a pillbox fit into this saying?
@@XDWX when a tank runs out of gas, and is still armed, it becomes a steel pill box.
As a former tank gunner myself, I think I can say with some confidence, that most tankers knows this movie. :)
the best thing about the extra shot series is that it brings attention to these far lesser known films
Absolutely! Well said.
I had never even heard of this movie before.
Yes, I was just thinking that.
I've probably watched this movie a half dozen times over the years. First time was maybe early '90s. Great story, well done, technically.
I've just commented that or once I wish he'd recommend a film I've never seen
I watched this movie in the early '90s as a private in an American tank battalion with a bunch of fellow American soldiers. If I'd only known back then that over a decade later I'd be fighting another pointless, doomed war in the same place.
High five comrade. For me, as a Brit, it was our FOURTH Afghan war. "We're sure to get it right this time.... right guys?"
@@kristiangustafson4130 : Working with Brits, Aussies, Kiwis, and Canucks was one of the few positives I took away from Afghanistan.
I'm sorry you guys had to act out the inept, unjust plans of our "leaders"
@@kristiangustafson4130 In comparison to the amount of wars you fought with France between 1066 and 1815, you barely made acquaintance with Afghanistan.
I served in a tank for 3 years, what I love about this movie is that tanks ALWAYS have mechanical failures. And they always happen at the worst time
Helos too.
General rule: if your helicopter doesn't have a fault, it's about to have a fault 😄
You said it. Just some of the things that broke on my tank in the six years I was a crewman...
Radios (multiple)
Brakes won't lock
Brakes won't unlock
Ballistic computer busts and puts 99 mils of superelevation on a sabot round
Transmission frags itself
Shift linkage falls apart
.50 spontaneously switches from low to high rate of fire and back again
.50 feed jam
Coax feed break
Coax firing circuit breaks
Magnetic break fails in the locked position (aka cadillacs engaged, moving the controls traverses without grasping the handles)
Doghouse door jams
Sprocket stud strips
Snapped torsion bar (both #1s at the same time)
Hydraulic line blows and sprays FRH all over the crew compartment
End connector busts
Integral pin busts
Center guild busts
Heater exhaust leak
Crew compartment exhaust fan busts
Purge pump busts
And probably a lot more that I'm forgetting...
And yet in spite of all of that, I still loved that hog. She was my home.
@@flankspeed “it’s only a problem if it STOPS leaking!”
@@maingun07 that sounds about right 😂. When the radio broke, I didn't even try to fix it. Only the gods know what to do with em
@@maingun07 wow... interesting insight. And thank you for your service.
Saw this when I took Arabic in college. My professor was Middle Eastern and he loved this movie. I’ll never forget how it helped me understand and appreciate Pashtunwali culture.
Truly a masterpiece.
Shieeet no kidding I love this movie never I mind thought this would be considered school material.
One cool thing is for a movie filmed in Israel, the Afghans are speaking real Pashtun. During my first tour in Afghanistan, my "Terps" loved the movie. Must see "9th Company"....great movie.
Thanks for the great little detail.
Another fact because it was filmed in Israel is that the tank in the movie is an actual soviet tank (a t-55) captured during the wars with their neighbours. Most movies at the time would have just mocked up American tanks as russian tanks like red dawn.
The one made by Bondarchuk? Damn, it's not a good movie! The fight at the end is pure fiction and what actually happened there was much more interesting. It was so bad that actual people who fought on that hill campaigned against the movie.
@@JohnDoe-cz5yz Which one was that? Are you talking about Sergei Bondarchuk?
The funny bit most actual afgan Mujahideen in the conflict against the sovijet were Tajiks which mostly live in the North and the Pashtuns are in the south and classed mostly as Taliban.
Speaking from my experience as a USMC Tanker, this was mandatory viewing when we were in Tank school. Great film.
Thank you for highlighting The Beast of War. It truly is a criminally underrated film.
I've recommended this movie dozens of times, but never run into anyone who's ever seen it.
The ending...the dude getting stoned to death by women...
Tough way to go.
I've seen this film a half dozen times and I'll see it another half dozen. Fantastic
@@JohnSmith-mk1rj
"When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier."
Rudyard Kipling. There's a reason they call it the Graveyard of Empires
This has been one of my favorite war movies and probably my favorite tank movie. I love that they used real Soviet tanks (I know it’s not a real T-62) and they actually fire the gun. They are using water weighted blank shells. The water weight make the gun recoil as it would firing live rounds. It looks a lot better than shooting pyrotechnics out the end of the barrel.
It is a real T-55 modified (by the Israelis) to replace the Soviet 100mm gun with a western 105mm gun.
Interesting fact - most Russian equipment used in the film is original. Mind that this was 1988 and USSR still existed. The film was shot in Israel, all weapons, uniforms etc were borrowed from Israel as they had a lot of Soviet produced stuff captured during conflicts with Arab countries. Cool film btw, watched it a long time ago, I will never forget the scene where an Afghan man is being crushed under the tank's tracks ... A very well made and brutal scene ...
I used to teach IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) classes in the US Army in the 1980's. Stumbling on this movie a while back was a real treat because it showed a lot of the equipment in more detail than our own training aids did.
Not to mention tactical was pretty legit too.
I rented this flick in 1990 when I was stationed in Germany. Very good and massively underrated.
I remember watching this movie when I was in the U.S. Army, back in the early 1990's. I agree, it is an excellent flick that doesn't get the attention it deserves.
I saw this film in the 90's. It's because of this film I thought it would not work out well when the US went into Afghanistan. It does a great job explaining why it is so difficult to control Afghanistan militarily.
Exactly same story as the one above. Excellent movie!!
It's not called the graveyard of empire for nothing
I'm really glad that you reviewed "The Beast." It's one of my favorite war movies, and as a film, it has interesting characteristics that make it worthy of a dissertation. For example, I first saw it in the middle of the night on cable in the eighties, and because I started the movie in the middle on the first viewing, I was puzzled about the nationality of the tank crew. When I tried to place the scenes, I thought that maybe the movie was about some Israeli conflict, and after a short time, I was struck to realize that the tank crew was supposed to be Soviets. The disorientation was caused by some deliberate choices. In making the movie, the director could have had all of the characters speak English and have the Afghans and Soviets pretend not to understand each other. He could have had them all subtitled and speaking their own languages. Finally, he could have subtitled the dialogue for either the Soviets or the Afghans. He chose to subtitle the Afghans, a decision that takes full advantage of the unique characteristics of film in contrast to a play or book, where only the language of the target audience can be used because there is no true analog of subtitling, and by choosing to subtitle the Afghans, the characters who would have been the audience's natural ally because of the relentlessly anti-Soviet tone of the American life at the time, he put distance between the Afghans and the audience, not much but enough. Other choices kind of forced the American viewer to identify with the Russians and made them seem less foreign. In addition to speaking American English, characters like Golikov or the Soviet helicopter pilot seem a little like American archetypes. (The helicopter pilot looks and sounds like a California surfer.) The overall effect is to subtly bring the audience a little onto the side of the Soviets with the intention in my opinion, to make a statement about similar conflicts like Vietnam, a war too painful and central to American psychology to fairly address from the point of view of the Vietnamese. (Can you imagine a similar movie about Vietnam? How would such a treatment have sat with an American viewer at the time?) The combination of story and choices in production and direction combine to let an American audience experience the harsh realities of asymmetric war from the point of view of the technologically inferior party but without triggering the kind of reflexive defense of the conflict that might come with different subject matter and without descending into pure propaganda as might have happened if the Afghans had spoken English and the Soviets had spoken Russian and been subtitled.
Also, another way in which the movie was underappreciated was the research. I think that the source material was a carefully researched stage play script, and if you look into details about for example, the Pashtu code of honor, you find that the author faithfully represented the Afghans and skillfully incorporated their beliefs and customs into a logical and compelling narrative.
Anyway, it's a great movie, and I'm glad that you're promoting it on your channel.
Yeah, that Pashtu code of honour is great. Really is. I mean they don't have a near 300 year history of being bandits causing misery and hell. Absolute peachy guys. When they behead a captured Soviet pilot they give him a slap up last meal first. And as for the Arabs like Bin Laden who were fighting there, have you ever heard a bad thing about the guy?
@@Norvik_-ug3ge Yeah, they're savages, every last one of them, and I'm really glad that the American government didn't give them a lot of weapons and money. Oh, damn! Wait a minute . . . .
I don't follow your point. Without having the courage to just say what you mean, you appear to be sarcastically suggesting that my praise of the research is incorrect because no Afghan, not a single one, would ever live up to their own ideals, and therefore, the movie was flawed for not presenting the Afghans as complete savages at every moment. Is that your point? Can you say it directly, or are you just going to dance around the point? Anyway, I'm sure that you can anticipate my objection: the point is pure nonsense and rank bigotry. If you're saying something else, for example, that you wanted a movie about savage Afghans or would find a movie about savage Afghans to be more appropriate, well, go find one to review or go make your own movie.
The tone of your remarks makes me think that you didn't even watch the movie. I was reviewing the movie, not whatever is happening in your head. In the actual movie, the credits start after an excerpt from a poem by Rudyard Kipling, an excerpt talking about Afghan women combing plains after a battle to mutilate and kill incapacitated enemy soldiers, and the film ends shortly after a group of Afghan women stone the tank commander to death. Along the way, the same women attempt to stone the main character to death, and one rebel is thwarted in one attempt to use a knife to murder a tanker who had surrendered and another attempt to shoot the main character as the main character is rescued by a Soviet helicopter. The movie doesn't seem to be all sunshine and rainbows with regard to the Afghans. My review didn't heap praise on the Afghans. In fact, in my review, I praised the choice to subtitle the Afghans as a means to other them and to have the Soviet soldiers speak English as a way to help an American audience to identify with the Soviets, who were enemies of America but not aliens.
Anyway, I don't know who you think that you're writing, but I don't have any love for Afghanistan or Afghans. Going all the way back to the nineties, I thought that America made a terrible mistake in Afghanistan. I used to read the BBC News online in horror as Afghanistan descended into brutality. I sent friends articles about the early days of the Taliban, things like their plans to make minority Hindus wear distinctive garments ostensibly to prevent harassment by virtue police. I sent friends articles on the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas. I was in Hungary on the night before the terrorist attacks in 2001, and I watched the breaking news of the Taliban and al-Qaeda assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, one of the holdouts against Taliban rule. Why did I pay such close attention to the developments in Afghanistan if I don't have a special interest in Afghanistan? I paid attention for the same reason that I paid attention to the Russian invasion of Chechnya and the developments in Bosnia where Elijah Izetbegovic played identity politics with Islam and flirted with forming an Islamic republic in a Balkan state where Muslims were a mere plurality. I paid attention because I agreed with the comments of Putin at the time, that there was an arc of instability stretching from the Philippines to Algeria. (He was referring to Islamism.) I paid attention because I consider Islam to be a brutal, dangerous conquest ideology that cannot help but produce brutally violent extremists, and the developments across central Asia and the Balkans had convinced me that we had been on the wrong side in Afghanistan.
Despite a harsh view of Islam and serious concerns about the basic human decency of devout Muslims, I still don't have an opinion that cannot be conditioned on additional information, a position like you appear to have, and well, I can remain sane while watching a movie and actually comment on the craft and the substance without foaming at the mouth about the subjects of the film even when I am suspicious of the entire class of people from which the subjects are drawn.
I remember seeing this in the 80s too. I liked that they spoke with American accents. Why would they speak their native language with an accent?
I remember seeing this on HBO in 1988. It's a testament to the film that I still remember virtually the entire story all these years later.
i saw it probably 20 years ago or more, i think i might have rented it on vhs. really good movie.
The Beast also has an amazing cast and possibly one of the most overlooked actors in Hollywood, George Dzunda who plays Daskal. He's sadly underused these days yet when you see him in roles like this, you're reminded of how compelling his presence is!!
Not only is he a great actor, but he's particularly believable as a Russian, which is an issue in a lot of Hollywood movies! The most blatant example that comes to my mind is Atomic Blonde - decent flick, but the "Russians" are so obviously Scandinavian actors it takes you out of the film.
@@b.chaline4394 There's a late 80's Twilight Zone episode in which he plays a KGB officer sent to a remote Russian village. I can't remember the name of it yet it stars George Dzunda and Victoria Tennant, it involves Vampires in a small village. Highly recommended checking it out, I remember it being repeated in the early 90's and it has stuck with me over 30 years later!!
@@shaunpenne1840 thanks for the recommendation! ;)
@@shaunpenne1840 Its the Twilight Zone episode 'Red Snow"
@@b.chaline4394 No sweat!!😊
A seriously underrated movie. The dude getting crushed in the first village confirmed my phobia of going under tank tracks lol.
This movie really had you feeling claustrophobic even though a lot of the movie was outside of the tank. One of the best tank movies ever made.
A phobia is technically an irrational fear. That fear seems entirely rational to me.
There’s a similar scene in Band of Brothers where they actually ran over a stunt man with a tank, in a way that he would survive of course. But an really visceral scene none the less.
@@williammedcalf8754 Yeah the Battle of Brecourt Manor. Was a great episode. Super visceral.
Thank you, Mr. Drinker. I will definitely watch it.
Truth is, there isn't much cinematic representation of the Afghan war in Russian cinema either (I'm not counting the obnoxious examples like some recent attempts). And there's still a lot of those who fought there and are left deeply traumatized, simultaneously motivated and disenchanted. Movies with an angle like this might just save us from more stupid conflicts on many levels. I salute you for doing what you do and saying what you say.
Russian movie 9-company (9 rota) is good afgan war movie.
@@danieldz7906 well, to be honest, I friggin hate the director's manner. However, I can totally get that people see some merit in it, that's mainly a matter of taste. Historically, though... It got a lot of negative feedback from the veterans, and the war is still pretty fresh in the nation's memory, so it kinda became a synonym for a subpar theme exploitation. Still, gotta keep in mind that is local context and many war movies might be inaccurate and still be good.
Yeah, saw this in the 80's - I seem to remember it being called 'Beast of war' I remember the scene where they fed a guy under the tracks of the T55 and then the driver finds his hand jamming the track. And the commanders story of him being dangled by rope over a tank to drop bombs onto them.
I'd become a bit anesthetized to the stream of Vietnam movies being churned out at the time and this was different.
No Mel Gibson?
I've loved this movie for years. It has one of the best "trying to communicate without knowing each others languages" scenes I've ever seen in a movie.
"Da kaboom tank!"
"Yeah...I'll kaboom the tank."
This was one of those movies I saw years and years ago that really surprised me by how well made it was. It's also a movie that I was surprised to find out hardly anyone ever mentioned or discussed.
161k take at the box office is probably why
Exactly my situation. Accidentally watched it on TV years ago and loved it. Never seen it repeated since - crazy
@@WayStedYou OW. Even in the 90s, that would have been an unmitigated disaster.
That last scene with Konstantin being airlifted in the evening sun and with that great soundtrack in the background... just flows through you
This *IS* a great movie. I haven't seen this movie in a long long time, but agreed, this is a truly underrated gem of War Movies
Good old VHS times, 👍
@@mmyers6441 I think I caught it on a midnight viewing on BBC2
There IS one other movie about Afghanistan that deserves attention: "The 9th Company". And yes, "The Beast" is a fantastic movie that deserves a watch from everyone.
Yes, brilliant movie
Loved this movie as a kid. The scene where they run over the Afghan fighter with the tank still haunts my dreams.
And they pull his hand out from the tank treads, still remember that part
...dreams...you mean nightmares 😵
I'm glad I missed the shot with his body afterwards.
@@dembeckfarms that’s right! A little while after and they notice it stuck in the steel treads🤮
Had this one on VHS, one of the best war films i've seen and a dear memory. I'm rewatching!
Been waiting for the Drinker to give this film some love, first saw it late night on ITV4 ages ago and it instantly made it into my top 5 list of greatest war movies.
Just earlier today I was trying to remember the movie that I saw years ago about a T-55 crew in a desert. I cannot believe the coincidence that you post the video about it today. Awesome movie that should get more attention. (that gruesome death scene of a guy getting slowly crushed sticks in your memory)
Man, this Movie was something else when I watched it at midnight HBO. It made me see the gruesome and hard life of tankers stuck in a metal box in the hot desert with everything against them.
I remember allot of good mostly B movies airing late night during the early 2000s on cable, some were forgotten theater releases as well. It was a good time.
Best Job I Ever Had.
Randomly turned on cable in the 1990s and saw this gem. Great review.
This is one of my favorite war movies of all time. The best part at the end, when Constantine convinces the Khan to let the crew escape after they disable the tank and he says "Are you an Angel or a Devil?" So introspective.... then of course the crew gets caught by the women of the village.
Kipling:
"When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier."
@@NorthDownReader go go go like a soldier / go go go like a soldier /go go go like a soldier / soldier of the Queen!
@@NorthDownReader Naw mate, the best line of that poem is what Kipling suggests you do with an unfaithful wife.
I remember at the time there were tales of the Afghans skinning captured soldiers alive for entertainment. Just because they considered it funny to tie a man down, skin him then send him back, sometimes without being castrated.
The wymmyn only caught the tank commander--I think the rest got out on that chopper with Constantin
Drinker, thank you for reviewing this film. I regard it as one of the best war movies about Afghanistan. I am retired US Army so that is part of my prospective. Anyway, thank again for reviewing "Das Tank"
There is Charlie Wilson's War, starring Tom Hanks. Pretty decent movie. Was banned in Russia for portraying Soviets like cartoon villains (the helicopter raid scene on the village).
It's definitely worth a watch though.
Also, saying US had nothing to do with Afghanistan war of the 80's is extremely incorrect. US and it's proxies, mainly Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, trained, sponsored, and equipped the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan. Those Stinger missiles were not growing on trees there. Osama Bin Laden and his unit got Uncle Sam's money, training, and weapons. China and Pakistan were the main sources of the light arms.
That film is a gross misrepresentation the US' and Charlie Wilson's specific involvement with funding the mujahideen. Wilson did not come up with the idea independently. Reagan actually chose him to be in charge of funding the covert war in Afghanistan. Still can't figure out why it was necessary to make up the details of this story for the film. I just can not understand why.
@@935323 Yes. It had quiet a few inaccuracies. The movie tried to portray a picture of a disinterested US and a lone warrior who made the US care. While from actual history we know, US was planning the "Afghan Trap" for the USSR and they were very much on top of it from day one. There was no need to beg the US administration to help the Mujahadeen. US was gladly "returning the favor" to the Soviets for their Vietnam role. However the movie is well made and acted. Just for that, I think it's worth a watch.
No, that movie was more bullshit lefty propaganda.
@@donaldc3884 I mean the movie was criticizing how supposedly the US didn't want to get involved in a foreign war. Hardly a leftie propaganda.
@@donaldc3884 how was that lefty propaganda? Just saw it the other week and I am very cautious and suspicious of everything media these days, but that movie didn’t trigger anything
Caught this on cable in the '90's. Terrific film. Never heard another peep about it for 30+ years. Thanks for bringing it to light again, Drinker
There was also russian film about that war - "The 9th Company" from 2005. Pretty good, you may wanna check it out
Yeah it kinda well done but keep in mind that it has nothing to do with reality
@@inmosh lol and this movie does??
Quite enjoyed that film. A few really good gut punch 'you're really in it now, lads' moments too. It doesn't run on the pure dread of something like Kajaki but has similar undertones.
9th Company is visually stunning but bogged down by glory to me. I tend to prefer "Afghan Breakdown"
@@mikespike3962 Nice! That's a good film I've seen. Should also Mention "Leaving Afghanistan" 2019, which is also a pretty fun watch.
Just paused this video 1 minute in:
This sounds pretty freakin’ good and now I want to go watch this before getting any spoilers.
Watched this with my dad as a kid. Great film. Great soundtrack.
Looking forward to your next hidden gem.
I remember seeing this on cable and it was a fantastic film. A true crude portrayal of what the afghan incursion was for both Russians and Afghans.
I liked this movie a lot back in the day, and I like it even more now. Glad to see it getting some attention. Thanks, Drinker.
Never heard of The Beast until I got the notification for this video. Wanted to actually watch the movie before I watched Drinker's thoughts. Just finished it and it may now be my favorite war film. Much better than anticipated in just about every way a movie can capture you. Cheers Drinker, and thank you for helping me discover this film!
Side note: Manny from Scarface is actually great as an Afghani, and Jason Patric was excellent as well. Kinda surprised they didn't have bigger careers based on their performances here.
Sheesh... I though this movie was my personal secret. Such a great movie... even more so when you realize how little the production budget. Great review. Well done!!!
To this day I regret never having picked up this rare gem of a contemporary war movie on dvd at HMV.
I remember watching this movie a high school student. Brings back a lot of memories. A great film!
I've owned the DVD of this for a decades...always recommend it as little-known war films. Another is Dark Blue World (about the Czech pilots in the RAF), and Guerreros (Spanish war movie about peacekeeping mission gone sideways).
Back in the old days (VHS tapes) this was already a hidden gem. Glad the drinker has discovered the movie now and gives it the proper recognition. Better late than never.
Had this recommended to me by a Marine tank commander. He said the authenticity of the commander kicking the crew in the head from his position is straight up pure truth. And that look of total disgust the commander gives when they abandon the tank when the round fails and he says, "you touched it last" to the Afghan... Perfection!
Ahhh, a true classic I've tried to spread the word about for years. Great movie, and great review (as usual).
My stepfather absolutely loves this movie and I'm glad you're featuring it here. The effects of the conflict portrayed still affect the world today and is one people in the western hemisphere could stand to know more about. It's a well-made, down to earth movie that doesn't take a side in it's portrayal of the war.
This is a great film. It is a cult classic amongst US Army Tank crews.
That's gratifying to hear
I saw this movie when I was a kid. My uncle was a tanker in the army for 20+ years and recommended it. Also, the Drinker is a true philosopher poet!
This movie is pretty amazing and I'm glad you talked about it.
I'm just a little sad that you don't talk about the casting, as I think that played a major role in the film's greatness. We see several great actors get one of their first major roles.
I loved this movie. Back in the 90's when I first found this film I knew next to nothing about the Soviet invasion of Afganastan. This film inspired me to dig deeper. Even thirty years later it still ranks among my favorite 'war' films.
I remember this movie from back in the day. The 9th Company a Russian movie about the Afghan War is worth a look too
I'm about 12 years your senior Drinker. So, when The Beast was released I was eighteen and had outgrown the phase I had so heavily immersed myself in only a few scant years before. A phase that had me so engrossed with Rambo, Commando and the Missing in Action franchise that I adopted a persona and a rucksack full of personal interests in activities and literature (ie. The Anarchists Cookbook and US Army field manuals on Improvised Explosives, Incendiary Devices and Unconventional Warfare Tactics) that only ten years later would have landed any teenager on the honor rolls of the FBI watch list because of tragic events like the Columbine High School shootings. I was not a violent young man by any measure. I had never even dreamed of harming anyone (who didn't have it coming) But there was little to do in a very rural areas of East Texas save for hunting, guns, drinking and blowing things up. And as it would happen I took to it like a duck to water. I cut my teeth on an AR-15. But, as fun as it all was there was something missing as I reached my later teen years. I still had the love of war movies but the intellectually vacant action movies of the 80's (though important to the careers of many loved actors and to the history of cinema) began to fail me with their repetitious and hollow message of "Good guy kill bad guy" and The Beast was the very first movie I watched that offered that missing element of a thought provoking movie experience. It was the very first glimpse of a not so black and white view of a people that had been so heavily vilified in American movies that I honestly think if I had met someone who was Russian in the mid 80's I would have questioned what they were doing in my country. I am ashamed to admit that but the cinematic propaganda was thick during the cold war era and even beyond. But The Beast smeared the black and white lines in my mind into streaks of grey that remained for the rest of my life. It deprogrammed an unhealthy mindset and began my journey of seeing a little streak of grey in every person, event and situation I encountered for my entire life after. So to see you go back and review it all these years later and largely echo so many sentiments that I personally experienced was fantastic. It validated my feelings about a pivotal personal movie experience that I dared not share with anyone at the time. I stumbled across your channel at a time when I felt as though RUclips was a vast wasteland of mindless morons seeking 15 minutes of Warholian fame. I was about to turn away from it altogether. I have only ever subscribed to a handful of channels and while it won't make you any more famous or fill your shelves with awards you can take comfort in the honor of being among the Pantheon of my personal favorites. By the way when I went to look up the movie on IMDB I had a hard time finding it at first because there it is called The Beast of War. I don't recall any movie posters or VHS Boxes with that title. And I have to give thanks to Jason Patrick because a primary reason I saw The Beast was due to his role in The Lost Boys. And props to him and his largely unappreciated role as a Narcotics officer in Rush which was based on real events that took place in my home county in East Texas. Thanks for all you do and may your success and sphere of influence grow beyond even your own narcissistic aspirations.
I stumbled across this movie late one night many years ago and it has stuck with me ever since.
BTW Drinker have you ever drank brake fluid filtered through a loaf of bread? 😉
It's got quite the kick
DODT 5 is more potent than DOT 3 but has a worse hangover.
that was a problem during that war, soldiers were drinking their brakes
The definition of underrated war movie ! So much intelligence, writing and talented actors.
First time I saw this movie, I was probably about 10 years old, and the scene where they run the guy over with the tank freaked me right the Hell out, that scene stuck with me for years. About ten years later, I re-watched the movie and realized that it was an astoundingly good movie. Not only is the storytelling great, but the cinematography is as well.
This has been one of favorites for decades. I've lent out my DVD copy countless times.
I saw this movie when it first came out on video (Yes, when you rented VHS tapes at Blockbuster and dinosaurs still ruled the Earth😁) and was impressed with the quality. I saw it again about five years ago and it stands up well. Still a good, well paced, well written movie.
This movie does something that so many, many, many movies do not: it uses action not only to propel plot (no wasted action either), but it also uses action to reveal character and fill out the story. This is one of my favorites, and people I know who are addicted to their phones, will put them down to watch it. You can't ask much more out of a movie.
F*cking A! Ive owned this movie for almost 20 years. LOVE it! It is an excellent "small" film, dealing with just the guys in the tank and their dynamics. F*cking awesome film.
Saw this on VHS almost as soon as it was out. Never forgotten, always recommended. It's just always great to hear an educated opinion that lets you know you're not alone.
The Beast is one of those movies that seems like it should have been popular years ago. If it had gained more traction I can't help but feel it would have had changed some minds about the more recent conflict in Afghanistan.
Thank you Drinker! I saw this on "cable TV" as a kid in the 80's over my grandmother's, and never forgot it... but i did forget the title!
Kevin Reynolds has made some really underated movies over the years.
I particularly love Rapa Nui.
I love the fact that you are highlighting this movie .. One of my favorites that nobody has ever heard of ..
Everyone who’s even ‘occupied’ Afghanistan have got their asses kicked...
Alexander the Great (330 bc)
Genghis Khan (1220)
The British Empire (1842)
The U.S.S.R.
The U.S.A.
Fred, I think you are mistaken about Genghis Khan, who thoroughly destroyed Afghanistan's then ancient and cultured cities, and slaughtered their inhabitants. He also destroyed ancient irrigation systems, in effect 'bombing Afghanistan back to the Stone Age'. Mongol Khanates ruled the ruins until Timur the Lame, even crueller than GK, invaded in 1370, and Afghanistan remained under the rule of Timur's descendants (who included the Mughals) into the 18th century.
Alexander pretty much kicked their ass, at some point some tribesmen stole Bucephallus (his horse) and he made an announcement that if he is not to be returned asap, he will slaughter everyone. Bucephallus was back by the morning by the thieves themselves.
I remember catching this on late night cable decades ago and I never forgot it. I have no idea how you came across it, but glad you did!
Truly it was a long-ass time ago in some oddball times on cable.
I've never seen this movie, but the small amount I have seen in your review seems to paint a much nicer picture of the mujis than I think would be warranted. I'm also wondering where the rest of the Soviet army is and why they aren't looking for their missing tank. The crew I'm sure the soviets would be okay with being eaten by crows, but they would want the expensive tank back.
Watch the movie, it explains your question.
They're defending their homeland from invaders. The fuck are you talking about?
@@s3m4jno5w4d He's talking about the fact that they were fucking barbaric you dolt. God help you if you got captured.
Eh, the Soviets probably didn’t even care about the tank that much. It’s a mere T-55 after all, those were already pretty much obsolete by the time of war.
I’d never heard of this ten minutes ago
Now it’s at the top of my “must see” list
Thanks
As a retired Armor officer I love the Beast. Before Fury this was the best movie about tanks. Still one of my favorite. I watch this movie at least once a year
The aftermath scene of being run over by a tank tread, really stuck with me after watching this movie all those years ago...
Honestly, the only time I've ever seen the Soviet-Afghan war in media is Metal Gear Solid 5 and a tiny scene in Black Lagoon.
Militarily speaking, it's a perfect example of an inferior force effectively combating a superior one with unorthodox tactics, at least enough to force a withdrawal, even contributing to their overall downfall.
I'll definitely give this one a watch, as I not only want more from this era of history, I also just fucking love tanks and a good old war movie. Thanks for the recommendation, you beautiful bastard!
@@mmyers6441 Wouldn't know, I only ever watched the first.
@@mmyers6441 Whaddya say, John?
@@bigal3055 It´s a blue light.” - „What does it do?” - „It turns blue."
I stumbled upon this film when I was a young teenager over 20 years ago and was gripped by it. Missed the title back then, but remembered everything so vividly.
Thanks for the nostalgia kick, but I'm not sure if it will live up to my fond memories if i watch it again.
*Edited*
The US did have a big role in that war, actually. We covertly supplied the Afghan resistance with -RPGs- MANPADS which played a deciding role in helping force the Soviets to give up, as the military advantage they had with their mi24 helicopters was negated.
You're thinking of Stinger man-portable surface-to-air missiles (FIM-92).
Not RPGs, but rather the Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missile system.
MANPADS like the FIM-43 Redeye and FIM-92 Stinger, but to be honest both of those were more a contributing factor to the Soviets pulling out. After all, if it was only the 'RPGs' (which are a whole other class of weapons, btw), the communist regime in Afghanistan would've folded just as quickly as the 'democratic' one last year and not held out for actually longer than the USSR had left in it :D The boring truth is that the economic (and political) situation going to shit and the lack of a sane endgame (or benefit to keep fighting) in sight did the heavy lifting on why the USSR left. Basically, it seems to've been Vietnam 2.0, but without a powerful economy to keep the living standard at home high enough to cushion the blow of a military quagmire (because why provide for yer populace, when there are newer and shinier tanks to buy :D )
@@primmakinsofis614 Correct. Was dumbing it down a bit.
@@joshrandar They did in fact do it to the americans, it was called the Vietnam (or Second Indochina) war. The sad truth is that history is one big pissing contest between the great powers, with everyone overtly or covertly trying to screw over the opposition like supporting muslim fundamentalists fighting against a secular, but communist government (Afghanistan) or supporting a despotic government as a lesser evil to a sectarian civil war (Syria), or even working with one of your sworn enemies against one of your other sworn enemies... supported by your closest allies (Iran/Israel vs Iraq/US,GB,France) with nary a thought on knock on effects down the line
I watched this today because of your recommendation and it doesn't dissapoint. It's a really good movie that knows how to ask the right questions without beating your head over with answers. Would have never heard of this movie without your video, thanks again!
"No real role in the war" The CIA would like to have a chat with you, Drinker
LOL indeed. Ben Laden would say something, if he could. ;) Ah and those lovely stingers. The Hind pilots hated them and for a good reason.
@@jfb.8746 Bin Laden was self-funded, or I should say he had Daddy's Money. Massoud, Hekmatyar, et al received the bulk of CIA aid.
@@jfb.8746 That's the funny thing about Cold War insurgencies; the Viet Cong and Castro tend to be romanticized while those like the Mujahideen and the Contras (the majority of whom were peasants that had fought against Somoza, not former soldiers of his) are depicted retroactively as 'reactionaries' and American puppets.
Of course, God forbid anyone fight AGAINST the Communists...
@@theduxabides9274 I'm old enough to remember all those people and I agree with you 100%.
@@theduxabides9274 It's true that OBL had daddy's money but I seem to remember that he was also logistically helped by the CIA. I could be wrong though. And didnt the Stingers go to all the moudjahideens?
Thanks for bringing up this movie. When I got cable in the late 1980s, this was one of the first movies I saw in heavy rotation. I only saw it in bits, and out of sequence, but I knew that it was a movie it was a movie worth sitting for.
I'm surprised that Drinker's Extra Shots is as knowledgeable as I am about movies lost in time and that they are worth seeing 😄
One of the best war movies in ages, in my opinion. I came across it in the mid 90's on TV, and wow... Thanks for reminding me of it! I'll have to watch it again 🙂
This movie messed up my 13 year old mind when I watched it. The tank commander was a vicious monster. I also didn’t know Russians were human beings just like us in the US. My simple mind just saw them as “the enemy”. What a different time it was.
one of my favorite movies of all time, thanks for giving this amazing flick some love!
Yes!!! Thank you Drinker. My older brother brought this movie home when I was very young and I remember some of it but I never knew the name. And now I do.
I saw this film as a young teen in the early nineties and loved it. Glad see The Drinker shares my fondness for this brutal, nuanced movie.
I think this is, without a doubt, a criminally underrated movie. One of my all time favorites.
Glad you covered this movie, it is so rarely brought up. I love the long beautiful, detailed shots of the landscape and the score. Great choice.
I have seen this, it is a great movie. Well done, Drinker!
Thanks for this! I was recommending The Beast to a friend yesterday, for its perspective on the two cultures represented. Underappreciated solid movie.
I vaguely remember seeing this on tv when I was a kid. So when I saw it on the shelf 20-ish years ago, I bought it. It's a well made movie, but very much a product of its time. Thank you for putting this out.
Haven't seen this since I was a kid. Thanks for plucking this underappreciated movie our of the void of obscurity.
I have felt alone in the woods with my love of this movie for half a century. YOU, Drinker, are the real deal.
I'm a huge war movie fan and I've never heard of this. And lucky enough it's on Amazon prime! Thank you very much Drinker, for this and The Outpost. You are a true gentleman
One of my ALL TIME favorite movies. What a treat to see you review it!
Yes! An excellent movie I haven't seen in over 20 years, but still remember extremely well. Extremely underrated movie!
Found this one when I was in Afghanistan, 12 years ago. It put a whole different perspective on the film. Thanks for reviewing it.
This is one of my favorite tank movies, and indeed war movies in general. I was a tank crewman for 12 years, and while there are a few issues in here (you sure aren’t getting five guys in that tank), the authenticity and attempt at realism really stand out. Drinker my dude, if you ever want to do a deep dive on this one I’d love to join in! Lots of heat stuff to talk about with this movie the average viewer wouldn’t know!
So glad you covered this movie!!
This is a fantastic film which was so under-appreciated from its release to present day.
Thanks CD!!
Ohhhh shittttt! Haven't seen this movie in ages but it was always one of my favorites growing up!
I love this movie. I always felt like no one ever saw it. Thanks for the video!
George Dzundza Rocked back in the day!