FILM REVIEW:Captive

Against the inhospitable backdrop of the Chechen wild, Aleksei Uchitel’s Captive etches a lean examination of the reverse Stockholm Syndrome experienced by a Russian solider after capturing a local boy to shepherd his convoy from the perils of enemy terrain.

Clocking in at a spritely 77 minutes, Captive’s brevity proves both its trump card and Achilles’ heel; the brisk pace ensures a film that never overstays its welcome, but, in doing so, sets itself the insurmountable challenge of packing a sizeable slab of psychological development into a run-time too swift to accommodate it.

The relationship shared between commander Rubakhin (Vyacheslav Krikunov) and his young hostage (Irakli Mskhalaia) remains frustratingly thinly-sketched – a gripe that doubles in annoyance when the leisurely pace at which Uchitel unfolds his shaky first act is considered – but, the former aside, once the bombs start dropping and an energetic footchase lands the Chechen in the hands of his captors, the film soon finds its feet on surer ground.

Similarly, Uchitel’s direction ripens from the workmanlike to the inventive, with the bog-standard point-and-shoot methodology of early scenes later giving way to some more interesting lensing, on numerous occasions allowing key stretches to unfold solely through the scope of the rifle brandished by Vovka (Pyotr Logachev), Rubakhin’s patience-testing best friend and sniper.

The filmmaker also works the landscape for all of its inherent uncaring menace – a trick that earns welcome parallels with the catalogue of Werner Herzog.

With so little time spent in the company of its characters (all of whom, it’s worth noting, are capably performed by a talented cast), Captive’s ending won’t quite play as the shell-shocker it’s gearing for, but, when credits roll, you’ll realise Uchitel’s film is still a surprisingly satisfying one – just don’t expect it to linger.

DIRECTOR: Aleksei Uchitel
SCREENWRITERS: Timofei Dekin & Vladimir Makanin
CAST: Vyacheslav Krikunov, Pyotr Logachev, Irakli Mskhalaia, Yulia Peresild, Sergei Umanov
RATING: TBC
RUN TIME: 77 minutes
Now showing as part of The Russian Fim Festival. For more information please visit http://www.russianresurrection.com/2008/