Director Kevin Reynolds, the man who single-handedly destroyed his career with the 1995 Kevin Costner megaflop Waterworld, proves in the breathtaking The Beast that he once had the gift of dramatic subtlety. An unusual war film in that it gives both its heroes and (perceived) villains an equal amount of screen time, The Beast passes judgment on no one; it merely serves as a commentator on dire times and circumstances. By remaining aloof and impartial from his source material, Reynolds has painted a hauntingly raw portrait of the madness of war and the desperate measures that mankind will employ to survive it.

The story, set during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, splits its time evenly between a Russian tank crew lost behind enemy lines and a group of Afghan soldiers out to destroy the iron leviathan terrorizing their homeland. After one of the Russian soldiers (a barely recognizable Jason Patric) is banished from the tank and left to die after questioning the murderous orders of his commanding officer (George Dzundza), Patric's character finds his loyalty divided between his birth country and his own sense of right and wrong. Soon he must choose between returning to the army he's sworn to serve or fighting alongside "the enemy" for a cause he believes in.

The Beast is astonishing in its objectivity, making sure the audience understands the viewpoint of every character in the story. So convincingly does Reynolds depict his characters and locales that many passages of the movie feel more like a documentary than a feature film. For a movie that makes such grand use of exotic locales (it was shot entirely in the deserts of Isreal), it may surprise viewers to learn that the story is in fact based upon a play ("Nanawatai," written by William Mastrosimone, who also penned the screenplay). It would be interesting to see how the epic scope of this marvelous adventure/war drama could be compressed to fit the stage. It seems much too large a story for any finite space.

One of the most satisfying elements of The Beast, apart from the incredible ensemble performance, is the way it refuses to rub our noses in the faux American bravado all too common in most war films. There's not a single American character to be found here (although the Russian tank crew converses entirely in accentless English; oddly, the Afghans usually speak in their native language with subtitles providing translation), and the absence of such cloying Yank stereotypes only serves to further ensnare the viewer. I found it fascinating to watch a war film that emphasized the thoughts and feelings of other nationalities, with no one moaning about getting back home to Mama or baseball or homemade apple pie.

Columbia TriStar's DVD edition of The Beast gives the viewer a beautiful widescreen edition of the film, with a pan-and-scan version offered on the flip side. Although little is offered in the way of special features, the studio has packed the disc with optional subtitles (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Thai are all provided) along with four audio tracks (English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, all presented in Dolby 2.0 Surround Sound). The disc also features theatrical trailers for several Columbia war films, though The Beast's own trailer is conspicuous in its absence.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older