The Beast (movie)

The Beast (aka The Beast of War) is a Columbia Pictures movie about a Soviet T-62 tank lost in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1981. The movie was released in 1989.

It was based off a Walter Mastrosimone play entitled Nanawatai.

It was directed by Kevin Reynolds, who later directed Waterworld.

It starred George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer, and Stephen Baldwin.

Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

The Soviet T-62 is in Afghanistan attacking a village. The tank loses its radio during an attack by the women of the village and manages to get lost in a valley with only one way in or out.

Mujahadeen warriors, lead by Taj, declare that they will seek "badal" (revenge) and begin to pursue the tank and the people inside.

The Islamic tank log keeper and translator, Samad, teaches Koverchenko the Afghan word for sanctuary in which Islam demands that even if a man be an enemy, under sanctuary or "Nanawatai" (pronounced na-na-wah-teh) he must be "fed, clothed and protect[ed]".

Commander Daskal, known as "Tank Boy" during the Great Patriotic War (World War II) for destroying countless Nazi tanks in the Battle of Stalingrad grows more psychotic as the movie goes on, even to the point of killing Samad after refusing to let him pray.

After forcing the two of the remaining four tank crew (Golikov and Kaminski) to tie up the driver, Konstantine Koverchenko to a rock to die, Koverchenko then has all the intent of stopping that tank.

Koverchenko and town khan Taj eventually become friends and Koverchenko does his best to disable the tank which thanks to assistance by a Soviet helicopter, has refueled the tank on Daskal's command instead of air-striking the tank and returning the crew back to base.

Koverchenko with a rocket propelled grenade launcher finds the tank and along with the Afghans are able to disable the tank. (Although not with the RPG)

Notable details

• The T-62 normally had a crew of four. In "The Beast" there was a crew of five.
• Several actual T-62 tanks were used in the film although the helicopter used in the film was not a real Mi-8.
• Throughout the entire movie, the only Russian accents were the ones heard on the music radio.
• The language spoken by the native Afghani was Pashtu.
• The character Moustafa wore Soviet medals, including the Order of Lenin, the Soviet Army 20 year service medal, the Order of the Red Banner, stub. You can help BambooWeb by .