The film is ostensibly made as an account of the battle in which 6th company was annihilated on a hill by Chechen rebels and jihadists who were trying to make a breakthrough from Chechnya into Dagestan in 2000. It was an event that caused a great deal of controversy, as questions about the responsibility of the Russian HQ for the fate of the company was brought into question. However, the bravery of the troops was never questioned, as they stood their ground and fought to the last man, even when facing an enemy that had an advantage of 20 to 1 in manpower. It was a strategic victory for the enemy, but a moral victory for the Russian troops on the ground.
The film is concerned with the moral aspect of the story, denouncing the enemy, arguing for the just struggle of the Russians, and stressing the bravery of Russian soldiers, which is tied to patriotism and the spirit of Russians as a people. It is a tale of fortitude, bravery, loyalty, idealism, willingness to sacrifice for one's friends, resolve to do one's duty even when facing death...
There is a lot of action in this film. It is not particularly impressive, but it has decent production values nonetheless. The film also addresses the controversy regarding the possibly bad decisions made by the HQ that led to such heavy casualties. However, this is done in such a confused way that one is no wiser about the whole thing after watching the film. The film does suggest that reinforcements were not sent in due time, and that artillery support was withheld for reasons that were never properly explained.
Thus, the film disappoints in the sense that it doesn't explain what actually happened, but on the other hand, this is a topic that is still being debated. The film does suggest the HQ probably has some responsibility in the matter, though.
