Not bad, could be better; missing parts

Rating: 6/10 (5 August 2002)

My understanding is that the book takes the reader through sniper training school and describes how this band of sharpshooters came together. The film is really missing this detail; Vassili goes from being nearly the sole survivor of a suicide attack to being a sniper on assignment. We're told little to nothing about how this comes about and that's a pity, because it would be fascinating to see how a sniper is trained. Instead, we're tortured with a tedious love triangle, a gaping plot hole (* MINOR SPOILER*) when a scathing letter written by Danilov is completely forgotten, and a predictable ending. A 6 out of 10 for great production, cinematography, and acting, but poor screenplay and a hodgepodge of accents.