The Beast

The Beast (also known as The Beast of War) is a 1988 American war film directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by William Mastrosimone, based on his play Nanawatai. The film follows the crew of a Soviet T-55 tank who became lost during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. The film has enjoyed a cult-favorite status in spite of its low box office statistics. Plot In 1981 Afghanistan, a Soviet T-55 tank unit attacks a Pashtun village harboring a group of mujahideen fighters. Within the village, The Soviet tankers proceed to burn, blow up, or poison any buildings left standing or water supplies. One Afghan manages to kill the crew of one of the T-55's with a Molotov Cocktail. He is then crushed beneath the tracks of the ruthless commander Daskal. He does this in front of the Afghan women who plead for his life, and the driver, Konstantin Koverchenko, hesitates before being forced to go through with this act. The tank, having lost the ability to transmit on its radio, takes a wrong turn through a mountain pass and enters a blind valley. Taj returns to discover the village destroyed, and his father and brother killed—the latter by having been martyred by Daskal's tank. As the new khan following his brother's death, Taj is spurred to seek revenge and leads a band of mujahedeen fighters into the valley to pursue Daskal's tank, which they call "The Beast," counting on their captured RPG-7 anti-tank weapon to destroy it. Lost and isolated, the tank crew set out to find Kandahar Road and return to Soviet lines. While momentarily halted to try and determine their location, they are attacked by Taj and his fellow rebels. The assault is unsuccessful, with Moustafa, Taj's westernized cousin, missing his shot with the RPG, and Taj's uncle being wounded. Taj and his uncle set out alone, following the tank's tracks. That night they meet a "Holy Man" who claims they will slay "Goliath" with a single stone. While camping for the night, Afghan communist crewman Samad educates the reluctant tank driver, Konstantin Koverchenko, about the Pashtun people's code of honor, Pashtunwali; particularly nanawatai, which requires that an enemy be given sanctuary if requested. En route, the crew suffer several setbacks and ambushes from Taj's band, in which loader Golikov is wounded, their food and water ration are lost, and much ammunition is expended.