A Captive in the Land
| A Captive in the Land | |
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| Directed by | John Berry |
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| Based on | A Captive in the Land by James Aldridge |
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| Music by | Bill Conti |
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| Distributed by | Gloria Film |
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Release date
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1990 |
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Running time
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96 minutes |
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| Language | English |
A Captive in the Land (Russian: Пленник земли, translit. Plennik zemli) is a 1990 Soviet–American survival drama film directed by John Berry and written by Berry and Lee Gold. The film is based on the novel of the same name by James Aldridge and stars Sam Waterston, Aleksandr Potapov and Keir Giles.
On an Arctic flight the crew of a RAF transport aircraft overflies a crashed aircraft. Although a survivor is spotted, the crew realizes that a rescue is not possible and rules out a landing. Rupert Royce (Sam Waterston), a U.S. meteorologist aboard the flight, volunteers to parachute to the ice with first aid supplies to treat the survivor.
Bringing supplies with him, Royce lands near the wreckage and finds Averyanov (Aleksandr Potapov), a Soviet navigator, the sole survivor who is injured and unable to be moved. Intending to wait until further help arrives, Royce makes repairs on the shattered aircraft, but soon realizes help is not coming, as the aircraft is far off course. The ice shifts below the wreckage, further complicating their survival.
When a blizzard strands the two men and forces them to survive on their own, they have to accept that different cultural backgrounds cannot jeopardize their survival. As supplies run low and a leaking heater nearly kills them, releasing deadly carbon monoxide into their small enclosure, Royce begins to make plans for both of them to find a way to reach civilization, the nearest settlement, 200 miles away. The isolation, ever-present wolves and dwindling supplies leaves Royce little option.
Setting out into the wilderness with an improvised sled to carry the injured airman, Averyanov urges Royce to save himself, and not to risk his own life in a vain attempt to save someone who will likely die soon anyway. Royce refuses and strives mightily to save the two "captives" of the wild.
A Captive in the Land was filmed in Siberia on Kiy Island and the Lena Rover, involved two sessions of location shooting. Sam Waterston had to return to Russia to complete the film after Aleksandr Potapov suffered a heart attack, causing a suspension of filming.
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