It's based on true events, but it shows a completely different characters. The movie depicts those people as victims, who just wanted freedom.
In reality, they were spoiled brats of quite rich powerful people, with all the money and means to immigrate (as they wished so much) peacefully. Instead they chose to hijack the plane and become anti-soviet heroes in the western world, asking for a political asylum. (Because there is a difference between an unknown immigrant and a high profile political victim, sponsored and promoted by the other government PR agents)
According to the real documents and witnesses they didn't act as scared good guys on the plane, they didn't help wounded - they inflicted those wounds! They acted as all classic terrorist act - killed people who showed any threat, tried to keep the crowd scared and under control by abuse and humiliation (e.g. didn't allow them visit the toilet, keep beating flight attendants when they felt like it).
Same story about the special forces, authorities, the trial and the person who inspired the group - it was all shown a little bit opposite of what it was. Authorities were shown as eager-to-assault people, aborting the negotiations. In real life "hostages" refused to talk to their parents themselves. Nobody mentioned that they threatened to bomb the plane with all the passengers on board (because they had grenades). Nobody showed how special forces managed to bloodlessly secure the plane in 8 minutes (I would be keen to watch this part instead). Court speeches included more "political" parts from the real trial than the parts about murders and violence. The initial mastermind of the whole attack (the priest) was shown as a completely uninvolved innocent person, guilty of only gifting someone Beatles records (although Beatles were not banned in USSR in 80s, they were quite popular and were sold legally at the music stores). Of course as a result the final verdict seemed like a cruel over-reaction in the movie.
I think that if you wanted to film something about the dark sides of USSR regime, you should have picked something else. Anything but the bloody terrorist attack, organised by wealthy attention seekers, where real innocent hostages have died or became disabled for the rest of their lives.
Same story about the special forces, authorities, the trial and the person who inspired the group - it was all shown a little bit opposite of what it was. Authorities were shown as eager-to-assault people, aborting the negotiations. In real life "hostages" refused to talk to their parents themselves. Nobody mentioned that they threatened to bomb the plane with all the passengers on board (because they had grenades). Nobody showed how special forces managed to bloodlessly secure the plane in 8 minutes (I would be keen to watch this part instead). Court speeches included more "political" parts from the real trial than the parts about murders and violence. The initial mastermind of the whole attack (the priest) was shown as a completely uninvolved innocent person, guilty of only gifting someone Beatles records (although Beatles were not banned in USSR in 80s, they were quite popular and were sold legally at the music stores). Of course as a result the final verdict seemed like a cruel over-reaction in the movie.
I think that if you wanted to film something about the dark sides of USSR regime, you should have picked something else. Anything but the bloody terrorist attack, organised by wealthy attention seekers, where real innocent hostages have died or became disabled for the rest of their lives.