Rating: Summary: Best war movie I've ever seen Review: I liked this movie from the very start. Not only does it give the viewer an eye-opener into how ordinary German soldiers thought (not all or even most Germans were Nazi fanatics and anti-Semite but Hollywood doesn't know or care) but it offers something different from typical American propaganda. The combat scenes are as powerful as the opening of Saving Private Ryan (a good movie until the end, when the heroic Yanks defeat the evil Krauts) but we know that it will all be a waste and for nothing, and what's worse, Hitler or the senior officers don't even care (neither do American leaders, but they keep a lid on that kind of stuff). I don't need to say much about the film itself (there are other reviews for that) but I will say that this film does an excellent job at showing how the fighting at Stalingrad was, and how the German army struggled to gain Hitler his Lebensraum. It displays the character's slow realization that their cause is lost and their reaction, which would happen to just about any soldier in any army (yes, even the Waffen-SS, uh, the U.S. Marines). All in all, an excellent movie.
Rating: Summary: Not worth $... Review: I wouldn't pay ten dollars for this movie. It has far too many flaws. For example the blood is obviously fake and the severed body parts look faker than Britany Spears. Aside from the bad fx, the plot is weak. The last forty minutes drags on,and on. The english dugging is terrible, they say things not even closely resembling the original actor's lines. Buyer beware, don't believe the hype about this movie. Buy Cross of Iron instead.
Rating: Summary: Stalingrad Review: Dominique Horwitz stars in this hellish tale of the battle of Stalingrad, bringing to life the intense historical realism told from the German side. Depicting the every day struggles of ordinary soldiers on the front lines of Hitler's masssive offensive, Stalingrad offers a viewpoint that is both action packed and brutally sobering. Visually wonderful and frighteningly realistic, it tells the tale of the utter hopelessness of the German army in 1943. I would recomend this to anyone that enjoys a good war movie or interested in the history of the time period.
Rating: Summary: One of the best Review: This is one of the best war movies ever. The combat scenes in the beginning are excellent(although somewhat chaotic) The movie also contains a very nice scene with a russian tank attack. The movie does contain some stereotypes(evil nazi leaders), but one have to bear in mind that the men have been sent to this particular unit as a disciplinary act; followingly, they would be treated like scum even by their own. The movie portrays fighting in the winter in an excellent way. Soldiers in the Norwegian army are shown portions of this movie during their winter education.
Rating: Summary: The harsh reality of war Review: Gemany's invasion of Russia was one of the most significant events of WWII. The number of Russian lives lost, many civilian, was astounding. The film Stalingrad focuses on the war through the eyes of the young German "frontliners", showing the many complications of all out war- the fear, the confusion, the hate, the mutiny, the effects of mother nature, just to name some. the film is also bent on pointing out the fact that many soldiers were not sold on the cause- they just wanted to get out alive. The scenes in Stalingrad that really stick in my mind are the depictions of the "war in the snow" that took such a toll on both sides. This is an aspect of war that is often overlooked, but the climate and landscape of any area can often decide the outcome of many battles, if not the war. Platoon, The Thin Red Line, and Stalingrad all do an excellent job of recreating these wartime environments. Make no mistake, Stalingrad is a film that is very anti-war. It serves as the kind of deturrent that I wish everyone would take notice of. Young men, often with families left behind, putting their lives on the line for an unworthy cause- they are killing men that they have never met- men that also have families at home- all in the name of their country. And that is the beauty of Stalingrad (yes I see the oxymoron). The one thing that bothered me about Stalingrad was that it mostly overlooks the worst part of the war- the mass civilian casualties suffered by the Russians at the hands of the Germans. Other than that, I don't have mavy gripes with this film. If you like war movies, I suggest you check this one out.
Rating: Summary: Stalingrad Review: This film is by any standards SUPERB, from the very start to the very end it excells anything I have seen before and will probubly see in the future. In the begining you quickly build up a bond with the soldiers and see them not for the compassionless war machines people like too teach you that the German Army was, but you see them for the human beings, the same scared, loyal, emotional everyday people fighting a war. The music score for this film is absolutly brilliant, and by the end take my word for it you will have a lump the size of ibiza in your throat! A Must Buy For Anyone!
Rating: Summary: Excellent, non-Hollywoodish tale of the WWII Eastern Front Review: Absolutely excellent movie! A gripping, unbiased account of this terrible time in human history, seen from the German perspective. I say unbiased because, not only will you come out of this movie thinking that the Russians and Stalin were a terrible enemy, but that Hitler was ruthless (...) towards his own soldiers as he was towards everyone else. I really got into the movie, and got attached to the characters like such. Getting to the end of the movie, you can't help but feel lucky that you yourself "survived" and saddened in that you watched all your "buddies" pass into history.
Rating: Summary: a very haunting film Review: If you think you know it all since you've seen Saving Private Ryan, I would highly recommend this film to you. It came six years before Ryan, and is just as graphic. But what really makes it effective is the emotional impact. I've never seen any other war film that was filled with such a sense of hopelessness and despair. There is no happy ending. What little comic relief that exists is in the first 15 minutes of the film; after that, it only gets darker and darker and darker. Very different from Das Boot. A truly haunting experience that sticks with you.
Rating: Summary: EXCELLENT WAR FILM Review: I will not add my plaudit to this film (I believe it is excellent) but will point out that for those who do not handle subtitles well, it contains a fine english dubbed track.
Rating: Summary: "War is hell" doesn't even begin to say enough. Review: I'm an amateur WW2 historian, so this movie was a must see for me. I have always been fascinated by the battle of Stalingrad, and have always been disappointed by the dearth of movies on the subject. This offering not only gives a truly graphic view of the battle, but carries with it a somber message. No happy ending here. The story centers on a company of German assault engineers who have been fighting Russians on the Eastern Front. After a furlough on the Mediterranean coast, they are thrust into the battle of Stalingrad. Even as seasoned veterans, they are unprepared for the horror that awaits them. The protagonist is an idealistic young lieutenant seeking to earn the respect of his men. His introduction to the realities of Stalingrad is abrupt and harsh, and only goes downhill after the initial encounter. The first half of the movie focuses on the factory fighting which so exemplified the larger battle. The scenes are gruesome and unspeakably violent, and so provide a glimpse into the brutality that was Stalingrad. The latter half of the movie deals with events following the Russian encirclement of November, 1942, and is truly a study in abject human misery. I will not give away the ending for those who haven't seen it. I will say, though, that the emotional toll of this movie is akin to "Schindler's List." I first saw this on the big screen with a friend, and we both walked out of the theater in a slack-jawed daze. This is NOT your standard war movie, but it's definitely a great one.
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