Stalingrad

I was again in the mood for a WWII movie and watched:

Stalingrad (1993).

This German production is directed by Joseph Vilsmaier and stars Dominique Horwitz, Thomas Kretschmann and Jochen Nickel amongst others.

With the clue in the name, this movie follows a squad of German soldiers from a rest period in Italy to the Battle of Stalingrad. I knew this wouldn't be a happy or fun movie, but I wasn't prepared for how grim things would be.

Unlike Enemy At The Gates, Stalingrad is a grim march to the grave. There are no heroics, only a desperate struggle for life held together with camaraderie. The only thing these men have are each other and the will to live and both are failing fast. Despite this I never once considered turning the movie off. It is both compelling and well done. But damn is it gloomy.

I found the way the movie is built interesting. Perhaps because it is a German production instead of Hollywood one, but Stalingrad is a series of scenes without much in the way of connections. The unit is on the train, they are marching into Stalingrad, combat scene, rest scene, combat scene etc. Despite the slightly loose format, I had no trouble following the plot, even though I had to read the subtitles. From a technical point of view, the movie is excellent, no complaints whatsoever. The actors are great and the props and scenery is first rate.

For being a movie about possibly the bloodiest battle in human history, there is a surprising lack of gore. There is some in a few scenes here and there, but the real horror is the winter, starvation and the terror of death. Interestingly enough, there is basically no overt Nazism either nor are the Russians really “the bad guys”. I'd say the biggest villain in the movie is the military police captain Haller, who is a sadistic bastard. This puts the focus on the squad instead of the bigger picture, reinforcing the small scale look at their humanity, their suffering both physically and mentally, as well as the cruel winter. Oh yes, this movie actually has winter unlike Enemy At The Gates. You are intimately locked in with these wretches, whether you like it or not.

So, do I recommend this movie? Yes and no. This is not a “war as an adventure” movie and it's not about anything important as such, it is just a dark journey full of horror and pain. It is also a look at what it was like for the soldiers at Stalingrad. The movie omits cannibalism which did take place historically, and perhaps it is for the best. It is dark enough as it it. If anything I said above seems compelling, then yes watch it. If you need something lighter, than no, go elsewhere. It is an effective anti war movie and no mistake.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week!