Amazingly realistic film!

Rating: 10/10 (23 April 2008)

I first viewed this film upon its release in 1978, & was totally mesmerized by it. It was one of the first films that I recall seeing that featured the horrors & confusion of battle realistically. Wounds were graphically depicted, instead of just showing a red dot on someone that has been shot.
I recently purchased the DVD from Amazon, because there is finally a full-length, quality, letterbox version available. I watched it 3 times in a row, when I received it, & saw something different each time.
The attention to detail is very accurate in depicting the weapons, uniforms, & awards for that period in the war.
Having read much & having seen many documentaries about war on the Eastern front, I do not believe that most people have any conception of the scope, magnitude, & savagery of the German-Russian conflict in WW2.
There have been some comments about the Iron Cross being Germany's highest military award in WW2. The DVD cover even incorrectly states this.
In actuality, the Knights Cross is a higher & rarer award. It is worn on a ribbon around the collar, & subsequent awards are the oak-leaves cluster & crossed swords that are attached to the original Knights Cross. I think that there is another award called the Military Cross, which is also rare & higher than the Iron Cross.
Hitler always wore an Iron Cross on his semi-uniform jacket, that he was awarded in WW1.
In WW1, Germany's highest award was the Blue Max (Pour de la Merite) as in the 1960's movie "The Blue Max".