As bad as it gets.....(May contain SPOILERS!!!!!)

Rating: Null/10 (28 April 2001)

What a shameful mess this film turned out to be. I don't think I have ever laughed through a war film as much as I did in this one. What annoys me most about this film is that they ruined a great concept. A film about the battle of Stalingrad could have turned out to be a masterpiece.
The initial battle is good. Nowhere near SPR but still satisfactory. A few too many close ups of Jude Law's angelic face for my liking. You already know that he will survive this battle and most probably the whole film. When he is on the train at the start, he stares intently at a beautiful woman. What are the odds that they'll meet up again later in the film?
I must admit that at this point it still had a claim to being a good war film. Within 20 minutes this claim had been all but dashed to pieces. I don't think this was a good performance by Jude Law. He tried his hardest to look haunted but determined, but his struggle was there for all to see. He didn't convince me for a second. Joseph Fiennes just overacted to the point of foolishness. Rachel Weisz did not really belong in this film and I could have found a more convincing Russian leader than Bob Hoskins. That's right BOB "Super Mario" HOSKINS??!! The casting director should be sacked.
The only person who emerged with any credit was Ed Harris. He put in an excellent performance as it was obvious he was stuck with a 2-dimensional character.
Now I'll get on to the plot. The duel between poor Russian boy and rich German aristocrat was made to be much more important than it ever would be. I am not so stupid as to think that the death of Vassili Zaitsev would have any noticeable effect on the war. The Russians must have had countless snipers that were used for propaganda. The portrayal of Zaitsev as some sort of Russian hero was very unrealistic.
The love triangle was needless. This is not what war is about. Please to not deceive innocent moviegoers into thinking they are going to see a realistic war film and then present some nonsensical fantasy that has no correlation with war.
The sex scene was funny. Unintentionally funny.
I would like some idea that this battle is actually taking place in Russia. Accents, subtitles? The director made no effort to create a true sense of atmosphere. People reading Russian in English with an English accent? I'm sorry but no matter how hard I tried, all I saw were British people who seem to have stumbled onto one of the most important battles in WW2.
Ed Harris character did not have to hang that little boy. As if him being a Nazi isn't enough, he murders children as well! In case you weren't sure who the baddie was, this idiotic scene brings everyone up to speed. Thanks Director!
Oh, and in the space of a few minutes Commissar Danilov denounces communism. If Rachel Weisz doesn't love him, communism must be wrong. Who can argue with such expert reasoning?
Major Erwin Konings can shoot people in mid air. Zaitsev falls asleep at the crucial moment when his enemy passes. It is well known for soldiers to have made love to beautiful women while their comrades were asleep. Idiocy was piled upon idiocy unitl my head could take it no longer.
If you insist on seeing this film. Watch simply to admire Ed Harris' performance.