Make war, not love.

Rating: 7/10 (18 March 2001)

This movie is an example that a big budget can actually buy a
good movie. Realistic settings, good actors, breathtaking war
scenes. Alas, it couldn't buy the plot, which is ridden by cliches.
Not that the story doesn't have its bright points: The duel between
the snipers is compelling and filled with suspense. Ed Harris is
the best, and scariest, Nazi villain I've seen since Ralph Fienes in
Schindler's List. Even the hokey, and mostly unnecessary, love
triangle in the movie has its bright moments. Some scenes are
unforgettable. My favorites are the first time we see the Soviet
soldiers entering the city, the bombing of Stalingrad (too bad the
war plays in the background for most of the time) and the
cat-and-mouse game between the rivaling main characters. Not
as realistic as the lower budget German Stalingrad movie of
several years ago, but if we forgive the cliches, the movie is a
keeper.