History deserves better

Rating: 2/10 (7 April 2010)

Im watching this on Film Four and, as usual, reading the trivia, the goofs and the viewers comments. Last weekend I was speaking with various members of a Russian WW2 re-enactment group and the subject of this film and Cross of Iron came up. Now I know why the guys were so non-committal regarding this cliché-ridden Hollywood schmaltz - British reserve! From my own limited reading about the German attempt to subdue Russia and the pivotal, drawn out battle for Stalingrad I can see why many of the comments from Russian viewers are so scathing and why they are so angry at the contemptuous way the film makers have ignored the tragic history in favour of a two dimensional war/love story.
Read the comments with the filter set to "hated it" and you will see what a crime against history those involved in making this film have committed. One critic mentioned the unintentional comic moments in this badly written film - the first has just made me laugh out loud - Bob 'Oskins as Nikita Kruschev complete with cockney accent and a woolly 'at.