An ok war flick

Rating: 8/10 (10 August 2001)

Having seen war movies like Saving Private Ryan, I have high expectations when going to see this in the cinemas. There are both good and bad parts about this film. I would have to say that the best part is in the beginning. Why? Because to me this is the most realistic and exciting part in the whole film. Seeing the Soviet soldiers ferried across the Volga under the watchful eyes of the NKVD and continuous strafes by German Stukas kept me off my seat during the first 30 minutes. This is the highlight of the film and what follows pale in comparison. This movie is largely about a duel between two snipers. While this is interesting at first, it gets boring for me very quickly as we see the same kind of sniper action again and again except in different locations. The only thing that appealed to me during this phase of the film is when the sniper's spotter got hit in the head mid-air while leaping to another building. Other than that, the rest is VERY boring. Also, it would be nice if the film gave more insight as to why the Germans lost the battle, like the poor preparation to General Winter and the atrocities committed against Russian citizens which gave rise to resistance. Only showing the sniper duels in the battle of Stalingrad was not enough for me, and this also gives an awkward resolution to the film.