Great potential spoiled by silly plot

Rating: 5/10 (9 September 2001)

(Spoiler warning? This is my first post and I am puzzled by the spoiler warning --- personally, I like to go into movies with a blank slate, never read reviews, so that the story can unfold for me as the maker intended. So any discussion is a spoiler per se.)
This movie had the makings of something great -- excellent cast and production values, and unique human stories, both the small story of the snipers and the large story of Stalingrad. But the potential is dissipated by ridiculous plot devices that produce a bloated and uninvolving result. The love triangle was pure filler, but worst of all (and I am surprised by the lack of comments on this) was the boy Sacha, who had near-perfect knowledge of the movements of both men, and regular access to give information to both. This removed any sense of reality or suspense from the central sniper battle.