Not very realistic, but well-made

Rating: 7/10 (6 February 2005)

That the director of this movie knows how to handle his craft is visible from the very first scene, where the soldiers arrive in Stalingrad and all of the explosions & grand vistas are perfectly choreographed. There are many other such scenes in the movie as well, personal as well as grand.
The trouble with this movie, for me at least, is that none of it feels very real; it feels exactly like a Hollywood war movie, a film for people who love action movies. This isn't simply because all of the "Russians" speak in English (I have to give them props for at least not attempting to do a bad Russian accent), but because none of the characters really seem "real". All of them are, in true Hollywood fashion, larger-than-life; they say and do things that you don't think actual people would do in those situations. Frankly, I think that the best acting is when you do not realize that the characters are acting. In this film, I definitely realized it; this film's purpose is primarily to entertain, not to show the truth. This is fine for some types of movies but not, I think, for a war movie; this film glamorizes the war, makes every person a hero, and shows us more of an aristocrat's view of the war than a soldier's. And of course, there is a love story as well. ;)
This movie has practically nothing in common with the philosophy of Russian war movies (which are generally much more honest); it's really a Hollywood interpretation of the war in Stalingrad by people who were not there, and there are times when they really misinterpret the situation. Khruchev, the future Soviet leader who oversaw the defence of Stalingrad, is portrayed in this film as a dangerous drunk; in one scene he actually gives somebody a gun; "perhaps you'd like to avoid the red tape"! Somehow, this doesn't seem very likely from the leader who later revealed Stalin's crimes in front of the whole country after his death, freed thousands of political prisoners, and took steps towards more openness and freedom of speech. This portrayal of Khruchev is a relic of American Cold War propaganda, and it reminded me that I have to watch this film with a grain of salt.
It's certainly an exciting movie, but for an authentic view of Russia's side of WW2, you'd have to look elsewhere. I HEAVILY recommend Elem Klimov's masterpiece "Come and See", which is perhaps one of the most honest and brutal war films you'll ever see. As likely as not, you'll never want to watch another Hollywood war film again! Another good choice is Tarkovsky's "My Name is Ivan". (seriously, check those films out, they're both amazing!)
Overall: 7/10