I had trouble buying it

Rating: 6/10 (29 April 2006)

This movie had a strange combination of realism and artificiality. The set designers did their job very well. Even a quick scribbled note would be in Cyrillics and subtitles would explain what it said. Yet, the lead characters all looked like they were in rosy good health (except for the occasional carefully placed scratch) and spoke clear English. The exception was Ed Harris; he spoke clear English, but I found him more credible in his role. Beyond that, the movie seemed determined to telegraph where it was going. If something bad were going to happen to a character, there would be a scene 20 minutes earlier in which the character would be warned: "What you're doing is dangerous!" I enjoyed the movie as a depiction of the Battle of Stalingrad, but I was never able to immerse myself in the story and believe.