a misplaced focus

Rating: 4/10 (3 August 2002)

This film is a bit of a disappointment. They try to make a realistic war-movie about one of the turningpoints of WWII, and end up focusing completely on two single snipers. The opening scenes of the film are very well done, its all realistic and horrible, showing how terrible war can be, but its not put into context, and from then on, it all just slipslides away into obscurity.
The war more or less disappears, and the conflict is now between Jude Laws and Ed Harris characters. Law does an okay performance, and Harris is stone cold and good, and the scenes when they "hunt" each other are the only real suspense in the film, but all the silly coincidences and escapes they have to make up to make the hunt last through the film gets to stupid.
**SPOILER** and when Harris is killed in the end, its just another stupid moment. This guy, who is so smart that he doesnt go for Pearlmans decoy, after shooting a guy who suddenly rises up in his view, thinks he`s gotten his adversary and crosses this huge open space. Yeah right. **SPOILER END**
It is to much focus on things that doesnt help the story or ads to the suspense. The love story seems like an add on to attract viewers. There is never any question who gets the girl, the question is only why. The question about socialism and equality is entirely left out, even if that is why Weisz is in the war. The fact that this was the coldest winter in years and years is completely left out. Almost all historics are left out. The film is in part interesting when the two snipers chase each other, but the rest of the film can`t really decide if it is a war-movie or love-story, and there just is to many weak points.