sometimes the fate of nations rest in the hands of individuals

Rating: 9/10 (21 May 2008)

A HERO DOES NOT CHOSESE HIS DESTINY, DESTINY CHOSES HIM. This is an actual life historical drama about a young Russian Shepard boy from Urals who with the chain of events become a symbol of pride, heroism and hope fro his nation. His moments of test came at the time when their country was run over by the Germans in ww2. Reluctantly Vassily zytzev was sent to war in Stalingrad.This city was besieged by Germans and if the Russians lost it their whole morale would lay in ruins. By shooting down 5 Nazi officers Vassily is in the views of comrade damalov ,who than narrated his story to khruschev, at that ti8me country was in the grip of chaos and oppression of Joseph Stalin and the assault by over zealot adolf Hitler was in insult to the injury. That was the time when damalov said we need our heroes who can make the whole nation believe in the victory. That Vassily became a hero overnight. Although he knew the burden of huge responsibility he s going to have and he is somehow scared from inside, as in the start of the movie we saw him shooting at a wolf under the observation of his grandfather and later he misses. Than he is locked in a cat and mouse battle with best Nazi sharp shooter who has his own bitter experiences of war. This shows how sometimes some persons in real life have to go through the stations which they don't want but they face it with courage and valor and their decisions turn the face of both their nations destiny and history. Some how its a great movie and story. fantastic direction and acting. I love it