Gritty WW2 drama

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2016)

Gritty WW2 drama.
August 1942. A German combat engineer platoon is resting and recuperating in Italy after fighting in North Africa. Their Lieutenant was badly wounded in the fighting and a new, green, platoon commander, Lt Hans van Witzland, has just taken command. The platoon is soon to be attached to an elite unit and sent to a place synonymous with carnage and destruction on a massive scale. An operation that marked a turning point of World War 2. Stalingrad.
A good depiction of the Battle of Stalingrad, told from the German perspective and on a small unit scale. Accurately depicts the callous disregard for human life, the terror, the sheer futility and, ultimately, foolhardiness of the Battle of Stalingrad. Quite novel too, a German telling of the battle, a battle that they suffered massive losses in, ultimately lost and, as a result, ultimately lost WW2.
Not perfect. Character engagement is a bit limited - you don't feel as much for the individual soldiers as you should. There's a breathless feeling of action scene after action scene without any time to reflect, or get to know the characters better.