Worthy of a Look, but It's Not One of the Great War Films

Rating: 6/10 (20 April 2000)

Overall, I was not very thrilled with this movie. I expected a heart-wrenching, teeth-clenching movie. But what I got was a melodramatic film with little tension, violence that did not move me, and a plot that was erratic, at best. There were a few nice battle scenes, and I enjoyed the opportunity to see the Eastern Front from the German perspective, but I wanted a deeper film. One problem was the decision to make the film with an ensemble cast and never focusing on a single protagonist. The German Lieutenant in the film may be considered the protagonist, but he's not even featured on the cover of the video. "Saving Private Ryan" focused on Tom Hanks even though it was an ensemble cast. "Platoon," also an ensemble cast, focused primarily on Charlie Sheen. I didn't feel like "Stalingrad" put me in the war because there wasn't any single person I could identify with. I recommend the film for historians, film fans, and militeria buffs, but for everyone else, rent or buy "Das Boot" if you want a better war film from the German perspective.