Stalingrad (1993)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Joseph Vilsmaier

Writers:

Jürgen Büscher (writer)
Johannes Heide (writer)

Release Date:

21 January 1993 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Bis zum letzten Mann... (Till the last man)

Plot:

A depiction of the brutal battle of Stalingrad, the Third Reich's 'high water mark', as seen through...

Plot Keywords:

Stalingrad | German | Gunfire | Gunshot Wound | German Soldier

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Dominique Horwitz	...	Obergefreiter Fritz Reiser
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Lt. Hans von Witzland
Jochen Nickel	...	Unteroffizier Manfred Rohleder
Sebastian Rudolph	...	GeGe Müller
Dana Vávrová	...	Irina
Martin Benrath	...	Gen. Hentz
Sylvester Groth	...	Otto
Karel Hermánek	...	Capt. Hermann Musk
Heinz Emigholz	...	Edgar Emigholz
Ferdinand Schuster	...	Double Edgar
Oliver Broumis	...	HGM
Dieter Okras	...	Capt. Haller
Zdenek Vencl	...	Wölk
Mark Kuhn	...	Sgt. Pflüger
Thorsten Bolloff	...	Feldmann

Runtime:

134 min | Argentina:135 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | Russian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Norway:15 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 (f) (w) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

B.A. Produktion

Trivia:

The original screenplay was written by Christoph Fromm but the producers disagreed with his more realistic direction and had it rewritten. Consequently, Fromm took his name of the film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the pre-credits it says that the German 6th Army was, at the start of the of battle at Stalingrad, commanded by Generaloberst (Colonel General) Paulus. Paulus was however promoted to Generaloberst first on 30 November 1942.

Quotes:

Unteroffizier Manfred Rohleder: May I ask you something, sir?
Lt. Hans von Witzland: Please. Go ahead.
Unteroffizier Manfred Rohleder: Is this your first time at the front?
Lt. Hans von Witzland: Everyone must start somewhere.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Top Ten war movie in my list

I can believe this movie will be a serious disappointment for a person, who is used to and likes to watch Hollywood war movies. Four reasons: 1. It's made in a world, where movie makers tries to have some personality. If you think 'When We Were Soldiers'... well, there are hundreds of directors who you can imagine making a similar war movie with personality and values of a hamburger.

2. Screenplay has a different structure. There's no shocking opening scene like in 'Saving Private Ryan'. This movie starts slowly in a very nice place and ends slowly in a very bad place, without hope or feeling that the characters have achieved something by their heroic actions.

3. It is first a movie about lost causes in the world of war, and only secondly a war movie which takes place in Stalingrad.

4. War scenes portray the horror, insecurity and confusion of a battle, instead of how cool, heroic and exciting fighting looks like. In this sense, this movie is closer to reality than most of the war movies you will ever see. 'Thin Red Line' also had similar "I would probably crap in my pants in that situation"-feeling.

Stalingrad, whether you think it as a movie or a war movie has so many good things in it... like honesty. Even the ordinary German soldiers were dreaming about farms in Russia when they were advancing. What a disappointment they must have had in Stalingrad! If you like to watch war movies, meaning also other war movies than When We Were Soldiers or Saving Private Ryan, you should see this one. (9/10)