The Vampire Diaries
Automatically track what you’re watching
Join a community with a new generation of fans
Join the community
Please enter all the fields
Please enter a correct Email
Yahoo emails are not allowed
This Email is already registered in Simkl
Name too short
Password is too short
You can choose a password length of not more than 50 characters. Do not forget to switch keyboard layout to the English. Do not choose a password too simple, less then 4 characters, because such a password is easy to find out. Allowed latin and !@#$%^&*()_-+=., characters
Create Free Account
Already have an account?  Enter  
Back
Welcome back!
Please enter all the fields
Incorrect login or password entered
Sign In
Forgot your password?
Don’t have an account?  Create Account  
Back
Forgot your password?
Please enter your Email
This Email is not registered in Simkl
Failed to send email, try again later
Don't worry. It's easy to reset.

Please enter your Simkl username or E-mail from your account to start the password recovery process.
Reset Password
We have sent instructions to the email address you provided during signup. Please follow the link from the email to continue.
Back

TOP

JOIN SIMKL
Reads 27
Total reads

/movies/299156/stalingrad
Review of Stalingrad
by Jeff Light
Posted on August 4th, 2022
Positive 7
Overall Rating
 
+
a lot of americans don't know much about arguably the most important front of wwii (the german invasion of russia) and arguably the most important battle of the war (the siege of stalingrad). this film won't really educate anyone very much, but it's an entertaining spectacle with heart. a few pithy words: the first russian feature (and one of the few in the world) filmed entirely in imax 3d, this was not coincidentally the most expensive russian film ever made at the time. much of it looks like a zack snyder film, but it has less groan-inducing dialogue than you might imagine. it's essentially based on the true story of a ragtag platoon of russian soldiers who held out in this 4-story apartment building in downtown stalingrad for over 2 months against overwhelming german forces. the actual events are phenomenal, and the sergeant who led the men (yakov pavlov) became a russian hero. the film strays pretty far from this basis in reality though, focusing instead on 2 russian women trapped in stalingrad, one with pavlov's men, and one behind german lines. how they impact the soldiers and the people in the city is the emotional core of the film, for better or worse. high points: there are a number of bombastic action scenes that echo mr. snyder, so if you're a fan of his style, that'll be a big draw. they look great in imax, and i imagine they would've been insane in 3d. the film becomes increasingly more about the quiet moments though, and it allows performances to shine through. the russians are almost uniformly great. some of the soldiers seem almost like caricatures but having met quite a few russians, i can say that there really are people out there like that and it rang true to me. i could picture them each being based off of people the writer knew, but they're also meant to symbolize something more. this is particularly true with katya (mariya smolnikova), who comes to symbolize everything good and traditionally russian that the soldiers are fighting for, rather than any of the political morass they might have been much more ambivalent about. thomas kretschmann as also great as kapitan kan, the conflicted german officer. it's noteworthy that the nazis get about as fair of a portrayal here as they've probably even gotten in a non-propagandist film... low points: first off, nobody should even attempt to watch a dubbed version of this (it's distractingly sub-par). and for me, the framing device of telling this story to earthquake victims was both unnecessary and seemed a little message-y (look how forgiving we are!) it's also important not to set expectations of historical accuracy. the actual pavlov's house was much more heavily fortified, with many more men involved, and was much more successful: it stands as a monument today! this film also firmly focuses on russians defending their homeland, and doesn't show the nasty political side of stalinism like any soldier that had been behind enemy lines being assumed to have turned and so imprisoned afterwards(!). it's very pure in its focus on emotional drama...which could get melodramatic and melancholic for some. if you've read less heady russian literature, you know the mood you're in for. also, some people will like the stark gray cinematography, but for me it often made differentiating characters difficult. there are a lot of soldiers in gray and brown uniforms covered in dirt and ash, and i didn't know who a lot of them were even near the end. final thoughts: the film is a tribute to the resolve and grit of the russian people at stalingrad, but also embraces the tragedy of war (on both sides). it has quite a few emotionally evocative moments, which i imagine firmly turned off academy voters who would want something drier and more of a political statement. this is closer to a sort of spielberg popcorn movie, and a pretty worthwhile one.
Jeff Light
Follow


Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
 
Add Comments
 
Newest Oldest Top Replies Top comments Top Memos Most Helpful Most Likes
Add Comment
 
Topic
 
Photo, Meme or GIF
 
Video
 
  ?
Drop image files here or click to upload
max 10MB photo or 2MB GIF
 
Add photo or GIF from web

How to add photo or GIF from web:

You can paste URL of the image inside your comment and it will be automatically converted into the image when reading the comment.
 
Find a GIF
 
Create a Meme

How to add a video:

To add a video paste video url directly into your comment. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7L2PVdrb_8.
Do not post links to copyrighted video content (TV Episodes, Movies). Share them privately if needed.
English only please.  Home rules.
 
POST COMMENT
 




Share this page with your friends and followers:
Get VIP
Become a Pro or a VIP member
and unlock premium perks
Become beta tester
Get access to the next version of Simkl V2
Apps
Simkl has apps for Android, iOS, Chrome,
Windows, Kodi, Plex and more!

Simkl automatically tracks what you’re watching, tells you how many episodes you’ve missed, recommends what to watch next based on your watch history, and connects you to what your friends are into.

The best way to keep track of your favorite TV shows!

Get alerted when new episodes of your favorite TV shows air!

Get personalized recommendations on what to watch!

125,149 TV Shows
13,472 Anime
877,673 Movies
3,300,309 Members
COMMUNITY
Simkl is nothing without you
Give feedback on Discord or Twitter, improve your Simkl skills through tutorials.
IMDB
Tutorials
Explore our tutorials to enhance your understanding of how to keep track of your watch history on Simkl.
What is Simkl?
Twitter
Twitter
Stay updated with Simkl on Twitter for the latest product developments and other interesting news about TV Shows and Movies.
Follow @Simkl
Discord
Discord
Chat with the Simkl team and fellow Simkl members. The ultimate community experience.
Join our Discord
Start tracking what you watch
Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Email
MADE WITH ♥ IN NYC & UA
© 2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.