BroadswordCallinDannyBoy

On the eastern front of World War II a group of Wehrmacht soldiers, fresh from time off after a successful campaign in Africa eagerly proceed to their next line of duty: the Soviet city of Stalingrad, the site of history's most brutal battle. The film however is not so much about the battle and how the strategy from either side played out, but of the ordeal that these young men had to go through. After being subjected to what the viewer can only presume as much of the Third Reich's propaganda, many are eager to "fight communism" and "uphold western Christian tradition" but stronghold of brainwashing soon collapses like a brick wall of a bombed building.

The production of the film is very impressive with a startlingly convincing display of the giant ruined city. Heaps of rubble, wrecked vehicles, bodies, sewers, and soon a savage winter. Humanizing the Wehrmacht has been a sort of taboo, especially in the US where German soldiers appear on screen all too often just to be shot. Some more films from more daring directors, like Peckinpah's "Cross of Iron" have had the guts to show "the bad guys" as humans caught up in a whirlwind out of their control. And not as the archetype of the "evil army" as the Wehrmacht is often perceived. For instance, there were no SS divisions at this battle, so politically fanatical Nazis are totally absent from this WW2 movie about the German Army... imagine that? To Americans this might come as a surprise. Now don't get all offended, your reading what an American has written.

Secondly, it is not just the dreaded SS that is absent, but also iconography is not shown... or rather it just hasn't been ADDED as in movies like "Enemy at the Gates" have done so and, all too often, to more-than-slightly ridiculous extents. Giant swastikas on evil Nazi trains and imposing red stars on Soviet vehicles and banners... not here. HOWEVER, the Nazi swastika DOES make one key appearance - on the tail fin of a cargo plane, an outbound medical flight, the last plane out of the battleground. Wounded soldiers attempt to board the plane to be deservedly flown to safety, but in the chaos the plane leaves; the swastika leaves. The symbol that these men rallied behind to serve their country abandons them in the one moment when they need something from it. It is not just a scene of "war tragedy," it is outright betrayal. And it came after the most brutal battle in all of history.

Without question one of the best war films of all time. --- 9/10

BsCDb Classification: 13+ -- violence

One tough guy kicking butt and taking out an entire army during one weekend. That sounds like Schwarzenegger in "Commando" or Stallone in the 2nd and 3rd Rambo movies. Or like Til Schweiger in this film. A tough guy, who's good at heart, is forced to fight for his life and probably also for the life of the entire free World, though that last part is only not too subtly implied here. But it all works for the better and adds up to a dumb, yes, but actually enjoyable action movie.

There is a variety of action scenes, some humor, and a German guy who has an inexplicably English name... Jack Carver. Oh well, maybe it's an alias. But in light of the frenetically edited, darkly themed, and super produced Bourne movies among others, this return to basics is pretty enjoyable. The only thing different here than in those crazy 80s action movies is that the bad guys aren't communists or Soviets, but a shadowy government agency and possibly an evil corporation - in other words, the people that we currently most dislike are getting their butts kicked. Not much more to expect and not much more to ask for. --- 6/10

BsCDb Classification: 13+ --- violence

Violence in the raw would be a good way to describe this movie. The opening disclaimer tells us that some of the initial documentary style footage is supposedly real... it may be, but that's not the point. The point is that it's a very upfront presentation of violence and whoever seems to be doing it, also seems to be enjoying it to a degree. The remainder of the film is to a degree just like that. The shaky camera hovering all about over people's shoulders in longer than usual shot lengths is actually us watching in. Nosing in and out and all about trying to get a peek at how a criminal to be executed is tied to the final chair that he will ever sit in. Or the long, painfully long, shot of a woman getting beaten with her head eventually winding up as a gory stub.

Uwe Boll was never too good with carrying plots, but he sure has ideas and he is getting better at presenting them. There is no real plot here really, but more of a series of disturbing gruesome events. Perhaps surprisingly, the film is not exploitative like a typical slasher movie and the gore is hardly enjoyable. In fact, as far as marketing goes, that effectively makes the film bite its own foot, but it's an interesting decision. Infamous Uwe is developing as filmmaker and with a film like this I am actually kind of eager to see what he has next after this Anti-"slasher film" Film. --- 6/10

BsCDb Classification: 16+ --- violence/gore, brutality