In a film that boasts its realism, almost everything looks unauthentic. Literally the cover of the VCD copy of this film has a quote: "The most realistic war movie ever made". My question is... in what aspect?
Is it in the weapons, vehicles, uniforms and equipment that although legit doesn't suit the time period of the film? Is it in the effects: badly-made explosions, unrealistic smoke and amateurish CGI. Or is it in the mid acting that looks like the cast comes from your local drama club?
Is the realism coming from the mechanism of the rifles that did not recoil in every shot? Or is it from the editing team that abusively overlays a bunch of soldiers to make a crowd?
The only thing that looks real to me is the film's atmosphere, specifically its music. The actual film's music breathes despair which encapsulates the grim fate of the German soldiers. It is further juxtaposed by the jolly music during the black-and-white news reports that desperately clings to propaganda in order to boost the morale of the populace. Well, that is the only realism that the film imbued, at least in my opinion.
So all in all, I still wonder why Steel Tempest shouts "realism" in its front cover. It just sets them up for failure when the audience finally realized that this film is less than authentic compared to majority of low-budget war films out there.
