| 
 enlarge | Director: Joseph Vilsmaier
Actors: Dominique Horwitz, Thomas Kretschmann, Jochen Nickel, Sebastian Rudolph, Dana Vavrova
Studio: Fox Lorber
Category: DVD
List Price: $34.98
Buy New: $12.82
You Save: $22.16 (63%)
New (34) Used (14) Collectible (1) from $12.82
Avg. Customer Rating:  184 reviews
Sales Rank: 3666
Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), German (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 150
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
DVD Layers: 2
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: D5036D
ISBN: 6305037280
UPC: 720917503622
EAN: 9786305037286
ASIN: 6305037280
Theatrical Release Date: 1992
Release Date: November 3, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW Factory Sealed - Ready to be shipped within 24 hrs from California - Average 5 workdays delivery time - Excellent customer service - Buy with confidence!
|
| Customer Reviews:
A BRUTAL GRUNT EYE'S VIEW OF HELL ON EARTH October 12, 2005
18 out of 20 found this review helpful
This film is unlike almost every other epic and acclaimed war film in that there seems to be a true shortage of characters we can feel empathy towards. Edification rather than entertainment comes with the viewing of this film as does a growing feeling of disgust as "Stalingrad" grinds on. We see little from the viewpoint of the Russian soldier or civilian, but this isn't their story. The depictions of equipment, weapons and uniforms appears to be very accurate and the soldiers seem to be well cast in their roles.
If you want to see a film that most viscerally depicts the horror and carnage of war from the vewpoint of the conquering army facing its own inevitable downfall, then "Stalingrad" is your film. Frankly, the anti-nazi, anti-facist sentiments that are brought up by the German soldiers from time to time seem to be addressing the pro-facist sentiment that seemed to be incubating during the 1980s and 1990s more than what was happening at Stalingrad in 1942-43. Suffice it to say that NOT every German was Pro-Nazi during the war.
Nevertheless, concentrating on how 1 company of German Storm Troopers dealt with this most horrific battle of attrition does help give a face to this battle, from out of the history texts, directly onto our screens, and aids in making so enormous a topic more manageable in scope. By the end of the film, with the German infantrymen either extinct or on their way to oblivion, we do clearly see the insanity of war which is obviously the goal of this film.
MY SUBJECTIVE THOUGHTS ON "STALINGRAD":
This is a bleak depressing story and is told in that manner. It is also a film that I don't feel like seeing again anytime soon. However, "Das Boot" was also such a story, was made with many of the same production people yet I find myself repeatedly viewing "Das Boot" in the extended version in both English and German on DVD. I watched the video so many times that I wore it out. In other words, "Stalingrad" is a film that has "high production values" and "high historic importance" and it is about a topic I am very interested in, but I don't feel any desire to see this film again. It probably comes back to the lack of sympathetic characters among the German soldiers which was not the case in "Das Boot". I always feel devastated at the end of "Das Boot" at the sight of the Captain dying and the U-boat sinking in its home berth from a sudden unexpected air raid. When "Stalingrad" was finally over [and its much shorter than Das Boot] I felt relieved.
ABOUT THE RECORDING:
This video is "Widescreen" and dubbed in English.
 This movie is no Hollywood Production June 29, 2005
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
I am referring to the previous entries which are in my opinion wrongful and incompetent. I think the intention of the director Joseph Vilsmaier was not to show a "gallant" and "heroic" war movie. If some people miss these gallant and heroic battle scenes during the last 50 minutes then I suggest rather watching Pearl Harbour, Arnold Schwarzenegger movies or any other Hollywood productions with a lacking historic background. Other than the previous author assumed, Stalingrad is no Hollywood but a German production. In my opinion the movie fully fulfils its purpose of an anti war movie and is based on an excellent research in German - Russian history. How can I know that? My Grandfather has been to Stalingrad he didn't want to see the movie because he was frightened that this will bring back all the bad memories. However, my grandfather told me a lot about the experiences he made in Russia and theses stories were neither gallant nor heroic, but cruel and frightening.
To sum it up: If you need some easy entertainments with some heroic good looking soldiers - rather watch Pearl Harbour!
 --stick w/ the books on the subject June 2, 2005
9 out of 23 found this review helpful
I gave this three stars because it does a decent job w/ the visual spectacles, which I suppose prevents it from getting the more deserved two stars. Also, it attempts to bring to the popular audience something from history, which is to be commended, uh, of course.
The film is nevertheless remarkable for its unwillingness to explore the complexity of the history of Stalingrad; and its ability to render banal and even annoying the obvious truth that war is nasty. I found the film to be one cliche after another and much of the dialog was embarassing.
The director seems to believe you can avoid creating an exciting narrative, by substituting "grown men confessing the horror of war." In the end, the film struck me as self indulgent, not so much honoring history and its victims as using history to massage the pieties of a modern pacifist audience.
Stick with the books on the subject.
Not at the top but still one of the best war movies May 23, 2005
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I saw this film when I was in college. It is one of the best war movies I have ever seen. The movie gives you the German perspective without trying to vindicate them or anything like that. It simply shows how everyone became a victim of something bigger than themselves: war and the winter in Russia. It is a very good movie an a must for fans of WWII movies.
 A reminder of how bad Foreign films are May 15, 2005
7 out of 43 found this review helpful
I read a lot of books about Stalingrad, and decided to buy this DVD, after watching this movie, I was sorry for discounting the negative Amazon reviews before buying it, this film is a real disappointment, the acting would have to be the worst I have ever seen, you NEVER feel that your with them in battle, but rather with them on a movie set. The film is about a small group of German soldiers enduring the suffering of war, much like the movie Platoon, showing a more humane side, leaving out most of the atrocities committed by the Germans. The language is German and dubbed in English, so if you watch it in English, don't expect there lips to be in synch, its better watching it in German and reading the subtitles. This film really belongs in the $5 dollar bin at your local shopping mart, definitely NOT worth $28!.
|
|
|