Stalingrad (1993 film)

In August 1942, German soldiers enjoy leave in Cervo, Liguria, Italy, after fighting at the First Battle of El Alamein, where Unteroffizier Manfred "Rollo" Rohleder and Obergefreiter Fritz Reiser are introduced to Leutnant Hans von Witzland, their new platoon commander. Their unit is promptly sent to the Eastern Front to fight in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Witzland's platoon joins a company commanded by Hauptmann Hermann Musk. Musk leads an assault on a factory, which results in heavy casualties. Later, Witzland requests a ceasefire with the Soviets so both sides can collect their wounded, which they agree to. Midway through, Müller (called "HGM" to distinguish him from other Müllers) breaks the ceasefire, and in the ensuing chaos a Russian child that the Soviets sent gets caught into the ranks of Witzland and Reiser as they run back towards their company. Witzland angrily assaults Müller as he returns and they get into an argument. There's a few moments of bonding as the Russian child tries to speak with the soldiers with what little German he knows, he introduces himself as Kolya.

Witzland's platoon is surrounded in a decrepit building. During a Soviet attack, Witzland, Reiser, Rollo, Emigholtz, and "G.G." Müller go down to secure the sewers, during which time Kolya runs away. Witzland gets separated from the others and captures a female Soviet soldier named Irina; she offers to lead him to safety, but instead pushes him into the water and escapes. His men rescue him, and Emigholtz is found severely wounded by an explosive trap, his right leg hastily having to be amputated by the men; they take him to a crowded aid station, where they grab a doctor's assistant at gunpoint to treat Emigholtz as he is screaming in pain, despite the medic's insistence that he's not a doctor. The assistant quickly performs an injection on Emigholtz, who dies very shortly afterwards, leaving it open ended as to whether it was his wounds or a faulty injection. The men are then arrested by Hauptmann Haller, who has previously clashed with Witzland regarding the treatment of Soviet prisoners. They are assigned to a penal battalion, disarming land mines.

Four weeks later, a brutal winter has set in and the Soviets have surrounded the German Sixth Army. Hauptmann Musk thus reassigns the penal battalion—which includes disgraced fellow officer Otto—to combat duty, after the men threaten to mutiny unless their crimes are pardoned. Witzland's platoon defends a position from a Soviet tank column, and emerge victorious after a bloody battle. Hauptmann Haller later orders von Witzland and his men to execute a group of unarmed civilians accused of sabotage, among them being Kolya, the child Witzland and his men previously bonded with. Fritz and Witzland protest heavily, but ultimately bend down to the orders of the strict and pedantic Haller, Fritz having to be the soldier to personally shoot Kolya.

The killing of Kolya has a heavy effect on the already harrowed soldiers, resulting in the decision of Witzland, G.G., and Reiser to desert and head towards Pitomnik Airfield in hopes of catching a plane back to Germany, stealing medical tags from some dead bodies along the way to feign being wounded. The last transport plane is about to leave right as they arrive, but the area is heavily overcrowded and they only allow officers onto the plane as a cluster of wounded soldiers desperately try to chase the plane down the runway. Fritz asks why Hans, as an officer, didn't try to board the plane, to no response.

They rejoin the others in the shelter, where they find Musk suffering from severe trench foot. While the men recover a German supply drop, Haller appears and holds them at gunpoint, but is quickly subdued; he accidentally shoots G.G. as he falls, killing him. Haller then pleads for his life by any way he can think of, first trying to use his position of authority, and as that fails, he tells them about the supplies he is hoarding in a nearby house, before being executed by Otto.

In the house's cellar they find shelves stocked full of food and liquor, and Irina tied to a bed, having been used as a whore by the German command. Witzland cuts Irina free, and they have a debacle as she reads through Witzland with her insults, trying to be killed. He refuses to kill her, instead giving her a pistol and telling her to do it herself. She can't bring herself to do it, and Witzland remarks that they're the same in that way. As the rest of the men enjoy themselves to the assortment of luxuries they never had as common soldiers, a deluded and dying Musk tries to rally them to rejoin the fighting. Otto becomes hysterical and shoots himself in the head. Rollo carries Musk outside, only to find the Sixth Army surrendering to the Soviets. Musk succumbs to the elements upon Rollo being instructed to surrender.

Irina forms somewhat of a relationship with Witzland and he swears to protect her. She offers to help Witzland and Reiser get away, knowing a way out of Stalingrad, but later while trudging through the thick Russian winter they are suddenly shot at by an outpost of Soviet soldiers; Irina is killed instantly and Witzland is shot, who holds her body in shock. Resier frantically picks him off of her as he crawls him away into the snow. Witzland, wounded and overwhelmed with grief, can barely walk on his own and eventually becomes too weak, dying in Reiser's arms. Reiser cradles his body as he freezes to death.

The film was shot in several locations, including Finland, Italy, and Czechoslovakia, and cost approximately DEM 20 million (around EUR 10 million in modern German currency). Director Joseph Vilsmaier hired a German military consultant to advise him on set. A series entitled The making of Stalingrad was released, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the film. Stalingrad was released on 4K Blu-ray in 2021.[3]

In 1993, the film won Bavarian Film Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Production.[1] It was also entered into the 18th Moscow International Film Festival.[4] In Germany, the film earned mixed reviews, allegedly due to the second half of the film containing plot holes, although what these apparent plot holes were is not revealed; this may in fact have been a reference to the film's bleak and nihilistic ending.[5]

The film grossed $10 million in Germany.[2] It grossed $152,972 in the United States and Canada.[6]

• Stalingrad (1990 film)
• Stalingrad (2013 film)

• Stalingrad at IMDb
• Stalingrad at AllMovie
• Stalingrad at Reelviews.net (James Berardinelli)
• Stalingrad at Rotten Tomatoes