Stalingrad (1993)

A depiction of the brutal battle of Stalingrad, the Third Reich's 'high water mark', as seen through the eyes of German officer Hans von Witzland and his battalion.

Director:

Joseph Vilsmaier

Writers:

Jürgen Büscher, Johannes Heide,

Stars:

Dominique Horwitz, Thomas Kretschmann, Sebastian Rudolph

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dominique Horwitz	...	Fritz Reiser
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Hans von Witzland
Jochen Nickel	...	Manfred Rohleder 'Rollo'
Sebastian Rudolph	...	Gege
Dana Vávrová	...	Irina
Martin Benrath	...	General Hentz
Sylvester Groth	...	Otto
Karel Hermánek	...	Hauptmann Musk
Heinz Emigholz	...	Edgar
Ferdinand Schuster	...	Double Edgar
Oliver Broumis	...	HGM
Dieter Okras	...	Hauptmann Haller
Zdenek Vencl	...	Wölk
Mark Kuhn	...	Pflüger
Thorsten Bolloff	...	Feldmann

Storyline

A depiction of the brutal battle of Stalingrad, the Third Reich's 'high water mark', as seen through the eyes of German officer Hans von Witzland and his battalion.

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Plot Keywords:

stalingrad | execution | frostbite | weather | elimination | 

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Taglines:

Bis zum letzten Mann... (Till the last man)

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German Russian

Release Date:

21 January 1993 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Stalingrado

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$77,848 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

B.A. Produktion, Bavaria Film, Perathon Film-und Fernsehproduktions GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original screenplay was written by Christoph Fromm but the producers disagreed with his more realistic direction and had it rewritten. Consequently, Fromm took his name of the film.

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Goofs

After Irina is shot, and the camera pans in on her face and the bullet hole in her torso, her chest can be seen rising and falling as she breathes.

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Quotes

Otto: It's nice to spend some time dying together.

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Connections

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005)

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Soundtracks

"O Tannenbaum"
(uncredited)
Traditional tune with lyrics by Ernst Anschütz

User Reviews

An epic drama that impresses

There can be no real victors in war if we value human life at all. That so many German and Russian boys should die in the snow-bound wilderness around Stalingrad is a tragedy beyond comprehension. The camera crew did a great job in bringing to the screen the vastness of Russia with soldiers camouflaged in white struggling on the point of death across frozen landscapes. Far from home and missing their loved ones the German soldiers are depicted as rough diamonds with kind hearts sharing their last crust of bread with starving Russian children. The over-all German plan is to take certain cities important in the flow of oil and supply of food to the Russian enemy, but their plans are thwarted when the Russian armies encircle them. The close fighting is well filmed with lots of explosions, flames and shattered bodies among fallen masonry. I liked particularly the contrast of the opening scenes in sunny Porto Cervo (where the Germans are celebrating their recent victories) with the tragic scenes which followed when calamity overtakes them.I thought too that the three struggling figures exhausted in defeat symbolised the horrific loss of human life and the futility of war. While none of the actors shone above the others, their characterisations were adequate enough though I got somewhat confused with such a large cast and all the same uniforms. The lasting impression is not with individual performances but with the over-all mood of this tragic event captured superbly under expert direction. One soldier says to another:"This will give us the Iron Cross" The reply:"Yes...it will look good on your coffin!"