“Stalingrad” (1993), directed by German filmmaker Joseph Vilsmaier, follows in the tradition of acclaimed American Vietnam War films like Oliver Stoneâs “Platoon” and Stanley Kubrickâs “Full Metal Jacket.” The film focuses on a group of likable everymen trapped in the hellish landscape of war.
The story begins in sunny Italy, where we meet Lieutenant Hans von Witzland, a young man from an aristocratic Prussian family, and Sergeant Manfred âRolloâ Rohleder, a veteran of the Africa Corps. Initially, von Witzland appears to be a strict Nazi, refusing to pin a medal on Rohleder when he doesn’t button up his collar during inspection and saying, âHeroes arenât late,â to Rohleder and his friend Corporal Fritz Reiser.
However, as the story progresses to the frozen steppe along the Volga, it becomes clear that von Witzlandâs strict Prussian militarism is actually a front. He is an old-school German conservative who violently objects to the abuse of Russian prisoners and despises the Nazis. The film captures the
 brutality and futility of war, highlighting the human spirit’s struggle against the horrors of conflict.
