What's this about?

Lately, it seems like many of the movies/shows are just a rehash or reboot of things that have already been done. And so I started to dive into the past. It's been fun, but I find myself losing track of which ones I’ve seen and whether or not I enjoyed them. Sometimes the titles themselves just don't tell me enough to remember.

I wouldn’t have voluntarily watched a lot of these movies when I was younger. It’s strange how interests change. That goes for what I read, too. I have another blog that explores books. I’m mostly reading older fiction and memoirs, and some of the books have led me to movies/shows and vice versa. In those cases, I may post the book review over here as well.

There will be spoilers, which is different than my book reviews. That’s mostly because I want to have enough information to help me remember what I’ve seen. I’m getting older. The brain doesn’t cooperate like it used to. What can I say? The gray hairs are catching up with me!

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Stalingrad - 1993

This is a German anti-war film I looked forward to watching. I figured since I'd watched Gallipoli last night, I had another terrible war event movie to get through. Tonight was the night. Since these two films have similarities in some ways, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from comparing them.

In case Stalingrad doesn't ring a bell, it was a horrific battle that lasted over 5 months and resulted in the deaths of around 2 million people. It wasn't just soldiers, either. Civilians were bombed and starved. The conditions were awful, so I wasn't expecting an uplifting movie. And I didn't get one.

While Gallipoli focused on the relationships of the people for most of the movie, Stalingrad took the opposite approach. Gallipoli only dedicated about 30 minutes to the actual fighting while barely any of this movie was set outside the battle. I was surprised it worked so well. It took me a little longer to make out who was who, but I got it eventually. 

This one was even more of a downer than Gallipoli. For reference, the best advice I would give anyone watching this movie is to not get attached to any character. And I mean none of them. It's in German, but I had subtitles. I was listening to see if I picked up more German than last time I watched one with subtitles, and I felt like I was catching more (thanks green owl!). Overall, I'm glad I watched this movie, but I doubt I would do so again. It was well done, however, and easily earns a Good Movie! review.



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