Reviewed 28/03/01
Set in Stalingrad during its siege in the "Great Patriotic War", (As World War II is called by the Russians), this Movie follows the fortunes of a Political Officer, an intelligent party (as in Communist) girl, and the greatest sniper the Russian army ever had, who also happens to be a peasant from the Urals. They are played by, in order, Joseph Finnes, Rachel Weiz and Jude Law.
Also thrown into the mix is Bob Hoskins as Nikita Khrushchev (Yes, the Pepsi drinking, banging-his-shoe-on-the-table-at-the-UN Khrushchev), and Ed Harris as the greatest sniper Germany ever had, who also happens to be an aristocratic Prussian.
So, not a bad cast then.
The start of the movie has been compared to the storming of Omaha Beach in Saving Private Ryan, and it is certainly graphic. If seeing the first Ten Minutes of this movie doesn't make you think, in the immortal words of Boy George, that War is stupid, then there is probably something wrong with you.
After this the film settles down to a bit of Sniper vs. Sniper action, and starts to feel more like an old fashioned war movie, the ones were you take bets on who is going to make it to the end.
The movie does have some flaws. While visually it looks great, the script tries to cram too much in. Not only are we given a love triangle and a Nazi foe, there is also the pressures of stardom, the corruption of propaganda and the struggle of class against class. None of these are really given the amount of time or focus that they really deserve. And while Jude Law looks like a peasant, whenever he opens his mouth we are reminded that he certainly is not from the Urals.
Overall, a good movie, if you enjoy a bit of gritty wartime, boys own stuff.
Oh, and its all based on a true story.
7/10
(As the soldiers are being given one gun for
every two men)
"The man with the guns shoots. The man without the gun follows the man
with the
gun. And when he falls, pick up the gun and shoot."
Home, About Me, About My Friends, Film Reviews, Short Stories, RPG S.Q.G.S, Deprivo, Devianté, Links
© 2002-2005 John Gavin Lighterness