Stalingrad

Released by: Synapse Films
Released on: 5/30/2006
Director: Sebastian Dehnhardt, Christian Deick and Jí¶rg Mí¼llner
Cast: N/A
Year: 2003
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The Movie:

Between August of 1942 and February of 1943, Adolf Hitler launched a German miltary offensive against the Russian city of Stalingrad, which he was bound and determined to take from the his opponents not only because it was strategically important but also because it was named after Stalin himself. For roughly half a year there was bloody and brutal combat on a daily basis and this extensive three part documentary, financed by German, Russian, Finnish and Dutch backing and originally intended for broastcast on European television, examines this notoriously nasty slice of WWII history through the eyes and the voices of those who lived through it.

What's remarkable about this documentary, which is broken up into three parts - The Attack, The Kessel, and The Doom (each of which run 54-55 minutes) - isn't so much what we're told as how it is told to us and by whom. We've heard all sorts of amazing stories about bravery and depravity in the face of war and countless films have been made about WWII, some good and some bad. The history of the events is well documented and anyone who has wanted to learn about these events has been able to do so through books and videos for years now. With Stalingrad, however, documentary filmmakers Sebastian Dehnhardt, Christian Deick and Jí¶rg Mí¼llner were given access to the Russian archives wherein they unearthed a wealth of amazing footage, much of which was shot by the soldiers themselves. They also tracked down actual survivors from both sides of the conflict and got them to submit to some fascinating interviews that allow them to not only document the events we already know about but also to tell of their own personal experiences that occurred during these chaotic months of fighting.

Another appealing aspect of Stalingrad is that it remains fairly impartial while exploring its subject matter. Obviously, what with the Nazi's being Nazi's and all they're hardly glorified but in terms of the view from the man on the street who was there, the filmmakers do a pretty good job of giving us both sides of the story. We hear first hand about the trials and tribulations of some German soldiers who found themselves trapped in enemy territory, only there really to do their job because they had to, and we also hear from some of the Russians, how they felt having to defend themselves from the massive German war machine that was fast encroaching on their land.

In addition to the testimony and the archival footage, Stalingrad also makes use of some three dimensional computer animation to give the viewer a better feeling for the the geography of the city of Stalingrad itself and the problems that it caused for the German attackers as well as why certain military strategies were enacted against it. While the emphasis remains on the people behind the war and not so much on the war itself, these portions of the program do add some valuable historical insight into the events that serve to better explain what the Germans were thinking when they launced their ultimately doomed offensive.

The fighting that we hear about from the people who did it was intense, it was literally going from one door to the next at certain points and it's a testament to the spirit of the Russian people who put up such a struggle that they were not overtaken. There are stories in here of nobility and of bravery, as well as stories of horrendous and horrific acts of brutal violence. The end result is as touching as it is fascinating, and it's not surprsising in the least to learn that this movie was nominated for the 2003 Emmy for Best Documentary in Europe. You really will come away from this with a better understanding of the conflict and a genuinece appreciation for those who found themselves involved in it.

Video/Audio/Extras:

This feature was shot on HD video and compiled from various archival sources so as such there's definitely some variation in terms of quality from one clip to the next. That being said, the newly shot material looks great in this 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and most of the stock and archival footage looks decent as well. You have to keep in mind that much of this material was shot under very adverse conditions so you're not going to get a pristine image but the disc is well authored to ensure that even when there's grain and grit and print damage at least you don't have to worry about compression artifacts or edge enhancement issues. All in all, things look really good on this DVD.

This documentary was originally shown in German but is presented here dubbed into English. While ideally both the German track and the English track would have been included with optional English subtitles, the quality of this dub is fine, especially when you take into account the fact that most of this material is narrated any way. No problems here with hiss or distortion, background music and sound effects levels are properly mixed and balanced, and everything sounds quite good here.

Well, aside from extended versions of the three documentary segments, Synapse has also included a few deleted scenes that are shown on this release for the first time.

The Final Word:

Stalingrad is an excellent documentary that deserves a place in every history buff's home video library. It gives us a very sincere and very intense look at a side of the war that is often glanced over by western audiences, but one that is no less historically significant than the plight that the Allied Forces faced. Great stuff, riveting, fascinating, and even touching at times.