Quote:
Originally posted by davlet
Hi Voyager,
Personally I didn't like that movie. I think it would seem somewhat offensive (?) to most Russians, the Soviets all look like thugs -- dirty, hungry, disorganized; and those Germans with their cool uniforms and aristocratic looks slaughter them by the hundreds (the Russians didn't even have any weapons in some of the scenes). I somehow felt almost more sympathetic with the Ed Harris' character (I actually think Ed Harris was a bad choice for this role, he's too charismatic for a Nazi). Now compare this treatment of war heroes with a movie like "Pearl Harbor", and you'll see what I'm talking about. I mean Americans show their own war heros as saints, but we always come out as idiots.
Anyhow. The best war movie ever made (IMHO) is called "Come and See", (USSR, from the 1980ies), it's a kind of avant-garde, scary, and very realistic-looking film about the Belorussian partizans.
D.
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Davlet,
I think the Germans made all of us look that way with their smart uniforms, and apparent organization. Not to cast doubt on the character of the Soviet soldier, but especially during the first half of the seige, Soviet records as well as eye witness interviews support the view that the Soviet defenders of Stalingrad were poorly armed, and were offered extra motivation by virtue of rifles pointed at their backs during many offensive engagements.
I think that was a true reflection of history, and from where I stand, I don't think it takes anything away from the Soviet soldier, or his patriotism. We also have to disagree on your feeling that the Soviets were portrayed as thugs in the movie. I came away with the feelng that they were portrayed in a manner that described how desperate the situation was, and how they rose to the occasion, and defeated the invincible Wermacht (despite documented organizational problems early on).
Other films have portrayed the fact that the Germans also went hungry during the battle. It's a noted fact that one of the German blunders during the time was that they were not capable of providing their troops with enough supplies (including food). The fat man simply could not deliver what he promised his boss.
In the case of this movie, the focus was a personal battle, and not a primmer on the entire battle, and the events leading up to it. I think Ed Harris did a pretty good job overall. He was depicted as a man of authority, honored skill, and having the ability to think independently. In other words, he was shown as the best the Germans had to offer. Zaitsev, on the other hand, was introduced as an Alvin York kind of figure. A salt of the earth patriot who rose to prominence in the hearts of his countrymen, and defeated the best Hitler could offer through adaptation and application of good old Russian common sense. He was no accidental hero.
Pearl harbor notwithstanding, I think Zaitsev was given the full hero treatment in this movie. Pearl was more about a momentous event in American history than an individual, and I don't think they compare easily. Besides, I have a tough time viewing Ben Affleck in the role of a patriot hero
.
I think our differences of opinion on Enemy at the Gates have more to do with personal expectations and sore points in perception of how one compass point views the other, rather than with what the director attempted to bring to the screen. That's OK with me though, as it gives us a good opportunity to talk about it.
By the way, even though the video and soundtrack quality are both a little dated, "Come and see" is one of my all time favorite movies that make an effort to depict the real horror that war unleashes on it's most innocent victims. In this case, it also hammered home the brutality Hitler and his loyal troops were capable of inflicting upon others during their quest for additional "living space". It's a very powerful motion picture.
My copy is right here in my hand. More than a few unsuspecting Americans have watched it in my home, and every one of them learned something in the process. By the way, post movie comments that I have listened in on after people in their 20's, who really know nothing about Russia have watched "Enemy at the gates", seem to support my point of view. They made casual comments about how tough life must have been for a Soviet soldier at the time, but they all bonded with Zaitsev's character. His name was added to their personal list of heros.
Voyager