STALINGRAD (1993) (7) vs. WESTFRONT 1918 (10)

 

PLOT

                “Stalingrad” is a small unit movie.  A platoon of German soldiers goes from rest and recreation in Italy to the maelstrom of Stalingrad.  They are led by the idealistic Lt. Witzland.  They will all become disillusioned quickly as they find the fighting to be vicious and unit winnowing.  Encounters with evil German officers lead to Witzland and his core group being assigned to a penal battalion.  Eventually, they are “allowed” back into the shit and end up among the last survivors of the siege.  The plot is an admirable attempt to depict the hardships of German soldiers at Stalingrad, but it is rife with clumsy plot developments.  It is a small world in the city as characters reappear in totally unrealistic ways.  As a battle movie, it is all micro.  You learn little of the big picture.  It is a small unit movie that poorly develops the main characters.  GRADE  =  C  (7)

                “Westfront 1918” is a German film that was released in 1930.  It concentrates on four German soldiers in the closing months of the war.  They won’t all survive as the movie is unrelentingly realistic about the situation for Germans on the Western Front.  The plot follows the classic formula of rest and exposition followed by action.  It hits several targets that were established by it and “All Quiet…” (released the same year and also banned in Nazi Germany).  There is bonding between the new soldier and the veteran.  There is as poignant home front leave.  And there is the combat that shows the futility of war.  All of the incidents are believable and the characters represent archetypes of soldiers in the German army.    GRADE  =  A  (9)

ACTING

                “Stalingrad” is anchored by the usually reliable Thomas Kretschmann, but his character lets him down.  Witzland’s character arc from idealistic, ambitious officer to cowardly pacifist is just not believable.  The rest of the performances are nothing special.  The characters are not fleshed out well.  The movie is hurt by a caricature of an evil German played with menacing woodenness by Dieter Okras.  GRADE  =  B  (8)

                “Westfront 1918” is more about the war than about the soldiers.  The characters are not well developed and the actors tend to fall back on their silent movie emoting.  Fritz Kampers (The Bavarian) and Gustav Diessi (Karl) are the standouts.  GRADE  =  C  (7)

CLICHES

                “Stalingrad” has the new guys passing by the wounded at the railway station scene.  The new lieutenant has to gain respect.  One soldier receives a “Dear Hans” letter.  Witzland goes from idealism to cynicism.  He and others earn redemption.  There is a cartoonish evil German.  GRADE  =  C  (7)

                “Westfront 1918” avoids most cliches.  One of the main characters dreams of a future with a girl he meets.  Guess what happens to him.  Although it concentrates on four soldiers, it is not a small unit movie with dysfunction in the group.  The home front trip by Karl takes an unexpected turn.  The quartet includes a jolly fat guy.  GRADE  =  A  (9)

COMBAT

                There are only two combat scenes in “Stalingrad”.  The first is a German assault on a factory.  It is competently done, if simplistic.  The rubble is authentic.  The tactics are sound.  A flame-thrower is used.  There is a friendly fire incident.  However, it is unclear how they were able to clear out the building.  The second scene is a Russian tank attack against Germans in fox holes.  It features Molotov cocktails and sticky bombs.  It’s a visceral scene, but unrealistic as the tanks do not use their guns and end up retreating for no good reason.  GRADE  =  B  (8)

                “Westfront 1918” does not have a lot of combat.  There is a great long combat scene that includes lots of grenade throwing, poison gas, and some really cool tanks lumbering toward the German lines.  The movie has some of the best bombardment effects of any war movie.  GRADE  =  B  (8)

FINAL SCORE:   Westfront 1918   33  Stalingrad  30

ANALYSIS

                I know most would think the highly regarded “Stalingrad” would defeat an obscure WWI movie overshadowed by “All Quiet”.  It’s interesting to note that both are German movies that are realistic in depicting low moments in German history.  They deserve credit for that, but especially “Westfront” because it came out when it was daring to take a harsh brush to the recent war.  It has a more cohesive plot than the 1993 movie.  “Stalingrad” is a very overrated film.  Critics tend to overlook the numerous plot and character flaws.  I have seen both movies more than once and clearly “Westfront 1918” is the better movie.