Bis zum letzten Mann... (Till the last man)

Starring: Dominique Horwitz, Thomas Kretschmann, Jochen Nickel, Sebastian Rudolph, Dana Dana Vávrová, Martin Benrath, Sylvester Groth, Karel Heřmánek, Heinz Emigholz 

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"The best thing about the cold is, you feel nothing. Everything freezes. It's too cold to cry." - Lt. Hans von Witzland

Why watch this? The Battle of Stanlingrad was a human meat grinder.

Plot Summary: In 1942, a company of German soldiers is sent to fight in the brutal and relentless Battle of Stalingrad, where their initial enthusiasm for military service is slowly eroded by the horrific reality of urban warfare and the extreme harshness of the Russian winter. The film follows their physical and psychological descent as they face starvation, freezing temperatures, and the constant threat of death, challenging their loyalty and forcing them to confront the moral implications of their actions.

Dad's Preview: I picked up this VHS tape at a garage sale. I had no idea the power and despair this war film contained. The hell that Hitler and his generals put these men through was criminal. Moreover, it was for nothing. Hitler's impossible bid for world domination was as insane as fighting a winter war on two fronts, the European and the Russian. That's a good definition of war: "insane". The cinematography is incredible and beyond realistic. I literally had to put on extra blankets to watch the freezing, starving, men - huddled in snow, mud and ice. When this film is over, you will feel like you were there - with the desperate German soldiers... and that is a chilling experience.

Hanno Huth, Günter Rohrbach; Senator Film