This is an intense film based on actual events of the defense of the Brest Fortress at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa in June of 1941. Despite some over-dramatization it gives a decent portrayal of the epic battle. Stalingrad is a bit on the sentimental side and certainly an anti-war film at its heart and in its message. Interestingly, it paints the typical German soldier in a generally humane fashion, but gives a realistic sense of the good and evil in all men. Of course, it has its fair share of the “evil, stupid commander” tropes. However, the viciousness of battle is captured well enough. Many of the battle scenes are a bit unrealistic and German units clearly don’t follow their own tactical models. It opens with the unit on R&R in Italy following service in North Africa. The film follows a veteran German platoon sent to the Eastern Front as the Axis forces push towards the southern USSR and the Caucasus. The “Dogs, do you want to live forever?” line, the familiar “Russian shoemaker boy” that has made its way into several war films, and many other stories appear here. This is the second German offering on the battle of Stalingrad and has persevered a few decades to cement itself on my list. Also, all these films are available with English subtitles. I have narrowed the field to include only films with regular units therefore, no partisan, resistance, or commando style films. Here are seven World War II films from various countries in no particular order that are worth your time to see if you haven’t already.

The art of war 2 english subtitles