5/5 Highly recommended
  by D. Garlits
I have watched this film on DVD several times and plan to watch it again.

This would be a good film for anyone who is studying Russian or German.

There is a very complex interplay between Hecker, who is a German-Russian, Wadim who is a Russian Jew, and Sascha, who is Russian. Hecker is only nineteen and does not know much about the world. He was raised in Germany until he was 8 then his family moved to Moscow. So, his formative years were spend in Russia and he identifies himself as a Soviet. This leads to some interesting scenes in which he interacts with Germans who, in some cases, even know his family members. They are in turn fascinated by a "German" in a Soviet uniform who is appearing as a their conqueror.

His comrade Wadim is a Russian Jew who is also a German language teacher in his civilian profession. Wadim loves the German language, but must reconcile the defeat of Germany, the atrocities of the camps, and his friend Hecker's disinterest in German culture. At one point there is strife between Wadim and Hecker over this.

Sascha is a kommisar and takes care of young Hecker. He is like an older brother to Hecker. His character is uncomplicated by the internal conflicts of the others. Along with Dsingis, they provide a solid foundation for the conflicted Hecker and Wadim.

One of the most powerful scenes in the movie is at then end when Hecker and his captured German prisoners come under fire from a passing German convoy. A German prisoner, Willi Lommer, who had been disarmed, picks up a rifle to help Hecker defend their position. It's a pure "us against them" moment in which countries, uniforms, backgrounds, don't matter, only survival.

A complex and interesting movie worth not only watching, but studying.



5/5 Fascinating Amalgam
  by Cary B. Barad (Baltimore, MD)
A fascinating amalgam of documentary, drama and history with a unique perspective on World War II that I've never quite encountered before. I wasn't fully aware that this was actually an East German propaganda film, although I did find myself wondering why all of the Russians in this movie were highly moral, heroic, friendly, and physically attractive. Strongly recommended for history buffs. Subtitled.

5/5 Pretty Good
  by Travis Eckland (Scottsbluff, Ne)
I'll get the bad out of the way first... I generally hate full screen. I enjoy watching movies in their original aspect ratio (most movies are filmed in 16:9). I'm not sure if this movie was originally filmed in 4:3, but I was not happy to discover that this is the aspect ratio.

But, once I got done complaining and started really watching the movie, I found a deep film that's about more than just the war that it portrays. I really don't know how to explain it. It's one part anti-war film, one part coming of age film, one part comedy, and one part eomtional drama.

I really have to say that despite the disappointing aspect ratio, I found a lot to like here. When it gets too dramatic, the movie throws in some comedy. When it gets too triumphant, the movie reminds you that nothing great ever comes without sacrifice. It has some incredibly bizzare parts, but they fit well and the whole movie is well worth the twenty dollars.

5/5

5/5 Finally on DVD!
  by Eric Gannon (Las Vegas, NV United States)
This film is truly unique in the film-making world, it is the only film that i have ever seen or dealt with that advances the plot and tells important parts of the story in TWO languages. I have a copy of this film that is from Germany with no subtitles. Since i speak both german and russian and am familiar with this point in history, i am very impressed with the realistic portrayal of the last days of WW2. Young Gregor Hecker, who is technically a german, but has grown up a russian and deals with trying to find out what it actually means to be "german", but the situations he faces and his experiences really can translate to just about anyone trying to find out what it means to be "american" or "russian" or "french" or anyone's nationality. He learns some very interesting lessons about himself and also about dealing with other individual people, and that one should never have any pre-concieved notions about groups of people. The most fascinating thing about this movie, is that it is a telling story of individuality and humanity, while the larger story of war is all around. I recommend this film to anyone (since it has subtitles) interested in WW2, because it will give a very accurate and interesting perspective of this time period.