Western War Movies about the Eastern Front

[wecker]

Lying at home with Covid and too weak to play Panzer Corps 2 I wondered about the topic below where George Parr and others were musing about the lack of serious warmovies playing on the Eastern Front.

There are some nevertheless - I think also selling good in the theaters:

1. Enemy at the Gates (2001)
I don`t like Jude Law, but I like Ed Harris and Rachel Weisz
I will never understand why there has to be a love story or the german has to be ultra bad, but it is the way it is and it sells maybe good. The movie was criticized much in Russia because of the scenes of NKVD mass shootings and so to speak untruthfulness in regard to "one gets the gun - the other gets the ammunition - winner is who dies last". Not to mention the unrealistic flight path of the Stukas over the Volga. Very irritating that everything was repeated in the Call of Duty Shooter - series.

2. Defiance (2008)
Would like to recommend - not only because of Daniel Craig but because it is based on a true story.

That`s it from the russian PointOfView

3. Cross of Iron (1977)
Legendary Steiner (Jamers Coburn) and an officer (Maximilian Schell) in search for quick promotions - but again only a young russian POW and a lot of russian women soldiers (remember how they finished one german soldier?).

4. Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben (1959) and Stalingrad (1993)
Two german movies showing the german side - and again a love story in war. This time between a german officer and a soviet female soldier. Both movies. Why? Is this a german thingy?

5. Drága Elza! (2014)
A new low budget movie (but well done) showing the story of an hungarian honved who gets captured by the Soviets and used to clear mines. Be aware of a super disturbing ending.

6. Mai wei (2011)
Korean soldier gets drafted into the Japanese Army, gets captured by the Soviets, forced to fight on their side, gets captured by the Germans and fights for them in the Ost-Bataillonen in Normandy. Strange battle scenes but a tremendous story - allegedly the true story of Yang Kyoungjong.

7. Idi i smotri (1985)
Highly rated soviet movie about a boy witnessing SS atrocoties in Belarus and turning literally into an old man. Another partisan movie showing uncompromisingly that there was collaboration with german forces.

And last but not least a "newer" russian war movie:

8. Rzhev (2019)
Uncompromising movie showing NKVD shootings, brutal meat-grinder battles and the hopelesness of the soviet front soldier. Die or die. You choose.

So I am finished - what are your tips?

I am shure I missed good movies which are not for the western masses out there...

[kondi754]

'Iron Cross' is by far the best
I remember there was also a TV movie called 'Leningrad' (the story of the first winter in the besieged city)

[Bee1976]

I would like to throw in "Generation War" (german perspective)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmyGPX23px4

And there is a video series on youtube from paralightworx named "Verstaubt sind die Gesichter" (german perspective, english subbed) - they made some real good short movies aswell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6MN9N ... Tr&index=1
(first episode of 10 available episodes so far) no big tank battles ofc, but they are doing a real good and realistic (!) job in my opinion

There are some real good russian ww2 movies from the russian perspective aswell like "the last frontier"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enIkbBS_AAo
A lot of tank and pak action

[adiekmann]

Lying at home with Covid and too weak to play Panzer Corps 2 I wondered about the topic below where George Parr and others were musing about the lack of serious warmovies playing on the Eastern Front.

There are some nevertheless - I think also selling good in the theaters:

1. Enemy at the Gates (2001)
I don`t like Jude Law, but I like Ed Harris and Rachel Weisz
I will never understand why there has to be a love story or the german has to be ultra bad, but it is the way it is and it sells maybe good. The movie was criticized much in Russia because of the scenes of NKVD mass shootings and so to speak untruthfulness in regard to "one gets the gun - the other gets the ammunition - winner is who dies last". Not to mention the unrealistic flight path of the Stukas over the Volga. Very irritating that everything was repeated in the Call of Duty Shooter - series.

2. Defiance (2008)
Would like to recommend - not only because of Daniel Craig but because it is based on a true story.

That`s it from the russian PointOfView

3. Cross of Iron (1977)
Legendary Steiner (Jamers Coburn) and an officer (Maximilian Schell) in search for quick promotions - but again only a young russian POW and a lot of russian women soldiers (remember how they finished one german soldier?).

4. Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben (1959) and Stalingrad (1993)
Two german movies showing the german side - and again a love story in war. This time between a german officer and a soviet female soldier. Both movies. Why? Is this a german thingy?

5. Drága Elza! (2014)
A new low budget movie (but well done) showing the story of an hungarian honved who gets captured by the Soviets and used to clear mines. Be aware of a super disturbing ending.

6. Mai wei (2011)
Korean soldier gets drafted into the Japanese Army, gets captured by the Soviets, forced to fight on their side, gets captured by the Germans and fights for them in the Ost-Bataillonen in Normandy. Strange battle scenes but a tremendous story - allegedly the true story of Yang Kyoungjong.

7. Idi i smotri (1985)
Highly rated soviet movie about a boy witnessing SS atrocoties in Belarus and turning literally into an old man. Another partisan movie showing uncompromisingly that there was collaboration with german forces.

And last but not least a "newer" russian war movie:

8. Rzhev (2019)
Uncompromising movie showing NKVD shootings, brutal meat-grinder battles and the hopelesness of the soviet front soldier. Die or die. You choose.

So I am finished - what are your tips?

I am shure I missed good movies which are not for the western masses out there...

Ah! I just posted "Enemy at the Gates" in another thread! Should have read everything first I guess. Yes, best English language big budget film that's set on the Eastern Front without a doubt.

[Korvessa]

I am personally fond of three Finnish movies:
1) Winter War
2) Unknown Soldier
3) Tali-Ihantala

[Bee1976]

I am personally fond of three Finnish movies:
1) Winter War
2) Unknown Soldier
3) Tali-Ihantala

I watched only 1 and 2, but yes you are right, they are really good!

I want to add "Brüder Feinde" or i think the english title is "1944" to the list. An interesting perspective and an aspect of the war, that is mostly unrecognized.

[Raganr129]

4. Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben (1959) and Stalingrad (1993)
Two german movies showing the german side - and again a love story in war. This time between a german officer and a soviet female soldier. Both movies. Why? Is this a german thingy?

According to no source in particular, I think many would agree this is an everyone thingy. Russian girls are cute

[Raganr129]

Also, "Tankers" presented in all its glory on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml02iaS7soM

[Retributarr]

Your comments are "nothing"... as compared to this!:

You should be able to find an article on the internet dealing with this now described night-launched Russian-Assault.

Part of the story is this... i think in Stalingrad!... An... a very-important position had to be desperately taken... after failure in trying to take it otherwise by regular means.

Many!... several dozen Russian-Soldiers in the very dark of night... doused themselves with flammable fluids and then 'Lit themselves on fire'... before proceeding and then proceeding to assault the vital German position that they needed to take.

The Germans were horrified and terrified and in desperate disbelief of what they were seeing taking place... and then of course... 'Panicked'... then fled there positions... so that in the follow-up... the Russians finally took control of this very essential vital position.

Somebody should be able to find the detailed account of this encounter!.