Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- intense
- melodramatic
- mournful
- historical war film night
- immersive spectacle viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film's visual scale, sound, music, and performances but found its melodramatic screenplay and effects-heavy spectacle insufficiently balanced.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot presents love as the principal reward for soldiers enduring the Battle of Stalingrad, and critics specifically noted the prominence of the love story.
The film was praised for stunning visuals, sound editing, music, and production values while its effects-enhanced spectacle drew criticism for overshadowing the screenplay.
The premise explicitly presents the film as a story being told about who the combatants were, how they survived, and what secret they carried away.
Stalingrad is characterized as both hell and paradise, with soldiers and civilians forming relationships amid street-by-street urban destruction.
Films like Stalingrad, and why
Enemy at the Gates
shared World War II setting, large-scale combat spectacle, patriotic drama, and intense battlefield survival
The Ascent
shared Eastern Front warfare, claustrophobic military survival, brutal combat, and tragic romantic undertones
Atonement
shared historical war drama, immersive production design, large-scale action, and emphasis on personal relationships amid conflict
9th Company
shared Russian war cinema, heightened melodrama, battlefield heroism, and visual spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Fyodor Bondarchuk
- Release Date
- 2013-10-09
- Runtime
- 131 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (399)
Cast
- Mariya Smolnikova
- Yanina Studilina
- Pyotr Fyodorov
- Thomas Kretschmann
- Sergey Bondarchuk
- Dmitry Lysenkov
- Andrey Smolyakov
- Aleksey Barabash
- Oleg Volku
- Heiner Lauterbach
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Stalingrad about?
- A visually monumental Russian war drama where soldiers and civilians seek love and survival amid the ruins of Stalingrad.
- What is Stalingrad like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Stalingrad as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Stalingrad violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Stalingrad as graphic.
- What did critics think of Stalingrad?
- Critics broadly admired the film's visual scale, sound, music, and performances but found its melodramatic screenplay and effects-heavy spectacle insufficiently balanced.
- Which films are like Stalingrad?
- Films with a similar feel include Enemy at the Gates, The Ascent, Atonement, and 9th Company.
- How long is Stalingrad?
- Stalingrad runs 131 minutes.
- Where can I watch Stalingrad?
- In United States, Stalingrad is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
