I gave an abbreviated version. The total quote goes like this: "Where the need of the hour had been courageous defiance of the rulers, four and twenty general had clicked their heels as one man; where revolt should have flared up among the masses of soldiers, there had been nothing but physical and spiritual dissolution, apathy, a dumb dying without even a curse on their lips." Theodore Pleivier "Stalingrad, a Novel"
It is a great movie. The ending is not like most American "war films" end. Accounts vary as to the number of Germans taken into captivity after the surrender. Some state there were 120k others 200k plus. After the war fewer than 5,000 were returned to Germany. About 17 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting and informally interviewing Siegfried Knappe author of "Soldat". Even though he was captured at Stalingrad, he spent six years in Russian captivity (the most interesting part of his book in my opinion other than meeting with Hitler every day for the last two weeks of the war in the Fuhrerbunker). The Russians really played some mind games with him. Have you ever seen the 1949 version of the film? It was directed by Wolfgang Petersen the same guy who directed "Das Boot".
Btw, are you sure Petersen directed the 1949 version? The Wolfgang Petersen I searched relevant to the movie would have been 8yo. I know the German people do and have done some impressive things but... Ohio Guy
Seen this. Chilling literally and figuratively. Trial run for today.
ReplyDeleteThe ending when the scroll the statistics of what happened to German soldiers sent to Stalingrad is very sobering.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. "A dumb dying without cause. When four and twenty generals should have clicked their heels as one, there was silence".
DeleteSympathy for the devil?
ReplyDeleteI gave an abbreviated version. The total quote goes like this:
ReplyDelete"Where the need of the hour had been courageous defiance of the rulers, four and twenty general had clicked their heels as one man; where revolt should have flared up among the masses of soldiers, there had been nothing but physical and spiritual dissolution, apathy, a dumb dying without even a curse on their lips."
Theodore Pleivier "Stalingrad, a Novel"
Watched it last night. Heartwrenching. Ohio Guy
ReplyDeleteIt is a great movie. The ending is not like most American "war films" end. Accounts vary as to the number of Germans taken into captivity after the surrender. Some state there were 120k others 200k plus. After the war fewer than 5,000 were returned to Germany. About 17 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting and informally interviewing Siegfried Knappe author of "Soldat". Even though he was captured at Stalingrad, he spent six years in Russian captivity (the most interesting part of his book in my opinion other than meeting with Hitler every day for the last two weeks of the war in the Fuhrerbunker). The Russians really played some mind games with him. Have you ever seen the 1949 version of the film? It was directed by Wolfgang Petersen the same guy who directed "Das Boot".
DeleteShould've written "wasn't captured at Stalingrad".
DeleteDas tut mir leid.
No, I haven't but would like to see WP's '49 version as well. Thanks for the tip. Ohio Guy
DeleteBtw, are you sure Petersen directed the 1949 version? The Wolfgang Petersen I searched relevant to the movie would have been 8yo. I know the German people do and have done some impressive things but... Ohio Guy
DeleteNo. Petersen didn't direct the 1949. That was a mistake on my part. I was referring to the 1993 version.
Delete