I like German films about WWII. Often they seem more realistic than their American counterparts. Maybe this film could be accused of being too unpolitical, as it doesn't address Nazism at all, but only describes the lives of soldiers serving under its regime. But I think the film is better by it, knowing what we know, it describes the meaningless of war in a very trustworthy manner. Perhaps it is a bit too much melodrama in parts, especially the scenes with the female German-Russian soldier could have been shortened, but I can live with that.