......and this proves the point. While the uniforms and equipment are authentic, the dynamic between the characters is unrealistic with the differences between ranks being far too informal for the German army of WW2. The setting throughout looks like a peaceful national park with little hint that it's a war zone except for the occasional artillery shell. A poor script, the odd unrealistic plot event, and slightly hamfisted acting skills contribute further to the lack of enjoyment. The inclusion of female characters (in a fluid war zone, where the soldiers are trying to evade a very hostile enemy) - even though they are supposed to be Soviet nurses and the old cliche of the officer's girlfriend - seems an unnecessary plot device and actually detracts from the story's authenticity. The accents are not a distraction necessarily: for war films depicting non-Anglophones you have a straight choice IMHO - either go with the original languages and use subtitles, or adopt the cinematic conceit of speaking in the language of the audience without affecting some kind of German or Russian accents. This film opts for the latter, and that's fair enough. War films without a lot of action are fine, as long as you can invest in the story and the relationships, but in this case you can do neither.
Review of The Eastern Front
