Stalingrad

In 2011, after the Tōhoku earthquake, emergency personnel work to reach some victims trapped underground; one rescuer tells the victims the story of how he came to have five fathers, all killed during the Great Patriotic War (World War II). In 1942, during the Battle of Stalingrad, a small group of Russian soldiers takes cover in a large residential building crossing the Volga River. Five soldiers, the "five fathers": Polyakov ("Angel"), embittered after losing his wife and daughter; Chvanov, driven by hatred for the Germans due to their cruelty; Nikiforov, a former tenor turned brutal fighter; Sergey, a spotter; and Captain Gromov, a veteran leader, find a young girl named Katya living alone in the building after her family was killed. As they spend days together, they grow fond of each other. German encampment near a crossing is led by Hauptmann Kahn, a decorated but disillusioned soldier who falls in love with Masha, a Russian woman resembling his late wife. She initially detests him but reciprocates his love despite language barriers. Oberstleutnant Henze arrives to command, chiding Kahn for his attraction and failure to eliminate Russian soldiers. Henze sets an example by burning a woman and her daughter alive after rounding up Russian civilians, sparking an ambush that kills several Germans and Russians. The two sides retreat, and one day, Chvanov teaches Katya to aim her gun. She accidentally shoots a German, leading to retaliation and injury of Chvanov. During a visit to Masha, Kahn promises to take her to safety when the time is right. On her 19th birthday, Katya receives a handmade cake from soldiers, with a song by Nikiforov, a famous singer she recognized earlier. She also gets a bath filled with hot water, a luxury since the siege began. Sergey takes Katya to an old lookout in an unoccupied building, and they spend the night together, becoming the story's narrator. After Polyakov ricocheted an artillery shell into the German complex, Kahn is ordered to begin the attack on them; he takes Masha to an abandoned building, hoping to save her from the coming fight. As she begs him to stay with her, she is shot by Chvanov for being a collaborator, enraging Kahn. Nikiforov is taken captive by the Germans, where he manages to brutally stab Henze before being killed himself. Henze's death puts Kahn back in charge. German reinforcements with tanks arrive, damaging Russian soldiers and their building. They fatally injure Chvanov. Kahn's soldiers attack, shooting Polyakov. Kahn finds Gromov on the second floor trying to use a radio; they shoot each other before collapsing. Sergey uses the radio to order an air strike on the building, now overrun by German soldiers. Katya watches as it is leveled, destroying everyone inside. Back in the present day, the victims are freed from the building. The girl to whom Sergey (who had been named after his biological father) had told his story seeks him out, and they share a moment of understanding before he is driven away.

Plot from Stalingrad (2013 film)CC BY-SA 4.0