None of the reviews I have read mentions the opening scene of citizens (including children) receiving aid from rescuers who free them from buildings partially destroyed due to the the effects of a Tsunami, in which a rescuer tells a child that he had five fathers. This scene from recent history precedes the WWII setting in which we see the arrival of German soldiers in Stalingrad. The lack of a tie-in did not affect my appreciation of this stunning portrayal of soldiers battling for control of Stalingrad. Few WWII movies measure up to its standards. Among those mentioned, I would add "Letters From Iwo Jima."