reluctance. Witzland, GeGe, and Reiser decide to desert and head towards Pitomnik Airfield in hopes of catching a plane back to Germany, stealing medical tags from some dead bodies along the way to feign being wounded. By the time they arrive, the last transport has left. They rejoin the others in the shelter, where they find Musk suffering from severe trench foot. While the men recover a German supply drop, Haller appears and holds them at gunpoint, but is quickly subdued; he accidentally shoots GeGe as he falls, killing him. Haller then pleads for his life, telling them about the supplies he is hoarding in a nearby house before being executed by Otto. In the house's cellar they find shelves stocked full of food and liquor, and Irina tied to a bed. Witzland cuts Irina free. As the rest of the men gorge themselves, a deluded and dying Musk tries to rally them to rejoin the fighting. Otto becomes hysterical and commits suicide. Rollo carries Musk outside, only to find the Sixth Army surrendering to the Soviets. Musk succumbs to the elements upon Rollo being instructed to surrender. Irina offers to help Witzland and Reiser get away, but while trudging through the snow they are shot at by the Soviets; Irina is killed and Witzland wounded. The two Germans get away, but Witzland eventually becomes too weak and dies in Reiser's arms. Reiser cradles his body and freezes to death. Cast Dominique Horwitz as Obergefreiter Fritz Reiser Thomas Kretschmann as Leutnant Hans von Witzland Jochen Nickel as Unteroffizier Manfred "Rollo" Rohleder Sebastian Rudolph as Soldat (rank) "GeGe" Müller (nicknamed GeGe to distinguish him from other Müllers) Dana Vávrová as Irina Martin Benrath as Generalmajor Hentz (based on Generaloberst Walter Heitz) Sylvester Groth as Unteroffizier Otto (formerly a commissioned officer) Karel Heřmánek as Hauptmann Hermann Musk Heinz Emigholz as Funker (Radioman) Edgar Emigholz Ferdinand Schuster as Double Edgar Oliver Broumis as Soldat Müller (HGM) Dieter Okras as Hauptmann Haller Zdeněk Vencl as Gefreiter Wölk Mark Kuhn as Feldwebel Pflüger Thorsten Bolloff as Soldat Feldmann Alexander Wachholz as Pfarrer Renner J. Alfred Mehnert as Oberleutnant Lupo Ulrike Arnold as Viola Christian Knoepfle as Soldat Dieter Filip Čáp as Ludwig Jaroslav Tomsa as Opa Erwin (Grandpa Erwin) Pavel Mang as Kolja Otto Ševčík as Major Kock (as Oto Sevcik) Jophi Ries as Schröder Production and release The film was shot in several locations,