What drew you to the story?
It presented the opportunity to talk about a vast event - the Battle of Stalingrad - through very few characters. It's based on a famous anecdote about a young sharpshooter who became an instant hero in nine days, so much so the German command sent their best sniper to get rid of him. What I loved was that through this miniscule duel I could understand the larger picture.
How true is the story?
It's an extremely famous story, but I don't know how true it is. If you make a movie about Elizabeth I, how much of the dialogue is her real words? Audiences know when they go see a movie that it is fiction.
How difficult was it to make?
War scenes are less difficult than love scenes. I'm not impressed by big battle scenes. I've done a number over the years, and as long as they are well rehearsed and every department knows what the director wants, it's easy. The only thing that worries me is the risk of incident or accidents.
Why did you choose British actors?
I had to choose between American and British actors, and it didn't take me more than a second to decide: Russians are Europeans and should be played by other Europeans. British actors behave like Europeans; they are also extremely well trained. That aspect was a walk in the park, and Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, and Rachel Weisz were wonderful to work with.
