4/11/2001
Enemy at the Gates stars Joseph Fiennes as Commander Danilov, Jude Law as Vassili Zaitsev, Rachel Weisz as Tania Chernova, Bob Hoskins as Nikita Krushchev, Ed Harris as Major Koenig, Ron Perlman as Koulikov, Eva Mattes as Mother Filipov, Gabriel Thomson as Sasha, and Matthias Habich as General Paulus.
Enemy at the Gates is a WWW II movie without Americans. That makes it rare indeed. We get to see the war through the eyes of a few Red Army soldiers. Enemy at the Gates is about the war in Stalingrad. A very brutal test of wills between Hitler and Stalin. We are exposed to a very sadistic Red Army sending recruits into battle where only every secon soldier has a rifle. The other soldier has an ammunition clip and is told to pick up the rifle when the soldier he is following is shot. The recruits are sent to charge a superior, in arms and equipment, German force. Those that retreat are shot by the Red Army officers who sent them into battle.
Out of this initial assault, Vassili Zaitsev, survives both the German and Red Army. He finds himself hiding along with a propaganda officer, Commander Danilov, among many dead soldiers near a some German officers. Vasseli manages to shoot the five soldiers near them. Commander Danilov uses this as an opportunity to give the Red Army soldiers hope that they have a hero among them. Vassili Zaitsev exploits are published in the Soviet newspapers. Vassili Zaitsev is transferred to the sniper division and becomes a greater hero as his head count increases along with his published exploits.
The German Army wishes to neutralize the effect of Vassili Zaitsev. To this end they send for Major Koenig. Major Koenig teaches snipers in Berlin as well as being a decorated top marksman. Enemy at the Gates now becomes a classic duel between a master and a newcomer. Then Vasseli sees the result of the Major's superior skill first hand. He is impressed as well as fearful against such a superior foe.
Enemy at the Gates suffers from a perpetual flaw in war films, romance. The film slows to a crawl when Vasseli becomes involved in a love triangle with Tania Chernova and Commander Danilov. Totally unnecessary to the plot and a distraction to the cat and mouse duel. Stay for the ending credits, they are refreshing as compared to the window shade black and white ones we see on other films.
I give it 4 out of 5 pieces of glass: