Enemy At The Gates

Enemy At the Gates

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud

Year: 2001

Starring: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Rachel Weisz and Bob Hoskins

     When I think about this film, I'm reminded that most World War II movies are usually about American or British soldiers in their respective campaigns. War films about any other country's struggle are usually made abroad, and in a different language. This film shakes it up a bit, and offers a look into a side of World War II that isn't exploited on screen enough.
     The film revolves around the battle of Stalingrad in 1942, one of the most gruesome and bloody battles of the war. Stalingrad was a turning point in the war, and by the end of the ordeal in 1943 was the beginning of the end. Law portrays Russian sniper Vassili Zaitsev, a real-life figure in the war. It depicts his apparent sniper duel with German marksman, Major Erwin Konig, played by Ed Harris. While the battle of Stalingrad and Zaitsev were in fact real, the entire film is largely fictionalized. It is loosely based on  Zaitsev's own war stories, and a brief mention (roughly 2-3 pages) in the non-fiction book of the same name. That being said, the film is still a decent war movie.
     Jude Law does a great job at playing a character thrown into a conflict, and given a job, he doesn't necessarily want. The chemistry between Law and Fiennes is pretty good, and it's a shame these two don't share many scenes together. Ron Pearlman makes a brief appearance as a fellow sniper, and he steals every scene he's in. I can easily say the same for Bob Hoskins, who plays real-life Russian military leader Nikita Khrushchev. Rachel Weisz, however, doesn't do a good job comparatively, but I don't blame her for that. The character is pretty much only there to give Zaitsev a love interest, and to break up the sausage fest that is the cast (did any of the filmmakers see The Thing or The Descent? A film can still work with a one sided cast like that). Weisz just isn't given anything to do, really, and it puts her acting talents to waste.
     The set pieces are fantastic, and those showing a worn-torn Stalingrad in particular are above average. The film has a very urban feel to it, with a lot of the action taking place in abandoned buildings and war-torn city landscapes. The battle scenes, while surprisingly few, are enough to satisfy the craving. Most of the film revolves around a sniper, who's lifestyle on the battlefield was very different than that of an ordinary infantryman, so don't expect a lot of big action sequences, but smaller, intimate ones, usually one-on-one duels between the two marksmen.
     Enemy At The Gates is a good film, and it portrays a realistic look at what the Soviet Soldiers had to endure during this time. Law and Harris provide enough tension to keep the film interesting, and the film is just long enough that it doesn't start overstaying its welcome.