Rated R - Running Time: 2:11 - Released 3/16/01
ENEMY AT THE GATES
Rated R - Running Time: 2:11 - Released 3/16/01
Movies about World War II have never been in short supply since
the time when the global conflict was still going on; however,
undoubtedly due to the Cold War, there have been precious few
American WWII movies recounting the heroism of the Russian army
and people. While Soviet leader Josef Stalin has never been much
of a sympathetic figure to anyone since his death, there is no
doubt that the unbreakable will of the vastly outgunned Red Army,
and the similar resolve of the poverty-stricken Soviet populace,
helped convince the world that Hitler was not as invincible as
he seemed. Jean-Jacques Annaud's Enemy At The Gates is
a look at one of the great turning points in the war which took
place in the Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Hitler's
first major defeat after several years of virtually uncontested
Nazi victories. Set in the winter of 1942-43, during this major
Nazi-Soviet clash, Enemy isn't a grand epic involving attacks
and counterattacks, with huge armies swarming and tanks exploding.
It focuses instead on a small part of the conflict, recounting
the true story of a duel between two snipers — a game of
hide and seek, if you will, in which the penalty for being found
was death.
Written, directed, and co-produced by acclaimed French director
Annaud, with screenplay assistance by Alain Godard, Enemy At
The Gates stars Jude Law (The
Talented Mr. Ripley) as Russian rifleman Vassily Zaitsev,
a country boy whose phenomenal skill is noticed by news writer
Danilov (Joseph Fiennes). Danilov, knowing that low morale is
as much at fault for recent Russian defeats as any other factor,
introduces Vassily to future Prime Minister Nikita Krushchev (Bob
Hoskins), who is serving as a high-ranking officer in the Red
Army, and suggests that Vassily become the object of a nationwide
media campaign. If the people have a hero, he argues, they may
be able to muster the courage to keep up the fight. So as Vassily
racks up kill after kill against important German officers, Danilov
ticks away at his typewriter, building the young man into a celebrity
of epic proportions, instilling hope in the Soviet consciousness
and encouraging other sharpshooters to become Red Army snipers.
This campaign works beautifully until the German high command
decides to fight fire with fire. Major Koenig (Ed Harris), a sniper
with equal skill and cunning to that of Vassily, is sent to find
the Russian hero and end his winning streak. Soon Vassily becomes
aware that his national fame isn't such a good thing, as Koenig
seems able to predict his every move.
While this film recounts the horror of war with the kind of
brutal realism recently seen in films like Saving
Private Ryan and Schindler's List, it also presents
a traditional romantic triangle involving a young woman named
Tania (Rachel Weisz, The Mummy)
who is loved by both Vassily and Danilov. This affair works, in
a way (all three actors are adequate, though none really have
the kind of spark needed to generate real romantic heat), but
the love story tends to take away from the authenticity of the
film. It is supposed to be a true story, after all, and
this kind of emotionalizing makes it feel much like another Hollywood
romance. Harris, for his part, is believable as always; he gives
Koenig a heart and soul that makes us understand that even Germans,
even Nazis, were real people too. Also effective is 13-year-old
Gabriel Thomson as Sacha, a young boy who works as a sort of double
agent between Vassily and Koenig. Thomson's innocent charm keeps
us in the dark regarding his true alliance as well as it does
the other characters.
Enemy At The Gates, while not slavishly true to historical fact, is a good character study and a glimpse into one major facet of the war, namely the Russian perspective, that has heretofore been lacking in American movies. While it drags at times and its romance seems a little too conventional for the subject matter, it generally succeeds at telling a truly heroic story, providing yet another vehicle to showcase the talents of Law and Harris, and of their supporting cast. ****