Enemy at the Gates

I was very intrigued with this story when I saw the original trailer awhile back. This movie takes place during World War 2, and will go down in history as one of the defining moments of the war. The historic story behind the films is that the Soviet Union had received a string of defeats at the hand of the Germans. The Germans want to capture Stalingrad, and the soviets feel that if they do their nation will collapse.

While the Nazi and Russian armies hurl rank after rank of soldiers at each other and the world fearfully awaits the outcome of the battle of Stalingrad, the celebrated Russian sniper, Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law) quietly stalks his enemies one man at a time. Danilov (Joseph Fiennes), a reporter during the war, promotes Vassili as a hero for the Germans.His fame, however, soon thrusts him into a duel with the Nazi's best sharpshooter, Major Konig (Ed Harris), and the two find themselves waging an intense personal war while the most momentous battle of the age rages around them.

This film is intense, I mean its so intense and gripping that I had to pee about 30 minutes, and I didn't want to get up and leave...and the film is over 2 hours long. Ed Harris wins major kudos here, as he is the most captivating perfomer on the screen. His ice cold blue eyes are able to say so many things without him even speaking a single word. Jude Law is also good as Vassili, the made hero. His relationship with Danilov and Tania (Rachel Wiesz "The Mummy") is great, and provides a nice love triangle to an already kick ass story.

The scenes where Vassili and Major Konig are facing off against one another is so wonderfully done. To see the two men play a game of cat and mouse, each one trying to outsmart the other one is simply wonderful cinema.The fact that there isn't an American figure to hold on to may turn some people off. Also, I'm not sure if the historic facts are all in tact, and quite frankly I don't care. "Enemy of the Gates" is a great movie, and if you love war films or movies with enough substance to keep your glued to your seat. You owe this film to yourself.

Rating: 3/4 out of four.

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