Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Genre: War / History
Duration: 131 minuten
Country:
Ireland / United Kingdom / France / Germany / United States
Directed by: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Stars: Ed Harris, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz
IMDb score:
7,5 (293.736)
Releasedate: 14 March 2001
Enemy at the Gates plot
"Some Men Are Born To Be Heroes."
The film tells the true story of Vassili Zaitzev, a Russian sniper who single-handedly killed more than a hundred Germans during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II. He's being used by his officer as propaganda. They both fall in love with the same woman.
Actors and actresses
Vassili Zaitsev
Commisar Danilov
Tania Chernova
Major König
Nikita Khrushchev
Koulikov
Mother Filipov
Sacha Filipov
General Paulus
Young Vassili Zaitsev
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
-
- 87679 messages
- 13027 votes
Mediocre war film.
It revolves around a battle of wits between two snipers. One Russian, the other German, but apparently it was all possible in flawless English. And with a French director behind the scenes, the whole thing is complete. The Russians would have been happy.
Furthermore, it is a fairly average war film that comes straight out of the Hollywood factory, with thick music, mediocre acting and a love triangle that really makes no sense at all. And of course 120 minutes is not enough to tell a simple story like this.
The sniper action itself is not that bad, but it absolutely does not save the film. It's pretty bland, boring and predictable, on the other hand I'm just not a fan of war movies and this is a very, very classic. One to quickly forget.
1.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
knusse stoel
-
- 3331 messages
- 4480 votes
I too belong to the group that gives this film 4 stars. (IMDb = 7.6)
Very realistic story, it seems to have been a hell in Stalingrad, Hitler and Stalin considered the city crucial in the course of the war. Of course it all had to do with the name of Stalin that was in the city name! The battle of Stalingrad lasted more than 5 months (Aug'42 - Feb'43) but cost many lives. Hitler had underestimated the battle here, his tanks couldn't do much in the streets that were full of rubble from the ruins. By the way, in Leningrad it was even worse for the people (civilians and soldiers), this siege lasted from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944, and there was almost no food left. Here too Hitler did not give up easily!
The film is one of the better ones made about the 2nd world war within the European borders. The only drawback was that the language was not original, unfortunately everyone spoke English. That's the only point of criticism I have. The acting is good, the location is great and the material is also excellent in terms of originality.
My rating for the film is already known: an 8!
Translated from Dutch · View original
tommykonijn
-
- 5196 messages
- 2397 votes
Film that had been on the shelf for a long time, but that I had never seen. Because of the heavy theme, war films are usually not something I regularly venture into, although there are some classics in between. Enemy at the Gates, it turns out, is no exception.
What I find strong is that the film never lost my attention. You get to see everything: fierce battles, politics and a blossoming romance. I thought all those aspects came out well: the fights look convincing, it's interesting to see how Vasily is used as propaganda and the love triangle wasn't distracting. In fact, I thought the role of Rachel Weisz was a very nice addition.
Furthermore, the film ultimately revolves around the battle between Jude Law and Ed Harris. This one is exciting, because the two snipers are quite evenly matched. At times it produces blood-curdling moments, the outcome of which is not always certain. The film also does not shy away from being downright sinister at times. Of course I refer to the images of many wounded soldiers, the death of Danilov, but certainly also to the hanged Sasha. Moments that literally sent shivers down my spine.
Enemy at the Gates is definitely a movie that impressed me. In addition to beautiful sets, music and (action) scenes, the acting is also very strong. A subtle film is by no means: the film certainly exudes Hollywood. This is emphatically apparent from the fact that it has been decided to allow Russians and Germans to speak English; perhaps the only obvious blemish on a film that doesn't really make any obvious mistakes. I can certainly recommend this film to anyone interested in films about the Second World War, not least because I feel that the situation in Stalingrad is less likely to be discussed.
4*
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