Maybe more beautiful than interesting although the colors are mostly grey of various shades

Rating: 7/10 (13 December 2001)

Great directorial command delivers this stunningly visual story of a legendary sniper as if seen through an intrusive telescope which sees beyond the fame. From the fist scene which fuels his legend to the final shot which suggests that his tale is one among many war tales, Jean-Jacques Annaud fully exerts his mastery of cinema. I don't wish to be pretentious and say that my opinion is the right one, but I think I won't be wrong to say the movie grasps some very moving human moments on film, and the fact alone that the fighting factions are both following ideologies which the United States bitterly fought against will likely make the viewer look at the human souls who are fighting. Although I make it sound as if the movie came from an art house, there are a few scenes which fans of sniper movies will appreciate, except unfortunately the last fight. The feeling of the movie, the unassuming ending and the beauty of the film--although its color palette is mostly grey with occasionally the colors of the flags, reminded me of the movie Ame Agaru, made by Kurosawa's crew after the director passed away. Although the tale will not prompt a reaction in all, the well commanded visual story-telling could not be denied.