Young Sniper vs Sniper Tactician

Rating: 9/10 (4 February 2005)

The main character is Vassili Zaitsev as played by Jude Law. The secondary characters are Commisar Danilov (Joseph Fiennes), Tania Chernova (Rachel Weisz), Major Konig (Ed Harris), and Sacha Filipov (Gabriel Thomson). Other important minor characters are Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Bob Hoskins) and Koulikov (Ron Perlman).
The time period is World War II, specifically Fall in the year 1942. The location is Stalingrad.
The main plot/conflict of the movie is can a young Russian sniper hero defeat a high-ranking German sniper who is a veteran and a better tactician during a World War II battle at Stalingrad.
Vassili is an excellent marksman who crosses path with Commisar Danilov who recognizes his ability during battle. Danilov presses Khrushchev that what the Soviet Union needs is to make an example of hero's to the rest of their nation to inspire their troops. Germany is badly defeating Russia and Stalingrad is the last stronghold. Once that city falls, Russia is lost. Khrushchev allows Danilov to print publications that highlight Vassili as a hero by continually exploiting his kills. Germany high ups start to notice and sends Major Konig to take him out. At times, Vassili finds comfort in Stalingrad at the home of Sacha. Here he meets another Russian soldier, Tania, who both Vassili and Danilov desire (love triangle that helps to keep Vassili alive twice and resolve the movie). Koulikov is a former student of Major Konig prior to the war who helps Vassili try to defeat Konig but takes a bullet for Vassili and thereby keeps the plot going.
Major Konig is a strategist and a better one than Vassili. Five times they are pitted against each other and the first four times Vassili gets away unharmed due to circumstances that help him get out of a jam. Both are excellent snipers but Major Konig has the upper hand as he outsmarts Vassili constantly.
Very interesting characters and plots twists. It was interesting to see the Major and Vassili going against each other so many times with interesting results. The circumstances to which Vassili escapes death each time is very believable. Vassili knows from the beginning that he is against someone "one step ahead" of him all the time. A typical Hollywood ending might have had it that Vassili eventually outsmarts his enemy but this is not the case. One of the two conquers but only out of sacrifice. The other thing that kept me going was that it was a mystery whether the little boy Sacha was helping the Germans or misleading them. I actually got confused on where his loyalties fell.
Jean-Jacques Annaud also directed this and he has written "In the Name of the Rose". Alain Godard co wrote this and co wrote "In the Name of the Rose."