An Underrated, Excellent Film

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2005)

This movie did not get the credit it deserved when it was first released. It should get it's credit now with the DVD. I heartily recommend it to any fan of war movies.
It is a rarity amongst World War II movies ... a story told from the Soviet point of view. The Soviets suffered heavily during the war, both from casualties in the face of the Nazi juggernaut and from the stupidity and cruelty of their own leadership. Yet there was great heroism and bravery on the Eastern Front, as there were on the Western, told in perhaps hundreds of films.
"Enemy at the Gates" tells the tale of one Soviet hero, the sniper Vassili Zeitsev. It's an excellent film. It has epic battle sequences, including a terrible flight across the River Volga. It has tension and suspense well fitting the stalking mentality of the sniper. Best of all it has an emotional core surrounding an unlikely hero and the woman who earns his respect.
I only gave this film 8 out of 10. Although they did a good job, the main actors Jude Law and Rachel Weisz really didn't play their parts as Russians. Joseph Fiennes and Bob Hoskins (who is superb as Nikita Kruschev) did just that, and Ed Harris played Major Konig as the perfect noble German. But Jude and Rachel didn't quite hit that mark, although other parts of their performances were quite good.
Even with those flaws, this is still a very good telling of the Siege of Stalingrad, with sadness and tension and action and emotion. It's earned a place in my collection.
Barky