A battle involving millions comes down to two

Rating: 7/10 (1 August 2005)

Like many others before me, when this film came out I thought, "Oh great. Another film to piggyback on the success of 'Saving Private Ryan'." So I was not very interested in seeing it then, though I was intrigued by Jude Law and Rachel Weisz. After finally viewing it after a few years, I was pleasantly surprised, not only by the human elements in the harsh urban combat environment, but also by the strong supporting cast. Law and Weisz led me to watch it initially, but then seeing that Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins, and Ron Perlman played roles made me determined to see this film. None of these fine actors chooses his roles lightly. (I admit that some of their films have been sub-par, but not through the fault of the actors themselves.) I tend to like ensemble films with several strong supporting roles, however brief. This one did not disappoint me--fine acting all around.
My compliments go also to the director for his attempt to bring the vast scale of the Battle of Stalingrad down to two men hunting each other. His research into the combat tactics of snipers and urban warfare seemed very thorough. Possibly among the books used was a 1999 novel by David L. Robbins called "War of the Rats," a title I highly recommend here to any fan of the film. The book also tracks Zaitsev and a top German sniper (named Thorvald in the novel rather than Konig) through the wastes of the city. To those of you who believe that books are often better than films, I offer one more title for you to browse.
I wonder now why I waited so long to see this film. It was an enjoyable experience.