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 enlarge | Actors: Matthais Habich, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins, Eva Mattes, Ron Perlman
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
List Price: $9.98
Buy Used: $1.39
You Save: $8.59 (86%)
New (73) Used (108) Collectible (1) from $1.39
Avg. Customer Rating:  377 reviews
Sales Rank: 2538
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 131
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.5
MPN: 097363386247
ISBN: 0792172760
UPC: 097363386247
EAN: 9780792172765
ASIN: B00003CXRA
Theatrical Release Date: 2001
Release Date: August 14, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Second World War - the Soviet point of view September 5, 2006
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
An excellent movie ! You really feel that you are there in Stanlingrand. Superb performance by Jude Law and Ed Harris. Unforgettable ! See it, Buy It, Own it !
 By and large, a waste of time. August 9, 2006
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
The beginning is very well done, then the only interesting parts are the cat-and-mouse between Jude Law and Ed Harris. The rest of the film is bad, I'd say. Luckily, I recorded it from TV. It is now erased. (By the way, one of the Amazon reviewers who also disliked the film wrote that Bob Hoskins is American. He's from England.)
"Come on and give it a go for the Soviet Union, eh blokes?" June 18, 2006
10 out of 14 found this review helpful
Honestly, the only line missing from this film is:
"Oy you, I shoot for the ruddy Soviets too! Get them Jerries, I will!"
The actual Soviet Stalingrad veterans were so offended by inaccuracies in the movie and the insulting way in which the movie portrays the Soviet army, that they asked the Russian Parliament to ban the film in Russia.
The acting is downright lousy as are the stupid and highly unnecessary British accents. The stupid British kid posing as a Russian spy, the stupid British guy posing as a Soviet sniper... Even Bob Hoskins (American) throws in the fake UK accent (So irritating!) But the ultimate laugh was when Ed Harris is mixing English and German together in his sentences. Just annoying altogether. They should have done this film in Soviet-era Russian and Third Reich German, as executed so well in "Downfall."
"Enemy At The Gates" bombed at theaters for a reason, and it is in the Amazon bargain bin for a reason: It's a stupid film.
Skip this one, and get "Downfall" instead. You will not be dissappointed with that film, I assure you.
 Tense war drama June 5, 2006
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
Taken as a historical drama rather than an attempt to flawlessly depict a historical incident, this is topnotch entertainment. "Enemy At The Gates" portrays the conflict between a young Russian sniper played by Law and the German sniper (Harris) who is sent to kill him during the German attack on Stalingrad during WWII. Apart from a scene which awkwardly caricatures the Russian field commanders and the occasionally distracting accents, the film successfully immerses the viewer in this tense war drama.
The romance between Zaitsev and Tania is kind of unnecessary, and I am not sure if the sex scene is obligatory or advances their relationship. This love side story lacks passion; a lot of it feels mechanical and routine. "Enemy At The Gates" is still a consistently intriguing war film-rare because it does not involve Americans. While we are never really concerned about the outcome of the actual war, nor do we entirely care about several aspects of the main characters, there are many good scenes of suspense, and the overall mood of the movie is effective. "Enemy at the Gates" is worth seeing if it sounds interesting to you.
Very good war movie, very poor history lesson May 11, 2006
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
For those of you who want a shoot-em-up war movie... this is right up your alley (as it is mine!). But historically, it's incredibly inaccurate.
Put your feet on the coffee table, crack a beer, open a bag of potato chips, and lose yourself in a really good war movie. Beautiful set design for a blasted out Stalingrad, great costuming, and wonderful makeup. I wonder how long it took them to get clean after their filming in all the dirt and debris
However, this movie is about as historically accurate as John Wayne's "Flying Tigers"
I would HIGHLY recommend reading the books, "Enemy At The Gates" by William Craig, and "War of the Rats" by David Robbins. These are the REAL stories of the battle of Stalingrad. The incredible suffering of both Soviet and German armies, and what it meant to be a Soviet conscript in the Red Army and thrown into the "Kessel" which was Stalingrad. (AKA "Der hexen kessel" The witches' cauldron). Both Soviet resolve and the famous Russian winter ganged up on the German and some Italian forces to create a truly exquisite hell on earth, and the nearly totally destroyed city of Stalingrad itself gave wonderful and equal cover to both forces. There is no more savage warfare than urban fighting.
The movie is the story of the dual between the Soviet and German snipers and does indeed make for a great flick. But the true story is quite different. In the book, "Enemy At The Gates", the dual took up a whole two or three pages... it was a mere trifle in the total battle.
Jude Law's character, Vassili Zaitsev, was probably not a "superb" marksman since most urban sniping is at 100 yards or less (usually a lot less). The Moisen-Nagant is a good rifle, but it was still a field-grade, as-issued rifle. What Zaitsev was REALLY good at, where he really shined, was in hiding and concealment. Tania Chernova was blond and, in addition to being a very successful sniper in her own right, did some explosives work.
The real person (named in the movie) Sacha Fillipov was indeed hanged, but not by the German sniper. He was rounded up by a German army squad and hanged, not from a water tower, but from a tree along with three or four other Russian youths. He was not a little kid as in the movie, but was fifteen or sixteen.
Another little tidbit... the German major was not killed standing up in a train yard, but while he was in his cover under steel plates. Snipers DO NOT break cover... ever... and offer themselves up as fodder by walking out into the open. While there may be other snipers (counter-snipers) operating in the area, it's just plain suicide. (Trust me on this... I know of which I speak).
The whole movie is riddled with little details that are not factual. It either portrays incidences which did not happen, omits incidences which did, or portrays actual incidences incorrectly... very incorrectly.
Bottom line.... Forget all about the history books, and just relax and enjoy the movie... It's a good one!!! (That is, if you can overlook Russians speaking with British accents). To tell the truth, I'm watching it again as I'm writing this.
And, thank God, at least it's not a movie loaded with obscenities! I was in the military and I know what it's really like, but this is one inaccuracy I approve of.
And Rachel Weisz should ABSOLUTELY get an Oscar for her performance in the only sex scene in the movie. If she doesn't light your fire in this sequence, you have a real problem!!
Five stars for a good "fictionalized" war movie... but it's only a one star movie for historical accuracy.
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