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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: $1.40
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Avg. Customer Rating:  375 reviews
Sales Rank: 3344
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: D338624D
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:
 Plays It Safe, But Does It Well. May 4, 2006
"Enemy at the Gates" is a work of historical fiction, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud who also wrote the screenplay along with Alain Godard. The setting is the battle of Stalingrad which was the turning point in World War II. The story is about a duel between two snipers: Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law), a Russian soldier who goes from a foot solider without a rifle, to a state hero, and Major Konig (Ed Harris), an aristocratic German officer who is sent to kill Zaitsev. This film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 7th of 2001.
The base story is true, but the account is fictionalized to make a more standard movie. The movie at the start has a broad focus, concentrating on the battle at the start of the film. During this part of the movie we do see the main characters, but they are not identified. The movie then narrows its focus to the main characters, starting with the meeting of Commisar Danilov (Joseph Fiennes) and Zaitsev, where Zaitsev's marksmanship saves the two of them, as he eliminates some German officers and their guards. The result is that Danilov decides to promote Zaitsev as a hero in his writing, as well as himself in the eyes of Khrushchev (Bob Hoskins).
The relationship between Danilov and Zaitsev is complicated by a love triangle, as Danilov and Zaitsev compete for Tania Chernova (Rachel Weisz), who becomes a soldier herself, as she joins the fight against the Germans. Another side story includes that of Sacha Filipov (Gabriel Thomson) and his mother (Eva Mattes) who are Tania's neighbors. Sacha sells information to the Major Konig, but also tips off Danilov so that he can help Zaitsev prevail.
This is not a perfect movie by any means. The horrors of living in Stalingrad during this battle are not really shown, especially the starvation aspect, which would have well served the sub-plot where Sacha is selling information to Major Konig. Once the story narrows to the main characters, the battle disappears for the most part, reappearing only when needed. Finally, the fictionalized story isn't really anything new, there are no chances taken, and there are no real surprises.
This DVD has 5.1 surround sound, and is widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions. There is a behind-the-scenes featurette and cast and crew interviews. It also contains some additional scenes, which were not used in the movie.
Despite some weaknesses, I do find this movie to be very entertaining, and overall I would definitely recommend this DVD. The performances by the main characters are all solid, and there are no major flaws or mistakes. It is true that the story is not 100% accurate historically, but if that is what you are looking for then you really ought to be looking at books on the subject, or perhaps some documentaries and not a movie made primarily for entertainment.
 The Eastern Front April 27, 2006
6 out of 12 found this review helpful
I'm not that familiar with the true account of the famed Russian sniper, Vassili Zaitsev so I can't comment on how accurately the script of his accomplishments is portrayed, but as one fairly familiar with the German attack on Stalingrad, ENEMY AT THE GATES is a fair adaptation of the events that occurred there during the 1942 Eastern Front campaign. I do know that Zaitsev did in fact, score 182 kills with his Nosin-Nagant model 1891/30 rifle and did in fact kill the German Major Kulikov, who had been tracking him for 5 days prior to the German withdrawal of Stalingrad.
The story begins when a beleaguered Russian army, on the brink of disaster, and desperately in need of a moral boost. A Russian propagandist (Fiennes) introduces the high command to the story of Zaitsev (Law), a Russian sniper from the Urals wilderness who had successfully killed over a dozen German officers. A local propaganda campaign began and with Zaitsev's elevated stature among the local populace, he draws the ire of the German high command, who send their best sniper, Major Konig (Harris) (I don't know why they chose not to use Kulikov's real name) to engage in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase between the two warriors. Rachel Weisz adds what is likely a fictionalized romance to the film, and Bob Hoskins gives a brilliant portrayal of a middle aged Nikita Krushchev.
Most notable in this film is the presentation to the western world of the events of the Eastern Front during World War II. An epic saga, for the most part, overlooked by film makers. The peasant army of Russia in the 1930's and 40's was, for the most part, illiterate. Therefore, when compared to the war in the west and in the Pacific, only a fraction of personal accounts have been written on this theater of operations. It's good to see what appears to be a fairly accurate portrayal of that sector of the war.
The acting in this film is above average. The filming itself is great with realistic battle scenes and ensuing chaos that was apparent during the Battle of Stalingrad. The horrors of war are graffic in this movie, so parents should be advised.
Pretty Good April 4, 2006
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This movie would have got five stars from me but there is one reason why I didnt rate it five out of five is simply because Hollywood is being hollywood adding some romance in the picture not that seeing Rachel Wiesz is a bad thing because it is not I just think that leaving it out would have made for a better picture
This movie takes you to Stalingrad the Nazis last stand and hope to fight off the Russians starting on a boatt getting shot at by planes above heading to the docks to recive a gun or ammo the Russian military werent to financially well off and could not afford a gun for every soldier so one soldier got a gun and the other a clip of ammo
The whole plot of the movie is a Russian Sniper is born and begins killing to many Nazi officers so the Nazis send their best Sniper to take him out
A classic and somewhat historically accurate grudge match there really was a Russian Sniper Vaceli something i foget how to spell the last name his weapon is on display in a musem somewhere most likely in Russia and this really did happen a Nazi Sniper and Russian where out hunting one another
This is recomended defenitly rent it if you want but I would flat out buy it
 Handsome, taut telling of the battle of Stalingrad March 20, 2006
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Based on a true story and handsomely presented, ENEMY AT THE GATES is a rousing World War II action flick chronicling the Battle of Stalingrad as seen through the eyes of Russian soldier Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law,) a young Russian soldier ferried over to the besieged city at the height of battle who soon proves himself a peerless sniper. In fact, before long Vassili Zaitsev has picked off so many high-ranking officers the Germans call upon their own champion, Maj. König (Ed Harris,) to take the precocious young sniper down.
This movie is the story of their cat-and-mouse hunt for each other through the piling rubble of Stalingrad. The plot is adorned with a love-triangle involving Vassili, a fellow soldier named Tania Chernova (Rachel Weisz) and a propaganda agent, Commisar Danilov, played by Joseph Fiennes. Nikita Krushchev (Bob Hoskins) arrives at one point to bully and bluster, drink vodka, resent Stalin, and generally chew a bit of carpet. Thankfully none of these side streets prove too distracting. Even when Danilov tells Vassili the fate of Stalingrad, upon which falls the fate of the war, will be determined by which sniper is able to outwit the other, seems a little less forced than it should.
The half-destroyed city is beautifully recreated and photographed. The pacing allows for us to spend tense moments with Law and Harris, doing not much more than looking through a gun-sight, without growing bored. This movie also seems wonderfully edited. Battles, action characters in movement, are hard to keep track of while maintaining the proper mood and tension, but we never get lost or disentangled from what's going on. Law is very good as the young shootist who must convince himself he not overmatched, and Harris, in a role that calls for little more than one note, is pitch perfect. One of the better war movies to come down the pike in a while.
Exciting and vivid February 11, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Given the importance of the Russians in WWII, I really like it when a good movie comes out about them. I especially enjoyed finding out more about how the crossing of the Volga looked from the Russian side. Yes, it was historically inaccurate to have it occur in the daytime, but it made for a more exciting movie. I found the love scene between Zaitzev and Chernova very erotic.
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