Enemy at the Gates - Review

This movie had been recommended by a lot of friends. I finally got a chance to watch this yesterday. (Warning - spoilers)

The Enemy at the Gates is set in late 1942 when the Germans threw the kitchen sink at Russia to gain hold over the strategic city of Stalingrad. Hitler has made it an ego battle with Stalin and he believes that if the Germans are able to capture the city that bears the name of the dictator, the rest of the country would fall. The Germans bomb the city and seem to be winning, but for an untested rookie sniper from the Urals - Vasily Zaitsev (Jude Law). Vasily is a ray of hope for the losing Russian army and immediately becomes a superhero. His rise is also due to Danilov (Joseph Fiennes) who propagates his tales to the rest of the land through the army paper. Germans start losing their to commanders and call upon their top sniper Major Konig (Ed Harris) to finish off Vasily.

The next hour of the movie is simply breathtaking as Konig and Vasily try to hunt each other down. Both Konig and Vasily play games on each other trying to beat them at their own game. On the side of Konig is his years of experience as an instructor at the Wehrmacht underground headquarters in Zossen. On the side of Vasily are his hunter's instincts and his lady love Tanya (Rachel Weisz). Vasily gets help from a former pupil of Konig - Kouilov to understand the tactics of Konig but Konig gets one up on him by getting information from a cobbler boy (Sacha) whose mother shelters Vasily!!

As in all movies a few scenes stand out and might be disconcerting especially to the Indian audiences. The scene where the greatest of all heroes - Vasily shows his weaker side and when he wants to back off would be not be very easy on the stomachs of those fed on a staple diet of emotionless all effacing superheroes. The psyche of the citizens of an attacked country would be another such scene when unlike an Indian mother who wish that her son be dead rather than betray the country, Sacha's mother is actually happy that he has gone over to the Germans because she believes that they are going to win and her son therefore would be better off. The movie captures the full gamut of the emotions of a soldier - the near death encounters, the cat and mouse games that he must play and win, the harsh life that he has to endure and lastly his helplessness over the situation and the deep rooted urge to give up and run away to a secure life because he does not want to be a pawn in his General's hands.

As the stalemate ensues and the winter sets in the German get in for their final kill. This is the last chance for Konig and Vasily.The movie is set up for a stunning finale. But unfortunately the last 15 minutes do not do justice to the movie at all. The movie in fact peters out into a run of the mill Bollywood stuff.

Ratings -
Jude Law - 7.5 / 10 - Very good performance - he plays the part of the reluctant hero extremely well. He does not look comfortable in the unnecessary love scenes.
Joseph Fiennes - 6.5/10 - Impersonates the jealous yet duty bound commander of Vasily Zaitsev well. A bit overboard in the emotional scenes with Tanya.

Ed Harris - 8/10 - steals the show with a commanding performance of the experienced cold blooded sniper sent to kill Vasily - especially the scene when he finishes off Sacha.
Rachel Weisz - 4/10 - the movie would have much better without her.
Overall - 6.5/10 - The first 100 minutes are must watch - the last 15 mins - a must miss.

This is a repost - it was posted before my blogs were deleted on 22 Feb 2007