A grand movie filled with suspense, impressive visuals and an absorbing story line!
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:123
Fresh:71
Rotten:52
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Atmospheric and thrilling, Enemy at the Gates gets the look and feel of war right. However, the love story seems out of place.
Runtime: 2 hrs 11 mins
Genre: Dramas
US Box Office: $50,507,533
Synopsis: September 1942. The German Army has advanced to the gates of Stalingrad. The Russian Army holds on desperately. It is so poorly equipped that every pair of soldiers is given a single rifle--the... September 1942. The German Army has advanced to the gates of Stalingrad. The Russian Army holds on desperately. It is so poorly equipped that every pair of soldiers is given a single rifle--the second man only gets the weapon when the first is cut down. Trapped in no man's land between the opposing armies, Russian recruit Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law) finally acquires a rifle from Political Officer Danilov (Joseph Fiennes). Danilov is astonished when Zaitsev picks off several German officers. On their return to the Russian lines, Danilov writes about Zaitsev's exploits in the army newspaper. Zaitsev is assigned to a sniper unit. He kills more German officers and, thanks to Danilov, becomes a hero. In retaliation, the Germans bring in sharpshooter Major König (Ed Harris) from Berlin--to hunt Zaitsev. The two snipers engage in a desperate duel, as the appalling Battle of Stalingrad rages. In ENEMY AT THE GATES, director Jean-Jacques Annaud uses a palate of dull greens, blues, and greys to tell the powerful, true story of Russian sniper Vassili Zaitsev. The film is distinguished by fine performances from Law, Fiennes, Rachel Weisz as a female soldier, and Bob Hoskins as Nikita Khrushchev--with Harris particularly notable as the chilly, aristocratic König. [More]
Starring: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins
Starring: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins, Ed Harris, Ron Perlman
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Screenwriter: Jean-Jacques Annaud, Alain Godard
Producer: John D. Schofield, Jean-Jacques Annaud
Composer: James Horner
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Reviews for Enemy at the Gates
While the ambience is enveloping, the all-too-apparent contrivances keep undermining this outwardly strong war picture until its impact is watered down to the level of lukewarm disappointment.
It might sound exciting, but a 15-minute set piece about two snipers can get pretty tiring.
Enemy never gets to that visceral place -- you're outside looking in, watching a spectacle of someone else's horror.
Has impressive moments, but they're buried in a rubble of melodramatic excess that would have seemed corny in a film made while the war was actually being waged.
Where Enemy at the Gates excels is in the depth and breadth of the battlefield production.
A rousing historical drama and worthy addition to the recent revival of WWII films.
Law's performance is powerful, though Harris's steely-eyed (but friendly-looking) glare makes him a mite better.
A considerable achievement, a thinking man's war movie with a more compelling story than that of Saving Private Ryan.
Shows a consistent inability to generate any kind of drama when characters open their mouths.
The trouble with the film is that it didn't work well for long stretches.
Latest News for Enemy at the Gates
June 13, 2007:
Rachel Weisz to Star in Peter Jackson's "Lovely Bones
Remember when everyone was wondering why Rachel Weisz declined to be in the third "Mummy" movie? Here's why. More...
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