Enemy at the Gates (2001) Jean-Jacques Annaud

Production Budget: $70 million

Worldwide Gross: $96 million

Enemy is about Russian soldier Vassili Zaitsev who fights during WWII. Command quickly learns he is an excellent sharpshooter and is presented in propaganda as a hero of the war. Zaitsev does such a good job the Germans send Major Konig (Ed Harris) to hunt him down.

Enemy is a strange movie for me to pin down. I’ve seen it several times but haven’t owned it. Leading up to seeing it again (for the purposes of this review) I thought it was going to suck. After it was all done I asked myself “Why did I think I hated it before?” I ended up liking this movie quite a bit. The cat and mouse game between Zaitsev and Konig is especially fun if a bit implausible. What is also interesting is the shaky relationship Zaitsev has with the military. Zaitsev knows he is outmatched by Konig but can’t really admit to it because the Russians would just as well kill a coward.

The movie is produced well and they do a good job with the battle of Stalingrad. You see completely devastated sections of the city and see some large battles take place. Now I read this movie is based on a book which is in turn based on a real life person. I already dismissed any pretense this was based on real life by the time I popped the DVD in my player. Yes, I know this has been put through the Hollywood ringer to be more ‘action packed’ and whatnot. I am not judging this as a historical epic but as a war theme action movie. In that regard, it does pretty well.

That is not to say it doesn’t have problems. The one that stuck out the largest for me was the “love triangle” between Zaitsev, his friend Danilov (Joseph Fiennes), and Stalingrad resident Tania (Rachel Weisz). Any romantic subplot is out of place in a movie like this and a love triangle doubly so. It is a waste of space, I hated every second of it, and the only purpose is to draw some people out by casting the sexy Rachel Weisz. Also, I’m not all that keen on the casting of Jude Law. He does fine I guess, but all during it I just didn’t feel he completely fit the character. I suppose it also has something to do with being up opposite Harris. You see the contrast when Harris can inspire fear in a few facial expressions, while Law is struggling to keep up with the material.

But overall I liked this movie. I think much of it comes from your expectations from it. Mainly, don’t expect too much from it. If you want to see a good action movie and an interesting villain by Harris, then I think this would be worth checking it out. If you expecting some sprawling war epic or some serious account of the real life Zaitsev then you will be disappointed. Enemy at the Gates does just enough for me to enjoy it.