ENEMY AT THE GATES (Enemy at the Gates (DVD))

Member Name: marandina

Product:	Enemy at the Gates (DVD)
Date:	20/10/02 (257 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful acting, Awesome cinematography

Disadvantages: You may not like war films, Graphic scenes

It's kind of hard to determine just who likes war films. I mean, there are those that revel in the action, there are others that look for meaning but notwithstanding this genre seems to be a case of it's own. Recent times have seen notable efforts including Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down but a film worth seeing is definitely Enemy at the Gates.

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Directed by:
Jean-Jacques Annaud

Writing credits: Jean-Jacques Annaud &
Alain Godard

Principle cast:
Joseph Fiennes ~ Commissar Danilov
Jude Law ~ Vassili Zaitsev
Rachel Weisz ~ Tania Chernova
Bob Hoskins ~ Nikita Khrushchev
Ed Harris ~ Major König
Ron Perlman ~ Koulikov
Eva Mattes ~ Mother Filipov
Gabriel Thomson ~ Sacha Filipov
Matthias Habich ~ General Paulus
Sophie Rois ~ Ludmilla
Ivan Shvedoff ~ Volodya
Mario Bandi ~ Anton

Running time: 131 minutes
Cert: 15
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The story is set in a faithfully re-created Stalingrad of 1941. The German army is on the advance and the Russian campaign (Operation Barbarossa) is well established. The Red Army desperately needs inspiration from somewhere to keep the advancing Nazis from overrunning them.

From the dramatic backdrop of a blitzed, ruined Stalingrad comes that inspiration in the form of Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law). From an upbringing based on shooting timber wolves in Siberian forests, it transpires that the Russian conscript has a penchant for sniping Germans with an unnerving accuracy. It's not long before Commissar Danilov (Joseph Fiennes) decides to exploit the young hero in the form of printed circulation designed to bolster Russian spirit. Perhaps commenting on the effective use of propaganda, even Nikita Khrushchev (Bob Hoskins) gets involved, personally sponsoring Vassili to turn him into a standard bearer for the home front's ef
forts.

However, alarmed by the rapid rate at which they are losing men, the Germans enlist Major Konig (Ed Harris), the legendary crackshot from a sniper school back in Berlin. The rest of the plot is taken up by a deadly game of cat and mouse between the two antagonists whilst the movie loosely records the historical events surrounding that stage of the war.

Acting performances sizzle in this carefully thought out passion play. Joseph Fiennes has come a long way since his efforts as Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love(1998). Here he plays the role of a serious, cerebral character in the shape of the fiercely committed Commissar. Fiennes simply goes from strength to strength with another captivating display that has booked him for future roles in Luther (about Martin Luther) and The Great Raid.

Jude Law continues on his upward curve, riding a gamut of emotion from naivety and exuberance to ultimate icon of an oppressed nation. Law seems to play roles with a glint in his eye that leaves you pondering the charisma that oozes from his celluloid presence.

Ed Harris reliably contributes as the cold, calculating major typically understating a linchpin contribution from an experienced actor. His relationship with the Russian boy Sacha (Gabriel Thomson of My Family fame) leaves a shiver running up your spine as the audience can't help but guess where this dangerous relationship based on double-cross and intrigue is heading.

Rachel Weisz weighs in as the love interest fuelling the inevitable triangle between herself, Law and Fiennes. This is a far cry from the piece of eye-candy played out in The Mummy with the role of Tania Chernova reflecting the active involvement of female conscripts in the Russian army. Needless to say, despite the muck and bullets the leading lady still manages to dazzle, capturing the hearts of the principle Russian players although the obligatory love scene does capture the live for the moment spirit of
a potentially short-lived existence.

Enemy at the Gates is a triumph with strong direction from Jean-Jacques Annaud. Moving on from the somewhat controversial Seven Years in Tibet, he manages to find fine performances from pretty much the whole cast luring the viewer in to a highly believable desolation that was Russia at the time of the German advance. The characters appear to compliment each other in some searing scenes that move between the volatile emotions called upon in the name of impending tragedy.

Paired again with the same director, the cinematography of Robert Fraisse can only be held in awe. The carefully choreographed explosion scenes leave the viewer on the edge of his/her seat and the panoramic camera work associated with the aerial raids on the city is incredible. Between them, the direction and cinematography capture the vast scale of the human misery caused by the conflict. This is typified by such accurate attention to detail including the hand written, last second notes scrawled and pinned on walls as a trail for relatives and friends to follow in the wake of mass evacuations. Fraisse was nominated for best cinematography by the British Society of Cinematographers at the 2001 awards giving an indication of the wonderful work he put in to this dramatic production.

There are so many things I loved about this film. The actual story itself is enthralling as you go through the ups and downs, trials and tribulations of the synonymous good guy that is Vassili Zaitsev. It's hard not to find yourself rooting for him as the wide-eyed, open-mouthed youth with more talent than experience. Ed Harris as the atypical bad guy leaves you cold with an attitude that you know will stop at nothing to get his man.

Perhaps even more important was the movie's portrayal of the clinical nature of the conflict. Barely an eyelid is batted throughout despite the almost silent efficiency that the main parties carry out their killi
ngs. One second, an oblivious soldier is crawling on all fours to jockey for position, the next they are lying dead with a bullet in their head. The reduction of life to an almost worthless commodity is brought home by a desperation drawn from an alternative world where only the fittest survive with even this maxim drawn out to it's limit by the element of luck playing a part in the survival of the players.

You could be forgiven for thinking that the writers have tried to illustrate the mechanics of propaganda with the elevation of Zaitsev to national hero. This is countered by moves taken by the Germans to insure that even in the event of the major's death; their enemies would not be able to profit from the potential for propaganda as a result. Of course, they have but by showing both sides of the argument it soon become clear that both sides are culpable playing exactly the same game whilst, not so clear, is that the other combatants in the second world war used similar tactics that are still prevalent today.

To this end, it's fascinating that the work of anti-war flicks like the Iron Cross with James Mason continue to be championed by films like Enemy at the Gates where the warring factions don't include the usual suspects i.e. the British and Americans and the audience is left to ponder the terrible nature of altercations like World War 2.

Enemy at the Gates is outstanding. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Thanks for reading.

Marandina

Available on video from Amazon for £13.49 (PAL format; Dolby, Surround Sound, PAL ASIN:B00005NONS, Catalogue Number: P9017S)

DVD is £18.99 from Amazon. (Region 2 encoding, PAL ASIN: B00005OLA6, Catalogue Number: P9017DVD)

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