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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.
Credits:
Producer: Jean-Jacques Annaud, John D. Schofield
Cast: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Bob Hoskins, Ed Harris, Rachel
Weisz
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