Enemy At The Gates DVD > Reviews > Brutal realism

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	True Story, Superb effects
Disadvantages:	Lack of Russian Accents

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have always loved war films, and since Saving Private Ryan, the films coming out of Hollywood are now concentrating more on the actual realism of war as opposed to the Rose tinted view we used to get with films such as The Longest Day, Where Eagles dare and the likes.

Enemy at the Gates is a true story of the life of Russian Hero Vassili Zaitsef a poor farmer turned infantryman in the Second World War.

The film focuses on Vassili's first taste of combat and his subsequent successes in the fight for Stalingrad during the very bleak winter of 1942/43. Stalingrad was one of the most brutal and devastating battles of the second world war and was in many ways the turning point for the defeat of Hitler, as his forces over committed themselves on the vast Eastern Front.

The films begins with Vassili's entry into Stalingrad and the sequence as they enter the war torn and devastated city across the Volga, being harassed and attacked by artillery and air attacks must rank as one of the most brutal and realistic scenes in any war film and compares to the beach assault in Private Ryan (although without the Spielberg flair).

As they enter the city you are shown the utter madness of the Soviet system, with propaganda being shouted at all opportunities, the issuing of one rifle between two and the immediate attack on seasoned German troops by 'raw' recruits - with the resulting deaths of pretty much all of them - and for the ones who retreated - the death by bullet from their own countrymen.

From here the film focuses on Vassili's relationship with his friend and mentor, Danilov (Political Officer) and the love triangle that develops between these two and Tania - I won't focus too much on this as it will spoil the film for you.

But the biggest battle is between Vassili and Major Konid the German sniper sent to Stalingrad by Hitler to stop Vassili.

The film provides many twists and turns and did for me demonstrate the utter pointlessness of the Soviet Communist system, but also how people in the face of overwhelming adversity can survive and triumph if they have belief.

Overall I found the film to be brilliant, I only have one major problem with the film and that is the fact that none of the characters who play Russians even attempt to put on a Russian accent - maybe only a small point but it did kind of ruin the superb structure that the film had built for itself.

Overall - go and see it - it is brilliant and a superb story despite its small downfalls.