New movies dealing with WWII face a tough road. It's going to be difficult for critics and audiences alike to avoid comparing them to "Saving Private Ryan," the univerally-loved Spielberg masterpiece that raised the bar for war movies. A tough act for anyone to follow.
Hopefully, people will give "Enemy at the Gates" a chance. They won't be sorry, as director Jean-Jacques Annaud's ("Seven Years in Tibet," "The Name of the Rose") film is exhilarating, extremely suspenseful and tells a fascinating and complex story. It successfully mixes history, romance and action.
Jude Law ("The Talented Mr. Ripley") stars as Vassily Zaitsev, a young Russian soldier fighting the Germans in Stalingrad. By chance, he meets Danilov ("Shakespeare in Love's" Joseph Fiennes), another young Russian soldier. Vassily gets them both out of a seemingly impossible situation with his expert use of a rifle.
Meanwhile, the Russians are on the verge of losing Stalingrad to the Germans. This would be devastating and could end the war. Danilov tells his superior officer, Krushchev (Bob Hoskins), that in order to boost the moral of the soldiers and the Russian people, they need heroes. And he just happens to know one.
Because of his extraordinary skills Vassily is promoted to the sniper squad. He navigates the ruins of the city killing as many important German officers as he can. During the closing months of 1942, Vassily quickly puts fear into Germany and unites all of Russia, where he is front page news every day.
The Germans desperately need to get rid of Vassily and they call in their best sniper, Major Koenig (Ed Harris), to kill him. Soon the two snipers are engaged in their own war. Both men are methodical, smart and patient and killing the other man is not going to be easy.
"Enemy at the Gates" is an exceptional thriller boasting outstanding performances from Law and especially Harris. The latter is menacing, as if he has ice water running through his veins.
The love story is the most conventional part of the movie. Rachel Weisz ("The Mummy") is good as Vassily's love interest and the viewer truly cares about their fate, but the battle between the snipers is much more interesting. More time should have been spent developing Major Koenig (and Danilov for that matter).
But the flaws in "Enemy at the Gates" are minor. It's an exciting ride from the very beginning. Kick back and enjoy it.
Grade: A-
"Enemy at the Gates" opens everywhere Fri., March 16.
