Movies - Enemy at the Gates

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	Movies - Enemy at the Gates

Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 movie directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, adapted from a book written by William Craig which loosely described events surrounding World War II Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev and his German rival, Major König, during the Battle of Stalingrad, 1942-1943. Another book called The War of the Rats formed the basis for the sniper duel element of the screenplay. Annaud made the film also as a sort of tribute to his friend and fellow director Sergio Leone, who had been trying to make a film about the Siege of Leningrad at the time of his death.

The aim of the film is to describe the role of propaganda in both sides of the war, instrumentalising the sniper-warfare as a metaphor of the fight of the two armies.

The film was criticized both in Russia and in the West for taking considerable liberties with the facts; in both its plot and in the depictions of its characters (notably Fiennes' character, Danilov, and the German sniper König), it varies widely from the historical record. The actual Soviet Stalingrad veterans were so offended by inaccuracies in the movie and the insulting way in which the movie portrays the Soviet army, that they asked the Russian Parliament to ban the film in Russia.

One particular point that was insulting to the Stalingrad veterans was the scene in which the Soviet soldiers were shown as singing and dancing. According to numerous accounts, the two things that were always on the minds of the soldiers was to get something to eat and to catch some sleep.

In his book Stalingrad, historian Anthony Beevor suggests that, while Zaitsev was definitely a real person, the story of his duel with König is fictional.

Elsewhere in the world, the film met mixed box-office success. However, the opening scenes, where Red Army troops cross the Volga under heavy German fire, have been widely praised. The first level of the Russian campaign in Call of Duty is based on this scene.

Tagline: A hero never chooses his destiny. His destiny chooses him.

Main cast

Jude Law
- Vasily Zaitsev (spelled "Vassili" in the closing credits)
Rachel Weisz
- Tanya Chernova (spelled "Tania" in the closing credits)
Joseph Fiennes
- Commissar Danilov
Bob Hoskins
- Nikita Khrushchev (spelled "Krushchev" in the closing credits)
Ed Harris
- Major König
Matthias Habich - General (later Field Marshal) Friedrich Paulus, commander-in-chief of the German Sixth Army
Eva Mattes - Mother Filipov
Gabriel Marshall-Thomson - Sacha Filipov
Ron Perlman
- Sniper Koulikov
Sophie Rois - Ludmilla

Solecism

When Vasily Zaitsev was embraced by Nikita Khrushchev in a press conference, shown at 49:42 of the movie in the DVD release, a 1977 revised version of the Soviet Union's national hymn was played in the background, instead of the 1943 version, in contradiction to the time of events reflected in the film. At 50:17 in the movie, the song sang, Партия Ленина — сила народная; during the Great Patriotic War, the lyrics should read, Знамя советское, знамя народное. See National Anthem of the Soviet Union.

Goofs

On the poster a left-handed variant of the sniper Mosin-Nagant is shown. This is most likely a mirror flipped image of the rifle, since there are no known examples of the left-handed Mosin-Nagants in existence.

In the scene where Danilov meets Vasily, Danilov pulls a rifle from a dead soldier. The rifle's bolt handle is in the open position as he shoulders it. A second later as the camera angle changes to a head on view the bolt handle is closed. Danilov had no time to close the bolt correctly as he shouldered the rifle.

In the scene where the Army newspaper is first re-printed, Danilov lists places in Russia that were reprinting Vasily Zaitsev's story; he wrongly lists the Crimea, which at that time was in the hands of the Germans.

The story takes place in 1942, but the T-34-85 tank, shown in one of the scenes, did not appear until second half of 1943

Danilov is a commissar throughout the whole movie, although in the Red Army this rank was removed on October 9, 1942. Moreover, when he meets Vasily, he introduces himself as "politruk". This was a different rank, equal to elder lieutenant, while commissar was equal to the rank of major.

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