ENEMY AT THE GATES * * *
2001 – Germany/Ireland/UK/USA Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud Starring: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Ed Harris, Ron Perlman, Bob Hoskins
Reviewed by Frankie Paiva
In `Enemy at the Gates', Jude Law is a gifted Russian sniper made hero by a political officer named Danilov (Joseph Fiennes) who uses him in a propaganda newspaper to raise the hopes of the soldiers and people of Stalingrad. It's World War II, and the Russian-German standoff in town could determine the outcome of things for the motherland. Law's Vassili is the Russian's top pawn to victory. Lots of war stuff happens. An older, German version of Jude's character played by Ed Harris shows up halfway into the proceedings. He's equally talented, and the two men play a cat and mouse game trying to kill each other. They constantly switch roles, as the war fades far into the background. The cast also includes the terrific Rachel Weisz as a love interest for both Vassili and Danilov
The set-up is decent, and so are the production values. Boasting a wide range of grimy locales, greasy hair, and tattered costumes, the art direction prospers. The actors, however, suffer the problem Matt Damon had in `Saving Private Ryan'. Either their eyes, teeth, skin, or a combination of other features looked too white and clean. With dirt and blood all around, the blinding teeth or bright eyes of these actors divert attention from the action. That said, the players are mostly good in their roles, although I don't think Ed Harris was really trying. Maybe he realized his role struck a difficult chord in one-notedom.
While the film is technically about snipers, there are far too many predictable sniping scenes. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud expects us to view each tense situation with Jude and some cohort in a tight spot as edgy and exciting, but after about the sixth time, in which we realize that Jude is not going to die, it's relatively pointless. We get that he's talented, okay, let's move on. That's the problem with `Enemy at the Gates'; it just doesn't know when to stop. Witness the wasted seventeen minutes that could have been spent elsewhere.
Reestablishing his title as the most beautiful (and often talented) man on film, Jude Law carries the movie. Without him, this costly production would have gone into the ground. The story and acting are of good quality, but there's never a sense of authenticity or reality. Something about this war movie is undeniably modern, and it loses its feeling. Strange enough, the screenplay is based on the true story of a real Russian sniper.
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