Enemy at the Gates (DVD, 2001, Sensormatic)

Set during the imfamous World War II siege of Stalingrad, this
potent thriller follows a battle of wits and wills between renowned
Russian sharpshooter Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law) and top German
sniper Major Konig (Ed Harris). When propaganda from a Red Army
political officer (Joseph Fiennes) turns Zaitsev into a living
legend, it draws the attention of Konig, who comes gunning for his
enemy counterpart and takes on the entire Russian Sniper company
in order to get Zaitsev. Rachel Weisz plays a fellow Russian sniper
and Zaitsev's lover and Bob Hoskins co-stars as the commanding general
of the Russian forces in Stalingrad. Jean-Jacques Annud directed
this movie and it is his best effort yet (others being The Bear,
Seven Years in Tibet, and a few minor movies). War movie and Drama
devotees will enjoy the great sniper shots in this movie and it
will especially provide them with a full night of entertainment.

Simply a great movie, Great history !!!
Like Saving Private Ryan, Enemy at the Gates opens with a pivotal event of World War II--the German invasion of Stalingrad--re-created in epic scale, as ill-trained Russian soldiers face German attack or punitive execution if they flee from the enemy's advance. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud captures this madness with urgent authenticity, creating a massive context for a more intimate battle waged amid the city's ruins. Embellished from its basis in fact, the story shifts to an intense cat-and-mouse game between a Russian shepherd raised to iconic fame and a German marksman whose skill is unmatched in its lethal precision. Vassily Zaitzev (Jude Law) has been sniping Nazis one bullet at a time, while the German Major Konig (Ed Harris) has been assigned to kill Vassily and spare Hitler from further embarrassment.
Buy It..

Intriguing story of 2 snipers stalking each other during the last days when the German armies tried unsuccessfully to take over Stalingrad to be able to capture the must-needed oil fields to support the German war machine. Very tense to watch 2 blue, steel-eyed opponents (Jude Law & Ed Harris) face each other to the end. Great examples of how political war propaganda can be used to motivate people to do things they would rather not. Bob Hoskins' role as Nikita S. Kruschev was accurate & believable. Rachel Weisz role as a female soldier in the Russian Army was also accurate & believable. The Russian female soldiers were just as fierce & unflinching as their male counterparts, fighting side by side. I agree with several reviewers who placed this movie at the same level as "Saving Private Ryan." Not to be missed.

Enemy At The Gates is the story of the Russian sniper Vassili Zaitsev. Vassili Zaitsev was a real person and was acclaimed the greatest Russian sniper of World War II. Enemy At The Gates is a fact based movie that is of course glamorized for Hollywood. The movie does reveal to the viewer the hardships faced by the beleaguered defenders of Stalingrad during the German invasion of that city during World War II. It is a dramatic story containing a little for every taste. Vassili falls in love with a fellow defender of the city who is also loved by a man who becomes his best friend. His friend betrays him when he finds that the woman has chosen Vassili over him, but repents and helps Vassili in the end. This is a movie about not normal war, but guerrilla fighting, house to house and street to street. The Russian defenders find themselves short of food, ammunition and few safe havens are available to hide from the German invaders. This movie is a reflection of actual events and does not seek to glorify war but to convey the story of a normal boy who becomes a man during war and eventually, a hero to his countrymen. As in real life and real war, Vassili loses much that he holds dear but fights to save his homeland from the invader. For those of you who like the fast action of movies like First Blood, do not expect the same from this movie. To some, this movie might seem slow at times and the love story woven through it might seem distracting. But the intent is to paint Vassili as a real human being and to make the viewer aware of his character as more than just a soldier. Anyone who wants a taste of what war and the losses derived from it might be like, this movie is a stark example of those trying times. I do not believe it suitable for children and most teens would find it to realistic to enjoy it.

Awesome cast
Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins.

A sad movie about the atrocities of war. Movie takes place during WWII. The cinematography does a great job at depicting the bleakness of war.
makes a great addition to any DVD collection.