Enemy At The Gates

Another prowar movie to go with Saving Private Ryan (which it visibly imitates), safely set during World War IIspecifically at the battle of Stalingradthough it seems perfectly willing to make us feel better about killing Arabs in the present. (Maybe to show that it has its heart in the right place, it ends like Reds in a hospital.) Jude Law is a Soviet sharpshooter, English actors plays most of the other Russians (including Bob Hoskins, camping like crazy as Nikita Khrushchev), and Ed Harris is a Nazi sharpshooter. There’s never much risk of reality intrudingjust a lot of histrionic James Horner music (fortunately only semiaudible under the gunfire) and plenty of designer stubble on the soldiers’ faces. The director delivering these time-tested goods is Jean-Jacques Annaud, who with Alain Godard adapted William Craig’s book. The actorswho also include Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, and Ron Perlman outfitted with a jaw full of fillingsdo a pretty good job, though not good enough to sustain 133 minutes. (JR)

This entry was posted in Featured Texts. Bookmark the permalink.