But the major theme is the relentless duel between the ruthlessly efficient Major König and Comrade Zaitsev: two eyes peering behind two telescopic sights, one of Prussian blue and one of Russian Red. 'Don't have any illusions,' the older man tells his study, baring wide the virtues of Soviet dentistry. Ron Perlman briefly plays the captivating Kulikov, a German-trained sniper who mentors Zaitsev. For example, we learn in a cameo that General von Paulus (Matthias Habich), has placed his Sixth Army's entire hopes on Major König's skill in bringing down the Soviet propaganda icon, sharpshooter Zaitsev - and thus winning the pivotal battle of the war with a single well-placed bullet. The love-interest does serve to divert the viewer from much of the movie's historical and tactical absurdity. Meanwhile, Zaitsev and his handler, a Jewish commissar and propagandist, Comrade Danilov (Joseph Fiennes), vie for the beautiful Jewish soldier Tanya.

The deadly contest in marksmanship takes place between a character based on a real-life Hero of the Soviet Union, Vassily Zaitsev (Jude Law), a sniper credited with hundreds of kills, and a fictitious German sniping expert, Major König (expertly played by Ed Harris). Nevertheless, it offers a compelling plot that features a duel between master snipers, and a romantic triangle among the Soviets. The latest of these, Enemy at the Gates, set in the cataclysmic siege of Stalingrad, is long on drama, short on historical accuracy.Īs historical epic to rank with Lawrence of Arabia, or even Doctor Zhivago, Enemy at the Gates fails miserably. The success in 1998 of Steven Spielberg's smarmy Saving Private Ryan has inspired a reawakening of interest in epic movies of the Second World War.

Starring: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Rachel Weisz, Ron Perlman, Gabriel Marshall-Thomson, Matthias Habich.

The River Dead by Scott L. Smith