Posted by tonester on 20th January 2002 10:33 PM (edited by DVD Plaza 1st July 2002 07:27 AM):

Enemy At The Gates
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"I am a stone"

Rare is the Hollywood war movie that does not depict heroic Americans. Enemy at the Gates, however, is the exception. It various bits of the battle for Stalingrad: a crucial event in WWII, but it remains largely unknown except to scholars, primarily because it was fought by the Russians and the Germans.

With an opening 20 minutes or so that is as harrowing and almost as gory as that in Saving Private Ryan, we join the action as Russian reinforcements cross the river Volga to join the troops being slaughtered at the front. After this initial onslaught, the field of the plot is narrowed to two Russian troops: a political officer (i.e. propaganda merchant) Danilov (Joseph Fiennes) and an infantryman who has proved that he is a little more than a sharp shot, Vassili (Jude Law). As Russian morale is sinking, Danilov convinces his commanding officer Nikita Kruschev (Bob Hoskins) that the war effort needs to inspire its troops with heroes, rather than drive them with fear: one of the most chilling moments in the movie comes in the opening when advancing Russian troops are cut to shreds by the Germans, and as they retreat, they are finished off by their own for their cowardice in turning back.

So Vasssili becomes a hero, and his sniping efforts become legend for troops that have not much else to keep them going. One of these troops is Tanya (Rachel Weisz), and we know that a love triangle is going to develop in what is probably the weakest aspect of the movie. The real drama, though, comes as the Germans bring from Berlin Major Koenig (Ed Harris), something of a legendary sharpshooter himself, and his express orders are to take the stuffing out the Russians by finding and killing Vassili.

Director Jean Jacques Annaud (Seven Years in Tibet) expertly keeps the tension on full from the harrowing opening through the cat and mouse game between the two sniping experts. It’s not often that I’m turned away from a movie, but at some points in this one, I could barely bear to watch because of the sheer terror of the situations, and for the rest of the time, I was resigned to squirming in my seat. Much of the action centres on the eyes and the scopes of the two protagonists, and the icy blue eyes of Law (A.I. )and Harris (The Abyss), as well as their brilliant adaptation to the roles kept me enthralled throughout the two hours plus that the movie runs.

Based on real events and people (probably with the exception of the love triangle) Enemy at the Gates is a fresh look at WWII from some perspectives that rarely get a go. As well as the duel between the two leads, it does have a bit to say too about the politics of the time, however this aspect only adds to the drama rather than distracting from it. A must-see for fans of the genre.


Technical Specifications
Distributor: Roadshow Home Entertainment
Studio: Mandalay Pictures
Cinema Release: 2001
DVD Release: 2002
Video Format: 2.35:1 (16:9 ENHANCED)
Audio Format(s): DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1
Classification: MA15+


Video
The transfer is presented at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and is 16x9 enhanced. It is as sharp and clear as any transfer that I have seen, and detail is on display in abundance. This good level of detail extends into to shadows, which is important in light of the fact that much of the movie takes place in semi-darkness or murky light. There were no instances of grain in these scenes either.

There isn’t much in the way of colour: much of the scenery is a dull brown or grey. No doubt it was an intended effect of the filmmakers to give the movie an authentic WWII feel. Occasionally, though there is a little colour (such as the blue eyes of two of the leads), and it shows up well.

In the way of defects, there is very little to report. I saw one solitary film artefact (although it was a reasonably big one), and only a couple of instances of mild aliasing on some Venetian blinds and on some newsprint. All in all, a wonderful transfer, especially considering the number of shots containing extremely high level of detail.


Soundtrack
God love Roadshow Home Entertainment for giving us more of what we want: DTS. This DVD has the DTS track, as well as a Dolby Digital 5.1 track for those without DTS capability.

There was only really a split hair separating the two soundtracks: both were absolutely superb (with the DTS track occasionally having slightly more presence) with action whizzing all around the soundstage, and the bass channel rumbling away almost constantly. In the battle scenes, the track that this most reminded me of was the DTS Saving Private Ryan, and those that know that DVD will realise that this is heavy praise indeed.

The battle sequences were so enveloping, that it is hard to describe. The bass associated with the rolling tanks and airplanes leads me to a comparison with another DVD – this time U-571. The difference here, though, is that the bass is not merely thumping, but punchy and direct. The only criticism that I can level is that while the atmospheric effects during the battle scenes is superb, occasionally, the track is a little front heavy in scenes such as when there are crowds of soldiers in the bunkers: a little more in the way of atmosphere at these times would not have gone astray.


Extras
Additional Scenes - (2.35:1, 16x9 enhanced, Dolby Digital 2.0) (11:00): There are nine scenes here, and most are quite unfinished. As always, the addition of a commentary would have been nice to explain the reason for the deletion of the scenes.

Through the Crosshairs - (1.33:1, Dolby Digital 2.0) (19:41): This “making if” is fairly standard stuff, with brief interviews with the major cast and crew. It does, though, shed some good light on what was a massive production.

Inside Enemy at the Gates - (1.33:1, Dolby Digital 2.0) (15:01): There is some duplication between this and the above item, however here, the leads and the director tend to confine their discussion to the actors and the characterisations.

Biographies - Reasonably lengthy biographical details and comprehensive filmographies for Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins, Rachel Weisz and Jean –Jacques Annaud.

Theatrical Trailer - 2.35:1, 16x9 enhanced, Dolby Digital 5.1) (2:15): A pretty good trailer of excellent quality.


And The Survey Says...
Enemy at the Gates is a superb war film, in a genre that struggles to find anything new to do or say. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout, and some fine acting helped as well. The audio and video are nothing short of superb, and a decent extras package rounds out a fine DVD.


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