The story of a duel during World War II between celebrated Russian sniper, Vassili Zaitsev, and the Nazis best sharpshooter, Major Konig, set against the epic battle of Stalingrad.
Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 war film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, set during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II.
The films title is taken from William Craigs 1973 nonfiction book Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad, which describes the events surrounding the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942/43.While fictional, the film is loosely based on war stories told by Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev.
In 1942, Vasili Zaytsev (Jude Law), a shepherd from the Ural Mountains who is now a soldier in the Red Army, finds himself on the front lines of the Battle of Stalingrad. Sent on a suicidal charge against the invading Germans, he uses impressive marksmanship skills—taught to him by his grandfather from a young age—to save himself and commissar Danilov (Joseph Fiennes). Nikita Khrushchev (Bob Hoskins) arrives in Stalingrad to coordinate the citys defences and demands ideas to improve morale. Danilov, now a Senior Lieutenant, suggests that the people need figures to idolize, and publishes tales of Vasilis exploits in the armys newspaper that paint him as a national hero and propaganda icon. Vasili is transferred to the sniper division, and he and Danilov become friends. They also both become romantically interested in Tania (Rachel Weisz), a citizen of Stalingrad who has become a Private in the local militia. Danilov has her transferred to an intelligence unit away from the battlefield.
A trailer of enemy at the gates
With the Soviet snipers taking an increasing toll on the German forces, German Major Erwin König (Ed Harris) is deployed to Stalingrad to take out Vasili and thus crush Soviet morale. A renowned marksman and head of the German Army sniper school at Zossen, he lures Vasili into a trap and takes out two of his fellow snipers, but Vasili manages to escape. When the Red Army command learns of Königs mission, they dispatch his former student Koulikov (Ron Perlman) to help Vasili kill him. König, however, outmaneuvers Koulikov and kills him with a very skillful shot, shaking Vasilis spirits considerably. Khrushchev pressures Danilov to bring the sniper standoff to a conclusion.
Sasha, a young Soviet boy, volunteers to act as a double agent by passing König false information about Vasilis whereabouts, thus giving Vasili a chance to ambush the Major. Vasili sets a trap for König and manages to wound him, but during a second attempt Vasili falls asleep after many hours and his sniper log is taken by a looting German soldier. The German command takes the log as evidence of Vasilis death and plans to send König home, but the Major does not believe that Vasili is dead. The commanding German general takes Königs dog tags to prevent Russian propaganda from profiting if König is killed. König also gives the general a war merit cross that was posthumously awarded to Königs son, who was a lieutenant in the 116th infantry division and was killed in the early days of the battle for Stalingrad. This reveals Königs reason for volunteering for the mission. König tells Sasha where he will be next, suspecting that the boy will tell Vasili. Tania and Vasili have meanwhile fallen in love, and the jealous Danilov disparages Vasili in a letter to his superiors.
König spots Tania and Vasili waiting for him at his next ambush spot, confirming his suspicions about Sasha. He reluctantly kills the boy and hangs his body off a pole to bait Vasili. Vasili vows to kill König and sends Tania and Danilov to evacuate Sashas mother (Eva Mattes) from the city, but Tania is wounded by shrapnel en route to the evacuation boats. Thinking her dead, Danilov regrets his jealousy of Vasili and his resulting disenchantment with the communist cause. Finding Vasili waiting to ambush König, Danilov intentionally exposes himself in order to provoke König into shooting him and exposing Königs position. Thinking he has killed Vasili, König goes to inspect the body, but realizes too late that he has fallen into a trap and is in Vasilis sights. He turns to face Vasili, who then kills him. Two months later, after Stalingrad has been liberated and the German forces have surrendered, Vasili finds Tania recovering in a field hospital.
Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 war film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, set during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II.
The films title is taken from William Craigs 1973 nonfiction book Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad, which describes the events surrounding the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942/43.While fictional, the film is loosely based on war stories told by Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev.
In 1942, Vasili Zaytsev (Jude Law), a shepherd from the Ural Mountains who is now a soldier in the Red Army, finds himself on the front lines of the Battle of Stalingrad. Sent on a suicidal charge against the invading Germans, he uses impressive marksmanship skills—taught to him by his grandfather from a young age—to save himself and commissar Danilov (Joseph Fiennes). Nikita Khrushchev (Bob Hoskins) arrives in Stalingrad to coordinate the citys defences and demands ideas to improve morale. Danilov, now a Senior Lieutenant, suggests that the people need figures to idolize, and publishes tales of Vasilis exploits in the armys newspaper that paint him as a national hero and propaganda icon. Vasili is transferred to the sniper division, and he and Danilov become friends. They also both become romantically interested in Tania (Rachel Weisz), a citizen of Stalingrad who has become a Private in the local militia. Danilov has her transferred to an intelligence unit away from the battlefield.
A trailer of enemy at the gates
With the Soviet snipers taking an increasing toll on the German forces, German Major Erwin König (Ed Harris) is deployed to Stalingrad to take out Vasili and thus crush Soviet morale. A renowned marksman and head of the German Army sniper school at Zossen, he lures Vasili into a trap and takes out two of his fellow snipers, but Vasili manages to escape. When the Red Army command learns of Königs mission, they dispatch his former student Koulikov (Ron Perlman) to help Vasili kill him. König, however, outmaneuvers Koulikov and kills him with a very skillful shot, shaking Vasilis spirits considerably. Khrushchev pressures Danilov to bring the sniper standoff to a conclusion.
Sasha, a young Soviet boy, volunteers to act as a double agent by passing König false information about Vasilis whereabouts, thus giving Vasili a chance to ambush the Major. Vasili sets a trap for König and manages to wound him, but during a second attempt Vasili falls asleep after many hours and his sniper log is taken by a looting German soldier. The German command takes the log as evidence of Vasilis death and plans to send König home, but the Major does not believe that Vasili is dead. The commanding German general takes Königs dog tags to prevent Russian propaganda from profiting if König is killed. König also gives the general a war merit cross that was posthumously awarded to Königs son, who was a lieutenant in the 116th infantry division and was killed in the early days of the battle for Stalingrad. This reveals Königs reason for volunteering for the mission. König tells Sasha where he will be next, suspecting that the boy will tell Vasili. Tania and Vasili have meanwhile fallen in love, and the jealous Danilov disparages Vasili in a letter to his superiors.
König spots Tania and Vasili waiting for him at his next ambush spot, confirming his suspicions about Sasha. He reluctantly kills the boy and hangs his body off a pole to bait Vasili. Vasili vows to kill König and sends Tania and Danilov to evacuate Sashas mother (Eva Mattes) from the city, but Tania is wounded by shrapnel en route to the evacuation boats. Thinking her dead, Danilov regrets his jealousy of Vasili and his resulting disenchantment with the communist cause. Finding Vasili waiting to ambush König, Danilov intentionally exposes himself in order to provoke König into shooting him and exposing Königs position. Thinking he has killed Vasili, König goes to inspect the body, but realizes too late that he has fallen into a trap and is in Vasilis sights. He turns to face Vasili, who then kills him. Two months later, after Stalingrad has been liberated and the German forces have surrendered, Vasili finds Tania recovering in a field hospital.