Enemy at the Gates (UK)
Click to read:
Some men are born to be heroes
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 131 mins
Retail Price: £19.99
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
An all-star cast lights up the screen in this riveting epic hailed as "a vivid dramatization of one of history`s titanic turning points." (Gene Shalit, TODAY)
The year is 1942 and the Nazis are cutting a deadly swath through Russia. Under the leadership of Khrushchev (Bob Hoskins), the citizens of Stalingrad are mounting a brave resistance, spurred by the exploits of their local hero, Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law). An expert sniper, Vassili`s deeds have become legendary - thanks to propaganda produced by Vassili`s best friend, a political officer named Danilov (Joseph Fiennes). To stop Vassili, the Germans dispatch their best sniper, Major Konig (Ed Harris), to Stalingrad. When Vassili and Danilov both fall in love with a beautiful soldier (Rachel Weisz), Danilov deserts his friend, leaving Vassili to face his German counterpart alone. As the city burns, Vassili and Konig begin a cunning game of cat and mouse, waging a private war for courage, honor and country.
Special Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Feature-length Director`s Audio Commentary
Featurette: `Inside Enemy at the Gates`
Cast and Crew Interviews
`Stalingrad`
Eight Deleted Scenes, with option to watch them in their correct place in the movie
Trailers
Storyboards
Picture Gallery
Video Tracks:
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.78:1
Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
DTS 5.1 English
Directed By:
Jean-Jacques Annaud
Written By:
Alain Godard
Jean-Jacques Annaud
Starring:
Eva Mattes
Ron Perlman
Ed Harris
Bob Hoskins
Rachel Weisz
Joseph Fiennes
Jude Law
Casting By:
Ros Hubbard
John Hubbard
Soundtrack By:
James Horner
Director of Photography:
Robert Fraisse
Editor:
Humphrey Dixon
Noëlle Boisson
Costume Designer:
Janty Yates
Production Designer:
Wolf Kroeger
Producer:
John D. Schofield
Jean-Jacques Annaud
Executive Producer:
Alisa Tager
Jörg Reichl
Roland Pellegrino
Alain Godard
Distributor:
Entertainment In Video
Your Opinions and Comments
A gripping film, fantastic sound - the ground in my house vibrated with the bombs and explosions. Bit of romance for the girls, big explosions and guns for the boys.
Joseph Fiennes
Jude Law
Rachel weisz
and Bob Hoskins who has only really come back into the film and tv spotlight.Ed Harris plays the confident taunter in the film and one of his best performances ever.
The extra features are as good as can be expected. I haven`t listened to the commentry (the director doesn`t seem very interesting, so i`m not optimistic).
There's a directors commentary, 2 making of type docs that are mostly interviews of the main cast & crew, a 25 minute documentary on Stalingrad (subtitled), 8 deleted scenes with can either be watched separately or branched seamlessly into the film, a trailer, filmographies of the main cast & the director, a storyboard comparison and a whole bunch of poster.
While this isn't a fantastic film, it is a good war movie if you like that sort of thing, presented on great DVD package. I did enjoy this film while not being a huge fan of the genre, certainly worth a rent.
Oh, and the animated menus are a nice touch.