Enemy at the Gates Blu-ray offers solid video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
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.
The extended battle that defined World War II and shaped the course of history in the 20th
Century, Stalingrad saw the fate of the world teeter on the brink as two superpowers faced off in
one of the bloodiest confrontations in the history of mankind. Costing countless lives on both
sides, the carnage wrought encompassed the entirety of the War on the Eastern front, and
indeed, proved the turning point of the conflict. Though World War II saw bloody confrontations
across several theaters, it was the Nazi-Soviet conflict, and the Battle of Stalingrad in particular,
that defined the War and settled its outcome. Fought in the winter of 1942-43, the superior
German army could never successfully take the entire the city. The cold weather, long
supply lines, and the determination of the Red Army and the citizens of Stalingrad proved too
much
for the modernized German forces. Depicted in several films, notably among them Director
Joseph Vilsmaier's superb Stalingrad and Director Jean-Jacques Annaud's Enemy at
the
Gates, the epic battle will never be completely re-imagined to the extent of the true
devastation and despair that marked that winter, but cinema can provide a glimpse into the
horrors of life amongst the rubble of the city bearing the name of the General Secretary of the
Communist Party, Joseph Stalin.
One shot, one kill.
Boatloads of Russian soldiers cross the Volga river and charge well-fortified German positions,
many mowed down before even firing a shot, and those who survive the barrage and retreat
are murdered by their own officers in the rear, who shoot their men for desertion in the face of
the enemy. Among the survivors of the river crossing is a young farm boy from the Ural
Mountains, Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law, Gattaca), who
manages to survive the barrage by hiding in a fountain littered with corpses. He soon
meets a Russian propagandist, Commisar Danilov (Joseph Fiennes, The Great Raid), who
also takes cover amidst the bloodied remains of his countrymen. When Zaitsev helps the
bumbling Commisar load a weapon and kill five Germans in rapid succession, he is hailed as a
hero when Danilov writes of him in his latest propaganda piece. Zaitsev is reassigned to the
sniper division and, with each kill, his legend grows. To counteract him, the Germans bring in
their own top sniper, Major König (Ed Harris, Appaloosa), to
eliminate the famed Russian killing machine and once again place the Red Army and
Stalingrad's populace into a state of despair.
Generally, Enemy at the Gates impresses, though it never ascends to the same level as
the all-time greats of
the
genre, notably Saving Private Ryan, Glory,
Platoon, and Full Metal Jacket.
The
action sequences are well-staged, the danger around every corner or above that last bit of a brick
wall that serves as cover palpable throughout. Through the larger, sweeping battles in particular,
the movie does well to draw the audience into the danger where bullets, artillery shells, and
bombs
mark the landscape and spell imminent death for all but the most (un)fortunate who live but for
one
more day only to once again face the same devastation. Most every scene is filled with smoke, all
that remains
from an explosion, a crumbled structure, or the barrel of a rifle recently fired. No building, no
vegetation, and no man
remains
unscathed, and the movie creates a believable atmosphere where one can appreciate the scope of
the devastation. Likewise, the sniper duel generally enthralls, and the many twists and turns the
film takes throughout the action always keeps audiences on their toes.
Although much of the film's historical accuracy may be in question, it works from a purely
detached sense, the action and cat-and-mouse game playing well from a cinematic perspective.
Accepting most any movie as gospel truth for any historical event is a dubious-at-best
proposition, for even the most accurate will embellish or omit for the sake of dramatic license,
pace, time constraints, or any of dozens of other reasons a filmmaker may choose to deviate from
fact. In the case of Enemy at the Gates, the film's action is derived from a strong
emotional core that lends to the film plenty of gut-wrenching drama that frames both the whole
of the battle and the singularity of the sniper duel exceptionally. The characters in the film are
surprisingly well-developed, and their camaraderie and, in some cases and much more
importantly, physical and emotional love for one another lends to the film a deeper, more
personal touch that provides added weight to the action. Also working in the film's favor is a
generally rapid pace that, despite material that may superficially seem monotonous, plays with
plenty of raw drama that is punctuated by the action sequences.
Enemy at the Gates lines up in the Blu-ray crosshairs and reveals a picture that does not
quite excite the visual senses. This 1080p, 2.35:1-framed image
takes on a dull, drab, lifeless
appearance, reflecting the cold, harsh, smoky, and decaying Stalingrad that populates every
frame
of the film. At times, the film seems almost colorless, only the brown stocks of the rifles or the
dull
green uniforms standing out from the black and gray rubble and smoke that has overtaken the
city. It
should come as no surprise that the finest of details are hard to come by, particularly in those
outdoor shots covered in smoke and generally bleak imagery. Some objects -- wool-lined jackets,
the lines in the wood on the rifle stocks, facial hair growth, or the remnants of a
brick
wall -- reveal adequate textures and visible nuances that enhance the realism of the picture, but
never does any one object stand out to truly wow viewers. The image often appears rather clean
with minimal grain but displays the occasional bout of noise or dirt. Black levels are sufficient and
flesh
tones take on an appropriately cold, lifeless appearance that matches up with the overall look of
the
film. Enemy at the Gates offers a rather flat-appearing image at best, but considering
the many
challenges facing the visuals, this disc seems to replicate the intended look nicely enough.
Enemy at the Gates shells Blu-ray with a somewhat lackluster Dolby TrueHD 5.1
lossless soundtrack. Gunshots lack that crisp oomph and zip, and explosions don't provide the heft
and deep thumps one might expect of them. The action sequences fall a bit flat, with not
much in the way of immersion or foundation-shaking bass. Sound effects spread out nicely across
the front, but the rear channels offer little in the way of discernible support. Generally subtle
ambience is heard nicely here and there, for example machine gun fire and explosions off in the
distance, most coming out of the front speakers, and sometimes elevated in volume when shells
land closer to the action. Sometimes, these distant explosions, and those closer to the action in
particular, surpass in the level of hefty bass those happening in the middle of the frame. The film's
final major battle scenes offer up the most heft and power, with the explosions playing to good
volume but still not rattling the floorboards. Music and dialogue are both delivered crisply and
efficiently. While a solid soundtrack, this one ultimately underwhelms in its effort bring the action
to vivid life.
Enemy at the Gates arrives on Blu-ray with only a few extras. Through the
Crosshairs (480p, 19:36) plays as a very basic making-of piece where cast and crew recount
the plot, discuss the characters, speak of the themes, and recount the history of the battle itself.
Inside 'Enemy at the Gates' (480p, 15:01) features cast and crew discussing their
preparations for the roles, including learning the history of the battle and firing their weapons. They
also speak further on the themes, the making of the film, casting, working together, their favorite
scenes, and more. Concluding this brief presentation of extras is a collection of nine deleted scenes
(480p, 10:13) and the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:28).
Enemy at the Gates gets it right. A fine War picture but not necessarily one of the all-time
greats, the film frames the action in a human context, bringing life and emotion to its characters
and building them not necessarily as heroes, but as men and women fighting to see another day.
While the action serves as the fundamental point-of-interest for the film, the emotional and
dramatic core lends more importance and danger to each shot fired, leaving the audience hoping for
the best but anticipating the worst. In a world where smoldering ruins and bloodied corpses seem
to litter every square inch of terrain, the characters struggle to survive, fighting perhaps superficially
for their country and their leader but, deeper inside, for one another, for their friendships, and for
their loves. Paramount's Blu-ray presentation of Enemy at the Gates might not entice
hardcore Blu-ray fans to upgrade from the DVD. While the picture and sound are improved, the lack
of bonus materials disappoints. Enemy at the Gates comes recommended as a rental for
sure and a purchase for those yet to own the film on another format.
Enemy at the Gates: Other Editions
- $8.99
Blu-ray bundles with Enemy at the Gates (2 bundles)
Paramount Home Entertainment has revealed the technical specs and special features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of '3 Days of the Condor', 'Changing Lanes', 'Enemy at the Gates', and 'The Machinist', which are all due to hit store shelves on May 19th (the other ...
In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount Home Entertainment has revealed that they will bring five catalog titles to Blu-ray on May 19th. Included in the wave is '3 Days of the Condor', 'Changing Lanes', 'Enemy at the Gates', 'The Machinist', and 'Paycheck'. ...
