John Depko -- REEL CRITIC

The murderous German siege of Stalingrad in 1942 stands as one of the

most brutal military assaults in history. The opening scenes of “Enemy at

the Gates” are reminiscent of “Saving Private Ryan” and graphically

capture the horrifying reality of this ruthless battle. The outstanding

special effects sweep the viewer into the heart of the carnage and

re-create the terror of this nightmare come true.

Jude Law plays real-life Russian hero Vassily Zaitsev, a farm boy who

barely survives the opening slaughter. Hiding in a pile of dead soldiers,

he is able to kill several enemy officers with a single shot each. His

shooting skills are witnessed by the only other survivor in the pile of

bodies, political commissar Danilov, played by Joseph Fiennes. Danilov

brings Vassily to the attention of Nikita Khrushchev, and the propaganda

campaign to create the legend of the heroic Soviet sniper begins.

While this film begins as a thunderous war movie, it quickly slows

down and becomes a smaller, more intimate film with hard to believe

details. The focus is on a gritty game of cat and mouse between Vassily

and and Major Koenig, the German sharpshooter played by the excellent Ed

Harris.

A lot of screen time is also given to the romantic rivalry that

develops between the two Russians over a female member of the sniper team

(Rachel Weisz). This love story takes over the movie.

All roles are well acted, and the cinematography is superb. But the

epic battle for Stalingrad becomes a mere backdrop to an inside love

story and a saga of personal vendetta between the two snipers. There’s a

lot to like in this movie, and Oscar nominations are a distinct

possibility.

But those who came to see a realistic account of the fierce fighting

and dogged resistance that led to Hitler’s first defeat in Europe will be

disappointed by the limited focus on the “big picture.”

“Enemy at the Gates” is rated R for strong graphic war violence and

some sexuality.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for

the Orange County public defender’s office.

We want you in the balcony

Forget the big quotations in the paper, the star rating system, that

guy with the thumb -- the Daily Pilot wants to know your opinion on

current films. We’re looking for local folks to serve on our Reel Critics

movie review panel.

Your job: View a current film and write your assessment of it. We run

the critiques -- along with a photo and some biographical information.

The reward: We pick up the tab for the ticket and, of course, make you

famous.

If you’re interested, send a movie review sample, 500 words or less,

to Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, Attn: Jennifer

Mahal; via fax at (949) 646-4170; or by e-mail at

[email protected] . Please include your name and phone number.