Enemy at the Gates

Initially, this World War II drama is a cinematically stunning, hyper-realistic battlefield nightmare that transports the viewer right into the heart of the Nazis' yearlong siege of Stalingrad. But as the film's two Russian heroes--one a born sharpshooter (Jude Law) about to become a decorated sniper, the other a propaganda officer (Joseph Fiennes) who will hyperbolize the rifleman into a national hero--are brought into sharp focus, director (and co-writer) Jean-Jacques Annaud (Seven Years in Tibet) seems to get impatient, rushing through establishing their friendship, and therefore leaving little emotional hook for the rest of the picture. Chronicling a months-long cat-and-mouse duel between the hero sniper and a German officer marksman (Ed Harris) brought in to find and kill him, Enemy at the Gates' spectacular atmosphere and frightening realism are also undermined by immoderate melodrama (love interest Rachel Weisz stirs jealousy between the heroes) and all-too-apparent plot contrivances that water down the impact to the level of lukewarm disappointment. Optional. (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—May 26, 2009—Paramount, 131 min., R, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2001's Enemy at the Gates features a decent transfer and includes Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include the “Through the Crosshairs” production featurette (20 min.), a 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, 10 minutes of deleted scenes, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for the Blu-ray debut of this uneven drama.]