Enemey at the Gates (International Production, 2001)


Figure 1.--

I'm not sure about the nationality of the film. It is one of the few big-budget Western World War II films that addresses the War on the Eastern Front where the outcome was actually determined. The film is more realistic than most movies and captures the savegery of the war on the Eastern Front. It is about an actual event, the confrontation between a Soviet and German sniper at Stalingrad, the most important battle of the War. The film seems historically correct in large measure. It depicts how poorly trained and equipped Red Army soldiers were thrown at the Germans with political units to shoot any that faltered. The hero of the film is a naive country solider Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law). He saved the life of Political Officer Danilo (Joseph Fiennes) who hen makes him into a propaganda weapon against the Germans. The NAZIs call in Major Konig (Ed Harris), a famed sniper and head of the Wehrmacht sniper school. A prominent role is Sasha (Gabriel Marshall Thompson), a Russian boy who feeds information to both the Germans and Soviets. I found this part ofthe film not very believable as I don't think anyone could have easily moved between the lines. Also I don't think the Germans befriended Russian boys. Another scene that was unbelieveable was the Jewish girl who provided the romantic story in the film learned that her parents were killed by litening to German radio traffic. This was not the kind of information transmitted by radio. The Eizrnsatzgruppen did send enigma messages, but thet dealt with numbers killed, not the details of the killing. Also the way in which the Jews were killed did not sound right. (To save bullets they were tied together in pairs and only one was shot. They were then thrown in a river wear the dead body dragged the other down.) This does not sound right in that it would have required a great deal of effort on the Germans' part.

Filmology

This film was n international prouction: American, British, German, and Irish. It is one of the few big-budget Western World War II films that addresses the War on the Eastern Front where the outcome was actually determined.

Stalingrad

The battle of Stalingrad is generally seen as the turning point in World War II. The German summer 1942 offendive aimed south at the Ukraine, the Caucuses, and reaching the Volga at Stalingrad. The massive winter losses had significantly reduced the capabilities of the Wehrmacht. They simply were unable to accomplish the assigned objectives. The Wehrmacht no longer had the strength to launch a massive offensive all along the Eastern Front. They decided to strike in the south toward Stalingrand and the Caucuses where Hitler was especially interested in the oil resources. The powefull, well equipped 6th Army was assigned the task. Initially they achieved startling successes. The shatered elements of the Red Army fell back accross the Don and were persued by the 6th Army. German inteligence, however, failed to appreciate the ability of the Russians to form and arm replcement armies. Hitler refused to even listen to estimates of Soviet strength. Hitler here made a deadly error. He dividing his forces, weakening 6th Army in an effort to seize the oil rich Caucusses. The Red Army withdrew accross the Volga when the 6th Army reached Stalingrad on August 19, but mainatined forces needed in the city to steadily bleed the Germans. Stalingrad was an important industrial city and a major transportation center for southern Russia. Hitler was also attracted by the name of the city. He felt seizing the city would be a propaganda blow to Stalin and his regime. By fighting in the city, however, the 6th Army's powerful mobil striking potential was negated by determined Red Army soldiers. The Soviet counter-offensive surrounding the 6th Army in Stalingd came as a complete suprise to the Germans. The result when Hitler refused to let the 6th Army break out was the complete loss of the Army, the most powerfull unit in the German order of battle (December 1942-January 1943).

Cast

The hero of the film is a naive country solider Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law). He saved the life of Political Officer Danilo (Joseph Fiennes) who hen makes him into a propaganda weapon against the Germans. The NAZIs call in Major Konig (Ed Harris), a famed sniper and head of the Wehrmacht sniper school. A prominent role is Sasha (Gabriel Marshall Thompson). Gabriel is a British actor. Sasha is a Russian boy who feeds information to both the Germans and Soviets. His beautiful smile makes his fate particularly tragic. He gives an excellent performance in what was, in effect, a rather unbelievable plot line.

Plot

The film begins with the Red Army tenaceously hanging on to a small section of Stalingrad along the Volga. A sheapard boys proves a great markesmen. The Soviets turn him into a hero and send the head of the Wehrmacht sniper school to deal with the Russian sniper. This much is true, most of the rest of the film is fiction. As far as I know the role of Sasha is entirely fictional. Sasha is hung by the German sharpshoot as a means to draw out the Russian sharpshooter. It is very tragic, although the boy could have survived if he had obeyed the German and not come back to the area where the fnal "showdown" takes place.

Costuming

The military uniforms as far as I can tell are accurate. Sasha's clothing are not very well shown, but appear to be some kind of longish short pants outfit. His costume is basically raggy and the pants looks to be cut off just below the knees. How he could walk through freezing winter water in shorts is hard to imagine. Actually Russia boys did commonly wear shorts, but with long stockings during the winter.

Historical Accuracy

The film is based on an actual confrontation between German and Russian snipers. The identity and background between the two snipers is accurately depicted. I do not know if Konig's son was actually killed at Stalingrad. The interpersonal relations which make up most of the film appears to be fiction. The climax in which Zaitsev kills Konig is fiction nd not how it actually occurred.

The film is more realistic than most movies and captures the savegery of the war on the Eastern Front. It is about an actual event, the confrontation between a Soviet and German sniper at Stalingrad, the most important battle of the War. The film seems historically correct in large measure. It depicts how poorly trained and equipped Red Army soldiers were thrown at the Germans with political units to shoot any that faltered. The film also brings out that the German 6h Army was not designed for street fighting in the city. Not brought out was just why. The superior weaponery and training of the Germans was lost in the Stalingrad street fighting. The struggle degenerated it savage competitions between small units and in this fighting the Red Army soldier was a match for the Whermacht soldier, if not superior to him.

Historical Problems

I found two aspects ofthe film not very believeable.

Sasha

The role of Sasha does highlight how many children were caught up in the war. The role, however, is not well developed. I don't think the Germans befriended Russian boys. It is true, however, that the Germans used bribes, often very small amounts of cash or food to obtain information. This ocurred in the Ghettoes as well as occupied areas. The French Jewish boy depicted in "Au Revoir les Infantes", based on an actual event, was informed on in exchange for a pot of strawberry jam. What I found not very believeable in this part of the film not very believable as I don't think anyone could have easily moved between the lines.

Jewish girl

Another scene that was unbelieveable was the Jewish girl who provided the romantic story in the film learned that her parents were killed by litening to German radio traffic. This was not the kind of information transmitted by radio. The Eizrnsatzgruppen did send open messages early in the war, but soon switched to coded enigma messages, which are messages that could have been overheard. (I have little information on World War II Soviet code breaking, but I don't think they cracked the enigma machine like the Alliesdid.) The enigma reports dealt with numbers killed and locations, not the details of the killing. Also the way in which the Jews were killed did not sound right. (To save bullets they were tied together in pairs and only one was shot. They were then thrown in a river wear the dead body dragged the other down.) This does not sound right in that it would have required a great deal of effort on the Germans' part.

Armies and Children

The scenes with Sasha bring to mind an interesting question about World War II. How did children and soldiers relate in different countries. Because of endless Hollywood film, we know know kids all over the world were arttracted to the American Army, including English boys. This was no Hollywood fiction. Actual photographs from the War show that children did flock to the Americans. And this was not just the case in liberated countries, but in Germany and Japan as well. Interestingly, the affection shown these war ravaged children appears to have crossed the still very racist attitudes held by mny americans. We see children with American soldiers in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Japan. Of course the Americn soldiers had a big advantage--a seemingly endless supply of of chewing gum and Hershey bars. It was not just candy though, it was the optimistic outlook genuine warmth on the part of the american GIs that drew the children. The same atraction does not appear to have been the case for German soldiers. Of course the Germans in most countries were occupiers. But the Germans did have allies a well (Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia). There was also considerable support for the Germans in some countries/regions, at least early in the War: Estonia, Larvia, Lithuania, and the Ukraine. We have noted propaganda photographs, but none of the informal snapshots that show the relationship between American soldies and children. I am not sure about the relation between the German soldier and children in these countries. The Germans may have befriended the Volk Deutch children. This is depicted in "Europa, Europa", another film based on actual events. Racial attitudes must have affected the thinking of many German soldiers in Poland and Russia. After all the Germans had horific racial attitudes. It ws not just the Jews, but the Slavs as well. Anyway I curious as to just what the relationship was between the Germans troops and Russian and Polish children. We have little information on Japan, but given the brutal treatment of the Chinese and other occupied peoples, we suspect that children may have generally avoided the Japanese soldiers.

Reader Comments

A reader writes, "One of the most boring films I have ever seen. It took several hours to tell a story that could have been told in 30 minutes. I did not like the scene were the Russian boy feeding information to both sides was murdered. However he was told not to go back to the German Sniper but did and got strung up. Friendships between Russian boys and Russiamn soldiers seenm to be a feature of Eastern front movies. In such films friendships are established and somewhere in the plot the child meets a horrible death. This is either in battle or at the hands of the solder who has befriended the boy. I assume the reason is to show the horrible nature of war."






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Created: November 28, 2003
Last updated: December 2, 2003