Enemy at the Gates

A closer look at the story

It is 1942, and the Nazi armies have launched a deadly offensive in Russia. As the Battle of Stalingrad rages, the city's defenders mount a courageous resistance under Khrushchev's leadership. In these dark days, one name becomes a symbol of hope: the master sniper Vassili Zaitsev. Thanks to the propaganda run by his closest friend, the political officer Danilov, Vassili's heroics at the front soon become the stuff of legend. That fame, however, also catches the enemy's eye. Determined to stop him, the Germans send their finest sniper, König, to Stalingrad. In the streets of the besieged city, the two expert marksmen begin hunting each other. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, the 131-minute 2001 film stars Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Ed Harris and Bob Hoskins in a war drama.