I simply want to weigh in with a very positive response to Enemy at the Gates. Taken as a historical drama rather than an attempt to flawlessly depict an historical incident, this is topnotch entertainment. "Enemy" portrays the conflict between a young Russian sniper played by Law and the German sniper (Harris) who is sent to kill him during the German attack on Stalingrad during WWII. Apart from a scene which awkwardly caricatures the Russian field commanders and the occasionally distracting accents, the film successfully immerses the viewer in this tense war drama. Appreciate it it for its tight focus, uncompromising realism, and fine characterizations by the main actors. Research the historical accuracy later, if you must, but don't let it spoil the film.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Enemy at the Gates
(2001)
Tense war drama that centers the viewer in the German invasion of Stalingrad
5 February 2005
28 Days Later
(2002)
It's own niche, and not a bad one..A SPOILER, I guess
21 June 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Maybe a SPOILER-- rather have you see the flick-- you should, it's at least an 8 -- and then compare your take with mine!
Trying to keep my eyes open on Monday after planning to watch "just 20 minutes and hitting the sack early" on Sunday nite...Couldn't turn it off..... Right, it's not a zombie flick, dead rising etc., but the very plausible premise of a virus-fueled extinction of an entire island nation is a wonderful excuse to explore the darker survival instincts of a variety of characters. I've turned off Romero flicks because I was "too scared" to endure the shambling corpses stalking lone victims in abandoned graveyards and lonely farmhouses.... and then returned to them to savor the horror. I stayed with this in order to see to what ends the heros would go to survive.
Does the hero turn ruthless killer in the end? No, he simply understands the rules of survival and is crafted by the author as a survivor. The heroes actually employ the rage victims against the establishment (such as it is). Is it incongruous that one lone jet-fighter appears after humanity is apparently wiped out by rage? Not really.. Why not craft a political lie to keep the infected island isolated. If Tokyo and NYC are germ free-- they won't be for long... and don't tell the army about it, hell, they've got the means and muscle to make the trip. Keep 'em isolated and let it run its course... then go back and look for survivors. Makes for a neat little survival microcosm-- like others have said, compare to "Lord of the Flies" -- how about "The Stand" (the book)?
Use this movie to delve into your deeper survival mode. Could you do what needed to be done to outlast terror and evil and survive whole? Give it an 8 for its genre-- well acted, well directed, nicely lighted and shot, believable special effects (killer of a lot of OK films), disturbing, and certainly thought provoking.
Trying to keep my eyes open on Monday after planning to watch "just 20 minutes and hitting the sack early" on Sunday nite...Couldn't turn it off..... Right, it's not a zombie flick, dead rising etc., but the very plausible premise of a virus-fueled extinction of an entire island nation is a wonderful excuse to explore the darker survival instincts of a variety of characters. I've turned off Romero flicks because I was "too scared" to endure the shambling corpses stalking lone victims in abandoned graveyards and lonely farmhouses.... and then returned to them to savor the horror. I stayed with this in order to see to what ends the heros would go to survive.
Does the hero turn ruthless killer in the end? No, he simply understands the rules of survival and is crafted by the author as a survivor. The heroes actually employ the rage victims against the establishment (such as it is). Is it incongruous that one lone jet-fighter appears after humanity is apparently wiped out by rage? Not really.. Why not craft a political lie to keep the infected island isolated. If Tokyo and NYC are germ free-- they won't be for long... and don't tell the army about it, hell, they've got the means and muscle to make the trip. Keep 'em isolated and let it run its course... then go back and look for survivors. Makes for a neat little survival microcosm-- like others have said, compare to "Lord of the Flies" -- how about "The Stand" (the book)?
Use this movie to delve into your deeper survival mode. Could you do what needed to be done to outlast terror and evil and survive whole? Give it an 8 for its genre-- well acted, well directed, nicely lighted and shot, believable special effects (killer of a lot of OK films), disturbing, and certainly thought provoking.
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