Enemy at the Gates 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Enemy at the Gates 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the 2001 film 'Enemy at the Gates,' directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and featuring an all-star cast including Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins, Ed Harris, and Ron Perlman, to the UHD format. This is the film's UHD debut, and it ships in exclusive SteelBook packaging. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. No new primary audio track is included, and no new supplements are included. All of the extras are found on the bundled Blu-ray. See below for more on the new video presentation and the SteelBook packaging proper.

Enemy at the Gates 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It would not be correct to call Enemy at the Gates a "visual tour de force" in terms of raw screen eye candy. This is a bleak film, bathed in dark browns and grays and war-torn earthy hues. Yet here is the UHD, delivering the film in a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation that delivers the film's aesthetics with superior definition and filmic accuracy.

The 2160p presentation is quite good. The picture features a healthy grain structure which is constant and light, never overpowering the presentation but adding both a healthy dose of filmic accuracy and authenticity to the experience while also adding some tangible grit to the experience. And this is a gritty movie: not aesthetically with dense grain, but gritty in terms of its setting in a densely war-torn city. The picture is full of blown out buildings, strewn rubble, and messy elements that add up to a visual style that is rough and dense, but the UHD captures those details with remarkable clarity and efficiency, capturing every hard angle, rough edge, and broken detail with exacting precision. Likewise, facial elements are startling for the tangible level of clarity. And it's not just the usual things like deep pores and facial scruff; it's caked on mud and blood that are vital elements to believably placing the character into the wartime setting. The characters are always unkempt to a degree and the UHD is well capable of showcasing their condition with an accuracy and clarity well above the old 1080p Blu-ray.

The color palette is drab by design. The film focuses on bleak colors meant to reinforce the death and decay produced by the war, where everything is brown, dull, and devoid of life. And the Dolby Vision grading brings out the best of it. Even without much in the way of true color splash and vividness, the faithfulness to the source and accuracy are top notch. There's never a moment when the audience doesn't feel like a part of the bleak Soviet landscape, and the level of nuance and precision on stubble, uniforms, and even smokey skies is always evident. On the contrast, dirty faces show excellent richness and realism, and blood is, of course, one of the standouts, especially when it's fresh; there's plenty of caked-on-blood in various points that is more a blending color than a standout. Black level depth is terrific, which is vital for the low light and shadowy areas, which comprises much of the film.

The UHD is not home to any immediately obvious, never mind egregious, encode issues. This is a rich, clean, and satisfying picture that delivers the sort of cinematic appeal that, even absent traditional eye candy visuals, should make this one of the more satisfying UHDs in the rotation.

Enemy at the Gates 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than remix for Dolby Atmos, Paramount has simply repurposed the 2009 Blu-ray's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It's a good track that handles explosions, gunfire, and chaotic wartime immersion quite nicely, but one can imagine what a nice add it would have been to include a new mix with active height channels. Maybe next time. For a full UHD audio review, please see the original 2009 Blu-ray by clicking here.

Enemy at the Gates 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For this UHD SteelBook, Paramount has simply repurposed familiar wide release artwork for the front cover, depicting Jude Law's Vassili Zaitsev and Joseph Fiennes' Danilov. A war-torn, fire-engulfed locale appears below them with a character in a scope's crosshairs. The film's title, along with various actor names, appears at the bottom. The rear panel depicts a rear-facing shot of a caped Zaitsev, standing in the broken remains of a building, looking out towards a war-torn landscape. The words "some men are born to be heroes" appear top-center. The spine is black and simply features the film's title center and a Paramount logo at the top.

Inside, the digital copy code is tucked underneath the left-hand-side tabs. The two discs, one UHD and one Blu-ray, are situated on the right in traditional staggered-stacked formation. The inner print is a two-panel spread that features a close-up of Ed Harris' Major König taking aim from a sniper's position. He is primarily seen on the left; the right side underneath the discs simply depicts part of his left shoulder.

For full coverage of the on-disc supplemental content, all of which are located on the bundled Blu-ray and includes two featurettes, deleted scenes, and a trailer, please see the original 2009 Blu-ray by clicking here.

Enemy at the Gates 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paramount has done pretty well by Enemy at the Gates. Obviously, the disc itself is a fairly low-effort release, considering all that's new here is the video presentation (which is very nice). The SteelBook exclusive packaging delivers a satisfying presentation as well, but it would have only added to the release to at least remix into Dolby Atmos. Maybe someday. Recommended, because the movie, 4K video presentation, and SteelBook are all good.