7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
Russian sniper deeds have become legendary in the Battle of Stalingrad. To stop him, the Nazi's dispatch their best sniper so begins a private war for courage, honor and country.
Starring: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins, Ed HarrisWar | 100% |
Action | 89% |
History | 84% |
Thriller | 37% |
Drama | 13% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
What we need are heroes.
The extended battle that defined World War II and shaped the course of history in the 20th
Century, Stalingrad saw the fate of the world teeter on the brink as two superpowers faced off in
one of the bloodiest confrontations in the history of mankind. Costing countless lives on both
sides, the carnage wrought encompassed the entirety of the War on the Eastern front, and
indeed, proved the turning point of the conflict. Though World War II saw bloody confrontations
across several theaters, it was the Nazi-Soviet conflict, and the Battle of Stalingrad in particular,
that defined the War and settled its outcome. Fought in the winter of 1942-43, the superior
German army could never successfully take the entire the city. The cold weather, long
supply lines, and the determination of the Red Army and the citizens of Stalingrad proved too
much
for the modernized German forces. Depicted in several films, notably among them Director
Joseph Vilsmaier's superb Stalingrad and Director Jean-Jacques Annaud's Enemy at
the
Gates, the epic battle will never be completely re-imagined to the extent of the true
devastation and despair that marked that winter, but cinema can provide a glimpse into the
horrors of life amongst the rubble of the city bearing the name of the General Secretary of the
Communist Party, Joseph Stalin.
One shot, one kill.
Enemy at the Gates lines up in the Blu-ray crosshairs and reveals a picture that does not quite excite the visual senses. This 1080p, 2.35:1-framed image takes on a dull, drab, lifeless appearance, reflecting the cold, harsh, smoky, and decaying Stalingrad that populates every frame of the film. At times, the film seems almost colorless, only the brown stocks of the rifles or the dull green uniforms standing out from the black and gray rubble and smoke that has overtaken the city. It should come as no surprise that the finest of details are hard to come by, particularly in those outdoor shots covered in smoke and generally bleak imagery. Some objects -- wool-lined jackets, the lines in the wood on the rifle stocks, facial hair growth, or the remnants of a brick wall -- reveal adequate textures and visible nuances that enhance the realism of the picture, but never does any one object stand out to truly wow viewers. The image often appears rather clean with minimal grain but displays the occasional bout of noise or dirt. Black levels are sufficient and flesh tones take on an appropriately cold, lifeless appearance that matches up with the overall look of the film. Enemy at the Gates offers a rather flat-appearing image at best, but considering the many challenges facing the visuals, this disc seems to replicate the intended look nicely enough.
Enemy at the Gates shells Blu-ray with a somewhat lackluster Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Gunshots lack that crisp oomph and zip, and explosions don't provide the heft and deep thumps one might expect of them. The action sequences fall a bit flat, with not much in the way of immersion or foundation-shaking bass. Sound effects spread out nicely across the front, but the rear channels offer little in the way of discernible support. Generally subtle ambience is heard nicely here and there, for example machine gun fire and explosions off in the distance, most coming out of the front speakers, and sometimes elevated in volume when shells land closer to the action. Sometimes, these distant explosions, and those closer to the action in particular, surpass in the level of hefty bass those happening in the middle of the frame. The film's final major battle scenes offer up the most heft and power, with the explosions playing to good volume but still not rattling the floorboards. Music and dialogue are both delivered crisply and efficiently. While a solid soundtrack, this one ultimately underwhelms in its effort bring the action to vivid life.
Enemy at the Gates arrives on Blu-ray with only a few extras. Through the Crosshairs (480p, 19:36) plays as a very basic making-of piece where cast and crew recount the plot, discuss the characters, speak of the themes, and recount the history of the battle itself. Inside 'Enemy at the Gates' (480p, 15:01) features cast and crew discussing their preparations for the roles, including learning the history of the battle and firing their weapons. They also speak further on the themes, the making of the film, casting, working together, their favorite scenes, and more. Concluding this brief presentation of extras is a collection of nine deleted scenes (480p, 10:13) and the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:28).
Enemy at the Gates gets it right. A fine War picture but not necessarily one of the all-time greats, the film frames the action in a human context, bringing life and emotion to its characters and building them not necessarily as heroes, but as men and women fighting to see another day. While the action serves as the fundamental point-of-interest for the film, the emotional and dramatic core lends more importance and danger to each shot fired, leaving the audience hoping for the best but anticipating the worst. In a world where smoldering ruins and bloodied corpses seem to litter every square inch of terrain, the characters struggle to survive, fighting perhaps superficially for their country and their leader but, deeper inside, for one another, for their friendships, and for their loves. Paramount's Blu-ray presentation of Enemy at the Gates might not entice hardcore Blu-ray fans to upgrade from the DVD. While the picture and sound are improved, the lack of bonus materials disappoints. Enemy at the Gates comes recommended as a rental for sure and a purchase for those yet to own the film on another format.
2008
1977
1969
2-Disc Special Edition
2006
2010
1965
2001
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2017
1962
2019
2011
Extended Director's Cut
2003
2012
1955
2001
1968
The Director's Cut | Single-Disc Edition
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1961