Enemy At The Gates

I'm not even sure to begin. I'll start with the directing.

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud (who also helped co-write the script) whose last film was (shudder) Seven Years in Tibet... this film was quite a production for someone who hasn't made a film in four years... and it showed that the production of the film got away from him.

The production of this film was too vast... it tried to encompass too much in the time it was aloud, which was a staggering two hours and twenty-five minutes. With huge locations, hundreds of extras, dreary weather conditions... certain things were sacrificed to create this film... including the acting... but I'm going to move onto story next.

Co-written with Alain Godard, who's only other recognizable film is The Name of the Rose (which Annaud directed)... it's obvious that the story was too grand to fit in such a space... even one as large as 2:25. There were too many levels that were forced together, too many excuses made for things to take place, including the deaths of characters, which is one of the biggest mistakes in screenwriting. To make a character do something they would never actually do, because that character needs to die... and this is evident in the character Major Koenig, played decently by Ed Harris.

Everything about this picture was cliched, and it hurt to watch it unfold, because it was something we've all seen before... the trying times of war, the quick romance, jealousy, sacrifice... all textbook, all in the ridiculous order of someone who's read too many of those screenwriting books on structure. Sheesh.

Something for the producers here - Jude Law is BRITISH. Not Russian. This was almost as bad as Kevin Costner playing Robin Hood, and his accent going in and out of style. Almost. Law still proved to have good acting moments, but was mis-cast. An unknown Russian would have been wonderful, and would have given the story, the character... the film, much more credibility.

Joseph Fiennes played a ridiculous role of a jealous Russian officer who befriends Law and then tries to have him killed by the rival German marksman (Koenig/Harris). This was an absurd plotpoint that should have been added with a degree of subterfuge... but was thrown out there quick, with no set-up, making it obvious what was happening before they laid it out for us. There was no subtlety in this film, what so ever. Fiennes did an ok job, not coming close to his role as Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love. I don't think he'll top that performance ever, and it's a shame.

Rachel Weisz, who played (and is playing in the sequel) in the 1999 movie The Mummy, does absolutely nothing to advance her career as an actress in this film. And I don't blame her. Again, no RUSSIAN accent. None. Fiennes was the only one who even attempted to do so, and his came off as poor. Her lines were textbook passive female lines, even though she was a soldier. She was still portrayed as frail and weak, which is a shame because she could have had a very strong character. I blame Annaud and Godard for this. She had moments, but nothing too good.

Two other wastes in this film... Bob Hoskins and Ron Perlman. Jesus Christ, what the hell were they doing in this movie??? Bob Hoskins as a high ranking Russian official (with NO accent, for f__k's sake) and Ron Perlman who, when we are first introduced to him HAS a Russian accent... and then it disappears. Jesus. I actually enjoy Perlman and his work, especially in The City of Lost Children. He's working on two films at the moment which I'm curious to see him in. One is Blade 2: Bloodlust (Jesus, what a stupid title) and the second is the comic book adaptation of Mike Mignola's Hellboy, where Perlman plays Hellboy. I don't understand that casting call... and if you know the character Hellboy, you'll understand what I mean, but, we shall see. As for Hoskins, there is no excuse. He was terrible. Hoskins hasn't had a good role since 1988 with Who Framed Roger Rabbit and then before that it was in 1985 in Brazil. His other work is mediocre at best... and Gates is an example of Hoskins at his worst.

I want to make this clear. I do not blame the actors of this film. Annaud and Godard are two people who should not be aloud to make films of this size and stature. Both men were producers of this film. They are inexperienced, to say the least, with productions of this size, and it shows in spades.

One saving grace of this film was how it was shot. Robert Fraisse is an expert cinematographer, who's worked on one of my all time favorite espionage films, Ronin. He has a wonderful visual sense, and worked very well in the dreary conditions the film took place in. His sense of shots, angles and lighting are wonderful. He was one of the reasons I was interested in seeing the film, and his work was grand.

The other reason I wanted to see this film was because of the trailer, which was spectacular. I was very impressed with it, and those people truly (sometimes) know what they are doing. They should be shot, but they did a good job.

Honestly, this film isn't even worth renting, except for some of the sniper duels, some of the head shots, the blood, the gore... all of which was about a year too late, because Spielberg and Malick did it twice as good as Annaud did with Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line... both of those films showing more passion and brilliance than Gates ever could.

It's too late for me. Save yourselves.

J.P.