Enemy at the Gates

Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 American War thriller film directed by JeanJacques Annaud. The films title is taken from William Craigs nonfiction book Enemy at the Gates The Battle for Stalingrad 1973, which describes the events surrounding the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 194243. Although fictional, the film is loosely based on war stories told by Soviet sniper Vasily Zaytsev.citation needed

Nikita Khrushchev Bob Hoskins arrives in Stalingrad to coordinate the citys defences and demands ideas to improve morale. Danilov, now a Senior Lieutenant, suggests that the people need figures to idolize and give them hope, and publishes tales of Vasilys exploits in the armys newspaper that paint him as a national hero and propaganda icon. Vasily is transferred to the sniper division, and he and Danilov become friends. They also both become romantically interested in Tania Chernova Rachel Weisz, a citizen of Stalingrad who has become a Private in the local militia. Danilov has her transferred to an intelligence unit away from the battlefield.With the Soviet snipers taking an increasing toll on the German forces, German Major Erwin Knig Ed Harris is deployed to Stalingrad to take out Vasily and thus crush Soviet morale. A renowned marksman and head of the German Army sniper school at Zossen, he lures Vasily into a trap and kills two of his fellow snipers, but Vasily manages to escape. When the Red Army command learns of Knigs mission, they dispatch Knigs former student Koulikov Ron Perlman to help Vasily kill him. Knig, however, outmaneuvers Koulikov and kills him with a very skillful shot, shaking Vasilys spirits considerably. Khrushchev pressures Danilov to bring the sniper standoff to a conclusion. ........

Source: Wikipedia