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"Che ©amecock Enemy at Gates knocks on door of excellence by Brook Bristow The Gamecock | REVIEW MOVIE: Enemy at the Gates STARRING: Jude Law, Ed Harris GRADE: ☆☆☆ out of ☆☆☆☆ Stalingrad, the namesake of the Russian leader Joseph Stalin, is under siege in the winter of 1942. German forces have encircled the city and are destroying it building by building. This is an interesting movie subject, especially for Americans, because we aren’t used to watching a war unfold without our boys involved. The carnage is viewed through the eyes of Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law), a poorly educated shepherd from the Ural Mountains who’s thrust to the forefront of the battle as Russian morale droops. Vassili is a crack shot who doesn t get to test his skills as the battle begins. Because of a shortage of rifles, he must wait until the comrade in front of him falls, pick up the soldier’s weapon and continue the fight. The images of war are powerful in this movie, in the same vein as Saving Private Ryan. Though not on the same level as Speilberg’s depiction of Normandy, the visions of Stalingrad are moving, from Russians falling from Nazi fire from every direction to Russians shooting their own for retreating and betraying the motherland. Realizing his comrades’ morale is sinking as fast as the city, political officer Danilov (Joseph Fiennes) uses Vassili and his uncanny talent for sniping Germans in propaganda designed to excite the nation and scare off the German advance. The other main characters make the movie great but, simultaneously, keep it from being great. Ed Harris gives a brilliant Special to The Gamecock Jude Law (left) as Vassili and Bob Hoskins (right) as Kruschev in Enemy at the Gates. performance as Maj. Konig, the Nazis’ best sharpshooter. His purpose is to take out Vassili and, with him, all Russian hope. The majority of the movie is this cat-and-mouse game between the German hunter and the bewildered Russian. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud (Seven YearsinTibet) crafts together a masterpiece of suspense and action involving Konig and Vassili that takes our mind off what keeps the movie a step below greatness. The one mistake Annaud made is Tania (Rachel Weisz). Though Weisz does a good job portraying an educated Russian soldier, the love triangle that envelops her, Danilov and Vassili doesn’t seem to fit. They say love is a battlefield — but when thrown in with the game of survival between Harris and Law, the love triangle doesn’t sustain the high you get from the drama. Enemy at the Gates is a good movie that isn’t quite great. While it’s definitely a borderline flick, it’s well worth your time. The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspottight@hotmail.com Langston from page 5 and sounds. Lou Barlow makes an appearance, but let’s not reflect on this for too long. Imagine every other acoustic song he’s agonized over, and you’re there. The energetic, Twin Tone-era, Replacements-influenced Poster Children follow Barlow with an energetic rock ditty that comes complete with a very Edge-esque guitar riff floating in the background. Grandaddy brings us another song bathed in their signature mix of David Bowie and Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd. Welcome to the machine, Major Tom. Grandaddy slinks through this spacey, distant song with a majestic piano riff and a timid guitar strum. These guys can make good music. The piano soon takes on a dark and brooding demeanor when The Black Heart Procession gets a hold of it, but Macha rescues us from the misery with its shotgun wedding of computer effects, Scottish bagpipes and an underlying Asian influence. Trust me, they pull it off, and so does practically everyone involved with the album. How different songs recorded separately by different artists about the same fictitious guy can flow together so well and sound so right for each other is beyond me. That is, until I hear the album and realize it’s been done in convincing fashion. Way to go, guys. This is a testimony to how wonderful music can be when treated by the right people and handled properly. I suggest hitting www.offrecords.com to order your copy of Colonel Jeffrey Pumpernickel. The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotiight@hotmaii.com movie' DIRECTORY Dutch Square Cinema 14 800 Bush River Road 750-3576 The Brothers (R) 1:10,2:10,4:00,5:00,7:00,7:30, 9:20,9:50 Double Take (PG-13) 8:00,10:10 Down To Earth (PG-13) 1:20,4:30, 7:30, 9:30 Enemy At The Gates (R) 1:10,4:00, 7:00, 9:40 Exit Wounds (R) 2:00,4:40,7:20,9:40 15 Minutes (R) 1:50,4:40, 7:45,10:10 Hannibal (R) 1:00,4:00, 7:00,10:00 Heartbreakers (PG-13) 1:30,4:20, 7:10,10:00 The Mexican (R) 1:40,4:20, 7:10, 9:40 Recess: School's Out (G) 1:50,4:15 Save the Last Dance (PG-13) 1:20,4:50,7:40,10:05 Say It Isn’t So (R) 2:00,4:30, 7:40, 9:50 See Spot Run (PG) 1:40,4:10, 7:20,9:20 Traffic (R) 1:00,4:10, 7:50 Sr. Amjrews Road C*bm 527 Sr. Andrews Road 772-7469 Charlie’s Angels (PG-13) 8:15 Finding Forrester (PG-13) 2:00,4:30,7:00 Meet The Parents (PG-13) 2:10,6:10 Miss Congeniality (PG-13) 2:05,4:05, 6:05, 8:05 102 Dalmatians (G) 2:20,4:15, 6:15 Rugrats in Paris (G) 2:30,4:00, 5:40 Unbreakable (PG-13) 4:10,8:10 Vertical Limit (PG-13) 7:15 Carmike Cinema 14 122 Acton Court 781-3067 Exit Wounds (R) 1:00,4:00,7:30,9:45 Family Man (PG-13) 1:15,4:00, 7:15,9:45 Finding Forrester (PG-13) 1:00,4:15, 7:00, 9:45 Heartbreakers (PG-13) 1:30,4:15, 7:00, 9:45 Malena (R) 2:00,4:30, 7:30,9:30 The Mexican (R) 2:00,4:30, 7:00, 9:30 Miss Congeniality (PG-13) 1:45,4:15,7:00,9:15 Save The Last Dance (PG-13) 1:30,4:30,7:00,9:30 Say It Isn’t So (R) 1:45,4:00, 7:30,10:00 Shadow Of The Vampire (R) 1:30.4:00.7:15,9:30 13 Days (PG-13) 1:00,4:15, 7:30 3000 Miles To Graceland (R) 2:00.4:30. 7:00, 9:30 Traffic (R) 1:15,4:00, 7:00, 9:45 Wedding Planner (PG-13) 1:30,4:15, 7:15,9:30 Regal Cinema 7 Richland Mall 748-9044 Chocolat (PG-13) 1:20,4:20,7:15,9:50 Enemy At The Gates (R) 12:30,4:10, 7:05,10:05 Exit Wounds (R) 1:40,4:30, 7:30,10:10 Heartforeakers (PG-13) 12:45,4:15, 7:20, 9:55 Pollock (R) 1:00,4:00,7:10,9:45 Recess: School’s Out (G) 3:15, 5:10 Save the Last Dance (PG-13) 1:50,4:50, 7:15, 9:40 Say It Isn’t So (R) 1:50,4:40, 7:40,10:15 Traffic (R) 12:15, 7:00,10:00 Carmike Wynnsong 10 5320 Forest Drive 782-8100 The Brothers (R) 1:15,1:45,4:15,4:45,7:00,7:30 9:15, 9:45 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (PG-13) 1:00,4:30, 7:00,9:30 Down to Earth (PG-13) 1:45,4:15, 7:00,9:20 15 Minutes (R) 1:00,4:15, 7:10, 9:45 Get Over It (PG-13) 1:20,4:20, 7:15, 9:30 Hannibal (R) 1:15,4:00, 7:00, 9:45 The Mexican (R) 1:30,4:30, 7:15, 9:45 See Spot Run (PG) 1:30,4:00, 7:10, 9:20 Sweet November (PG-13) 1:45,4:30, 7:15, 9:45 Columbiana Grai 1250 Bower P/ 407-9898 The Brothers (R) 1:45,2:45,4:00,5:00,1 9:30,10:25 Cannaa* The Champk 1:50, 4:35, 6:40, 9:05 Cast Away (PG-13) 2:35, 5:30, 8:45 Chocolat (PG-13) 2:05, 4:40, 7:05, 9:25 Crouching Tiger, Hdde (PG-13) 1:40,4:20,7:30,10:05 Down To Earth (PG-t 2:30, 5:10, 7:40, 9:45 Enemy At The Gates 1:30,4:10,7:15,10:00 15 Minutes (R) 2:10,4:50,7:20,10:10 Get Over It (PG-13) 2:25,4:25, 7:15, 9:40 Hannibal (R) 1:55,4:55, 7:35,10:15 0 Brother, Where Ai (PG-13) 2:00,4:30,6:50, 9:15 Recess: School's Ou 2:40,4:45, 6:45, 9:00 WITTY, STYLISH, CLEVER.. HILARIOUS, PON T MISS II JtS. fMS.MEST COMEDY OF THE YEAHF Sigourney Weaver Jennifer Love Hewitt and Gene Hackrr heartBREAKeR! ii-nminfflURESnis a OH EIHII COiPl/lllG ONG minu All mini SIHRNEIIIR jiratiiiriiBirariip JASON LEE JEFFREY JONESaiaOENE RABIN | “JO! DEI! ““DAIIEEEiN pSCEIONIOISEID gaby smith hadeee reoa DANGEROUS CURVES AHEAD CAUTION: ^lillliPIGUMlflil “INIIS®111 _ rtinr/rrm n Him ......... SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE ON om m RCA VICTOR cn BYUnVIU IVlin INI 111 DISTRIBUTED BY MGM DISTRIBUTION CO. PG-13[parents strongly cautioned<m Some Material May Be Inappropriate tor Childfen Unde. 13 ~~ ' Sex Related Content Including Dialogue 9 ©2R1 MTOfiDLWDMWra ftlUE UL JU1MRIM www.mgm.com | IN THEATRES MARCH 23 MM CMTWHI V