The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 23, 2001, Page 6, Image 6
"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