Welcome back to Story Time.
Today I will show you a drama, history, war film from 2001, titled “Enemy at the Gates”
In 1942, a year after the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II, Red Army soldier VASSILIS ZAITSEV is on a train to Stalingrad, thinking about the time his grandfather taught him how to shoot a rifle while hunting. The civilians leave in the middle of the journey while the soldiers are dropped right in the middle of the Battle of Stalingrad. The group is forced into a suicidal charge that the Germans easily overpower, and VASSILIS -who was given bullets- barely survives the assault by staying close to the ground and pretending to be dead. Once again, soldiers that try to escape are shot by their own side, considering them cowards and traitors. Soon the area is covered with bodies, with nobody alive in sight, until a few moments later, a car tries to cross the area. Hours later, once they have been rescued and taken back to headquarters, DANILOV prints a series of pamphlets detailing VASSILI'S heroic feat. Many days later, Chairman NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV arrives at Stalingrad to coordinate the defense of the city, since Stalingrad is a symbol of Stalin's power and they can't afford to lose it.
Furious after hearing about yet another loss, he demands ideas from his subordinates on how to improve morale, but most of the soldiers just repeat the same ineffective tactics they've been using for years. DANILOV however, proposes something different: he thinks that instead of punishment, they must deliver hope. He's also been promoted, in his case, to the sniper division. One day, during one of his missions, VASSILIS and his team are found by a young boy called SACHA FILIPPOV, who admires Vassilis. DANILOV wants to recruit her because they need more soldiers that understand German, but TANIA would rather stay and fight, especially since the local militia are short on men. She changes her mind when DANILOV explains how much she could help them by decoding German intel, and that he'll send one dozen soldiers in exchange for every person that speaks German. Meanwhile, the German army is starting to suffer the toll VASSILIS and his team of snipers are causing in their ranks, so they summon German Major ERWIN KÖNIG, a renowned marksman and head of the German Army sniper school at Zessin. DANILOV gets ready to write an announcement of VASSILI'S death as a hero, but at that moment, the man himself comes back. He explains how he missed his shot for falling asleep and that he had to stay hidden from a man trying to kill him, so DANILOV accepts to transfer him.
Then Vassili asks about TANIA, and SACHA tells him he knew he was alive and told her, so she's gone to the station to find König and get revenge. MRS. FILIPPOV doesn't want to leave without SACHA, but not to make her upset, instead of telling her SACHA died, they tell her he joined the Germans. MRS. FILIPPOV doesn't blame him for it if it means he's safe and accepts to leave with them. On the way to the boat, a bomb explodes near them, hurting Tania. DANILOV thinks she's died and leaves, but MRS. FILIPPOV doesn't give up and convinces a doctor to let Tania board with her by showing her special pass and saying Tania is her daughter. As a way to make up for the lies he made up about VASSILIS, he sacrifices himself and comes out of hiding so KÖNIG can shoot him and reveal his location. VASSILIS thinks ahead and doesn't immediately react, so now König thinks he's killed VASSILIS himself and comes out to check the body. VASSILIS is waiting for him midway, and as soon as he aims his rifle at him, KÖNIG takes off his hat and accepts his fate. After killing him, VASSILIS takes his rifle and leaves it with DANILOV'S body. Two months later, after the Germans have surrendered, VASSILI gets a letter from Tania, saying she's alive and being taken care of at a field hospital. Once the city is safe enough to travel, VASSILI goes to the address on the letter and the couple happily reunites.
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