Enemy at the Gates

I am a stone.

I do not move.

Very slowly,

I put snow in my mouth,

then he won't

see my breath.

I take my time.

I let him come closer.

I have only one bullet.

I am at his eye.

Very gently, my finger

presses on the trigger.

I do not tremble.

I have no fear.

I'm a big boy now.

Ready, Vassili?

Now, Vassili.

Fire!

Fire, Vassili!

Fire!

Come on, pick your feet up.

Get on your feet.

Prepare to board the train.

You there, come along with me now.

This way, pal.

All civilians, get out!

Make way, let the civilians off.

This is a military convoy.

No one stays on board

but our valiant soldiers.

This is a convoy

to Stalingrad...

only for the soldiers

of the Red Army.

All aboard!

Autumn, 1942.

Europe lies crushed

beneath the Nazi jackboot.

The German Third Reich

is at the height of its power.

Hitler's armies are charging

through the heart of the Soviet Union...

towards the oil fields

of Asia.

One last obstacle remains.

A city on the Volga...

where the fate of the world

is being decided: Stalingrad.

Glorious comrade Stalin...

has ordered not another

step backwards.

The people of the Soviet Union

shall be free.

Go forward, comrades.

Not a step backwards!

Listen to these letters

sent by Russian mothers...

to their sons on the front.

"Volodya, my child,

I know that it's for our motherland ...

"I know that it's for our motherland

that you are giving your life.

"Everyone here knows

that you will not fall back.

"Everyone here

is proud of you.

"Your father is dead.

Your brothers are dead.

Avenge us

on the hordes of fascists."

Nobody move!

Stay on the boat!

- Get back or I'll shoot!

Back from the rails, or we shoot.

Shoot the traitors!

Come on, come on!

Move!

Come on, comrades,

come on!

Move, or you'll be shot!

Over here, stretcher!

The one with

the rifle shoots!

One out of two

gets a rifle.

The one without

follows him!

When the one

with the rifle gets killed,

the one who is following

picks up the rifle and shoots!

The one with

the rifle shoots!

The one without follows him!

When the one with

the rifle gets killed,

the one who is following...

picks up the rifle and shoots!

The one with

the rifle shoots!

This way, now.

- The one without follows him!

Soldiers of the glorious

Red Army, from now on...

it is either victory

or death!

- Those who retreat will be shot.

- I need a rifle.

There will be no mercy

for cowards and traitors!

Achtung!

It's hopeless, comrades.

Get back!

Pull back!

Pull back!

Get back! Get back!

In the name

of the Soviet Union,

not a step backwards,

or we shoot.

No retreat!

Not a step back!

- No mercy!

- Deserters will be shot.

- Fire!

- Shoot the traitors!

Cowards will be shot!

No mercy for cowards!

Russians, surrender.

You will see your home again.

This is not your war.

Join your German comrades,

they under stand your suffering...

and will care more for you

than your own officers,

who are only sending you

to your death.

The Third Reich

is not your enemy.

The enemy is blood thirsty Stalin

and his Bolshevik camp,

who have stolen your land, who have

deported your father...

Fire!

You'll get us caught,

comrade Commissar.

With your permission,

comrade Commissar.

- Which one should I aim at first?

- You should wait...

till there's an explosion.

- Do you know how to shoot?

- A little.

Don't shoot. Don't shoot.

He's looking at us.

Thank you,

comrade Commissar.

Danilov, political officer,

second class.

Twenty-first infantry.

"Vassili Zaitsev."

"On this day,

September the 20th, 1942,

- "a shepherd boy from the Urals...

"arrived in the city of Stalingrad,

on the banks of the Volga.

"His name is Vassili Zaitsev.

"Like thousands before him, he came

to answer comrade Stalin's call.

"Armed with a rifle, he quickly made

the fascist invader realize that...

"from now on he would be punished for

every step he took in the motherland;

that from here on,

the only way was back."

What do you think?

I think comrade Commissar's

been overgenerous.

Let me go!

Let me go!

By order of comrade Stalin,

no civilian can leave the city.

- Get back!

Stand away,

or we will open fire.

Stand away!

Get back!

Get back or we shoot!

Back!

Keep back!

Make way for

comrade Stalin 's envoy!

I carried out my orders.

I sent in

all of my boys.

But the Germans

engulfed us.

They have artillery,

aircraft, tanks.

- And me, what did I have?

- The sacred duty to resist!

I have to

report to the boss.

Perhaps you'd prefer

to avoid the red tape.

My name is...

Nikita Sergeyevich Kruschev.

I've come to take things

in hand here.

This city is not Kursk...

nor is it Kiev, nor Minsk.

This city is Stalingrad.

Stalingrad!

This city bears the name

of the boss.

It's more than a city,

it's a symbol.

If the Germans

capture this city,

the entire country

will collapse.

Now, I want our boys...

to raise their heads.

I want them to act like

they have balls!

I want them to stop shitting

their pants!

That's your job.

As political officers,

I'm counting on you.

You,

what's your suggestion?

Shoot all the other generals

who have retreated...

and their

chiefs of staff too.

M-Make some examples.

-D-D-Deport families of the deserters...

-Yeah, that's all been done.

Give them hope!

Here, the men's only choice

is between German bullets and ours.

But there's another way.

The way of courage.

The way of love

of the motherland.

We must publish

the army newspaper again.

We must tell magnificent stories.

Stories that extol...

sacrifice, bravery.

We must make them believe

in the victory.

We must give them hope,

pride, a desire to fight.

Yes, we need to

make examples.

But examples to follow.

What we need...

are heroes.

Do you know any heroes

around here?

Yes, comrade,

I know one.

That's me!

"Vassili Zaitsev."

That's me!

No, you're not dreaming.

It's your name.

We made the front page.

They haven't changed a word.

Do you have any idea

what this means?

It's not the back page,

it's not the second page,

- it's the front page.

- The front page!

They're going to reprint

our article everywhere.

In the Caucasus, in the Crimea,

even in the Urals.

Tomorrow morning, Stalin himself

will be sitting over breakfast,

reading my words,

memorizing your name.

We're famous, Vassili.

Kruschev loved the article.

He's promoted me

to the general staff.

And you

to sniper division.

- Well, that's good.

- It's very good.

- It's very good. It's great.

- It's very great!

- It's great!

- For us because we did it together.

-Together!

- Although I did all the hard work.

- Oh, yeah?

- You're very lucky I can't fight back.

- Why's that?

Because Kruschev told me to

make sure nothing happens to you.

- You're too important.

- I'm too valuable.

Yes, careful of my... careful

of my glasses, please. They're new.

Sorry, sir.

- I'm famous! We're famous!

- I'm famous! I'm famous!

Vassili,

the young shepherd from the Urals,

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