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Enemy at the Gates

(2001, Rated R, Drama, Starring Ed Harris, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Joseph Fiennes)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Tense and violent WWII movie.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–17

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Women are as strong and effective as the men, reference to anti-semitism
  • Violence:

    Very violent battle scenes, extremely tense, many deaths, characters in peril
  • Sex:

    Brief but fairly graphic sexual situation, brief nudity
  • Language:

    Some strong language
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A lot of smoking, some drinking
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Enemy at the Gates

Parents need to know that this is a very tense and violent movie, with graphic battle scenes and piles of dead bodies. Characters are in constant peril and many are killed, including a child. There is a brief but fairly explicit sexual encounter with brief nudity. The characters use strong language, drink, and smoke.

Read our full review by Nell Minow

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the effect that fame has on people. At first, Zaitsev innocently enjoys the attention, though he never lets it go to his head. Later he says, "I can't carry that weight any more. I want to fight as a regular soldier." Was what Danilov did necessary? Was it fair to Zaitsev? Did it do what it was intended to? How was that similar to what the Germans did to Koenig? (Think about the scene where he turns in his dogtags)? Why did Tania chose the one she loves? Think about what it says about the real Zaitsev at the end of the movie -- does the movie do to the real Zaitsev what Danilov did to the fictional one?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0

    pretty good movie

    i sorta liked this movie. It wasn't outstanding but it still told the story of one the most famous snipers in history. Pretty bloody though. Almost everyone gets shot in the head. 13+

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Washington
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 5.0

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

    And i Saw this in School

    I saw this movie in my history class. it was for our section on WWII. It was a good movie and it showed the risk involved doing that job. There were some parts that i would have liked to miss such as watching bodies sway in the breeze, and people being shot in the head, and bombs, blowing up people from limb to limb. overall, it was a good movie and i would recommend it.

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