Does Enemy at the Gates get it right? - Historical Review

Описание: I did a newer and more updated version of this review that you should watch here:    • The Charge at Red Square: Enemy at the Gat...  

Does a good movie make for a good HISTORICAL movie? In this review, we analyze the portrayal of the Red Army, Order 227, human wave tactics, and more. See below for sources.

I would not describe myself or the point of this review as "communist sympathy." I think that the film combines and simplifies accounts in its critique of Stalin and the USSR and moves away from historical accuracy. As I state in the video, there are very real and well-documented episodes of dehumanization and brutality in Stalingrad and the USSR as a whole, so I believe that the film undercuts its own argument by stereotyping the Red Army as a horde of peasants motivated only by fear. See my pinned comment for some accounts of these events and more detail on why I think they are a simplification.

Join me to learn a little about the Eastern Front as we look at 2001's Enemy at the Gates.

Interested in my sources? Here are some links to the different books that made up the bulk of this video.

DISCLAIMER: This video description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links below, I’ll receive a small commission.

David M. Glantz and Jonathan M. House, Stalingrad (multi-volume series, read them all!)

https://amzn.to/2vGifAJ

Michael K. Jones - Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumphed

https://amzn.to/2PMalza

Disagree with me? Antony Beevor's - Stalingrad may be the inspiration for some of the events in the movie.

https://amzn.to/2DR4X92