Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud

Film Synopsis

Autumn, 1942.  The last bastion of Russian resistance against the Nazis, Stalingrad is in flames.  Determined to fend off the German invader, the Red Army has poured countless troops into the city.  These include Vassili Zaitsev, a young shepherd from the Urals who has become a crack marksman, as he demonstrates by bagging several Nazis in the heat of battle.  Nikita Khroutchev, an envoy from Stalin, summarily executes the commander in chief of the Russian troops for his incompetence.  To lift the spirits of his people, Danilov suggests making Vassili a national hero - he succeeds beyond his wildest dreams.  The Nazis retaliate by sending their best sniper, Major König, to eliminate the man who has become a symbol of resistance for the Russians...