A 'beautiful' war film on Amazon Prime right now that works on these 'three levels'

on Amazon Prime right now and people say it works on "multiple levels". Enemy at the Gates charts the horrific seige of Stalingrad in 1942, a conflict that was fiercely fought between the invading forces of Nazi Germany and the defending Soviet troops attempting to save their city.

as a fictionalised version of real-life Soviet war hero, Vasily Zaitsev, a sniper who was credited with killing an astonishing 225 enemy soldiers during the battle. Fellow British actors Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Bob Hoskins also appear in the film, with Fiennes playing a Soviet officer swept up in Communist ideology and Hoskins playing real-life Russian propagandist, and later leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Kruschev.

Weisz plays Tania, a character based on Tania Chernova who was a female sniper with Zaitsev's unit during the Battle of Stalingrad. In the film, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz's character develop a romantic relationship.

The Battle of Stalingrad lasted from July 17, 1942, until February 2, 1943. The Nazis were eventually defeated, but at an enormous cost of human life to all sides. Some estimates put total casualties from the engagement at more than a million soldiers killed on the Soviet side and more than 700,000 Germans.

Against this backdrop of unthinkable destruction, the film whittles down the conflict to two key snipers prowling the devastated city during the mass slaughter.

Law's character Zaitsev has become the literal thorn in the German's side during the battle, picking off soldiers at will using his sniper rifle from hidden positions in the crumbling industrial landscape. American actor Ed Harris plays Zaitsev's Nazi counterpart, Major König, a sniper reputed to be of equal skill at dealing out death from a far.

The ensuing battle of wits between Zaitsev and König is the central thread of the film, as Harris has been tasked by his superiors in Berlin to track down and kill the troublesome Russian hitman.

As war rages around them the two men engage in a cat-and-mouse duel which can only end one way.

Meanwhile, the movie gives a real sense of the scale and human suffering of the battle itself, with a look into the soul of the Soviet mindset which in the end triumphed, seemingly uncaring at the massive human cost.

Writing on the respected film rating site Rotten Tomatoes, one reviewer said: "A mainstream movie that works well on three levels -- as a psychological thriller, a love story, and as an epic account of a defining battle of the Second World War."

Another person added: "A beautiful, satisfyingly old-fashioned movie. If Saving Private Ryan didn't thoroughly convince you that war is hell, Enemy at the Gates should complete the job."

Someone else pointed out they thought "the real story" was the "tense, calculated, exciting strategising of the two snipers."

Claim: "Ukraine should have never started the war"

Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday, February 19, that President Volodymyr Zelensky had three years to end the war in Eastern Europe, and seemingly blamed Ukraine for starting the conflict.

His suggestion, however, is false. Russia launched an unprovoked invasion against Ukraine in February 2022 with the stated aim of "demilitarising and denazifying" Zelensky's government and preventing it from joining NATO. Zelensky repeatedly offered to meet Putin before the conflict broke out, and Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held talks in the initial weeks after the invasion. However, Russia's demands - including a partial demilitarisation of Ukraine - were deemed unreasonable.

Claim: "Volodymyr Zelensky's low approval rate"

Donald Trump has claimed that the Ukrainian President has an approval rating in his country of just 4%.

This isn't true. A telephone survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in February found that around 57% of Ukrainians said they trusted their leader, up from 52% in December. While it signals a drop in popularity from 77% in late 2023, it is nowhere near as drastic as suggested by Mr Trump.

Claim: "Volodymyr Zelensky is a 'dictator' because he didn't call for an election"

Donald Trump has suggested that Ukraine's failure to hold a presidential election since 2019 means Volodymyr Zelensky is a "dictator".

This isn't true. Zelensky has had more than the standard five years in power, but only because Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia's invasion in 2022, meaning all elections are suspended. The Ukrainian President has said he will hold an election when the war is over, and experts have said holding one before would be nearly impossible. Moreover, parties in Ukraine have agreed on not holding a vote until the illegal invasion continues.