Enemy at the Gates (2001) - Quotes

Taglines: A hero never chooses his destiny. Destiny chooses him.

Taglines: A battle between two nations became a conflict between two men.

Taglines: A single bullet can change history.

Taglines: Some men are born to be heroes.

Danilov: You have to leave now, Mrs. Filipov- Stalingrad may fall! The last of the boats are leaving, the boats will be here any moment!

Tania: He's brought you a pass. You have to gather your things and then we'll help you carry them to the landing.

Mrs. Filipov: I'm not leaving. This is my home. This is my Sacha's home. I can't leave!

Danilov: I have to tell you something, Mrs. Filipov... something very difficult to understand. It's about Sacha.

Danilov: Sacha has gone over to the Germans. He's betrayed his country. He's with the enemy now; he won't be coming back.

Mrs. Filipov: Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He's become a traitor! What has he done? So he's going to stay over there?

Tania: Yes. He's going to stay over there.

Mrs. Filipov: I shouldn't be saying this, Comrade Commissar, but maybe it's for the best! If the Germans have won, he'll be safe! I know it's wrong, but- perhaps he's made the right choice!

Mrs. Filipov: [''On the note''] I am in good health. They are evacuating me to the other bank. Keep well my Sacha.

Vassili: Danilov. You had NO RIGHT to use him!

Danilov: Oh, no, no, I didn't. He... did it of his own accord. You know why? Because he BELIEVES IN YOU!

Vassili: Shouldn't we try and make the point that I'm not the only one fighting?

Danilov: [dictates thoughts for Vassili to write] That's an excellent idea. We can take it even further though. Your battle for the production of coal is as worthy as mine. There's no k in coal. Just one l'. Tell me if I'm going too fast.

Vassili: No, you're not going too fast. Is there any other improvements?

Mrs Filipov: Why don't you get some rest? These letters can wait until tomorrow.

Vassili: We should carry on. We're not tired. Thank you, Mrs Filipov. These people took the trouble to write to us. Tomorrow we might not be around to write back.

Paulus: [[w:6th Army (Wehrmacht)|army; shows König a photo of the city; indicating Zaytsev] I was expecting someone else. Certainly not someone so prestigious. I imagine you have your reasons for getting yourself involved in this hellish situation. My ] is not designed for this kind of fighting. Yesterday, yet again, I had to promote 25 sergeants to replace the officers shot down by their sharpshooters. Those snipers are demoralizing my people. This city is no more than a heap of ruins. But the Führer's persisting. He has made it a personal matter between Stalin and himself. We should trust the Führer's instinct. He always managed to lead us to victory. We shall be back home for Christmas. How are you going to go about finding this young Russian?

König: I'll fix it so that he's the one who finds me.

Red Army General: 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?!

Khrushchev: [puts a pistol on the table] A sacred duty to resist! I have to report to the Boss. Perhaps you'd prefer to avoid the red tape.

Krushchev: [[Joseph Stalin|the Boss; briefly pauses; stops at one] My name... is Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev. I've come to takes things in hand here. This city... is not Kursk, nor is it Kiev, nor Minsk. This city... is Stalingrad. Stalin-grad! The city bears the name of ]. 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?

Officer #1: Shoot all the other generals who have retreated. And their chiefs of staff, too.

Officer #2: [terrified, stuttering] M-make s-some examples. D-d-d-d-d-de-port the families of the d-d-deserters...

Khrushchev: [bored] Yes, yes, that's all been done.

Danilov: Give them hope!

Danilov: 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 give them hope, pride, a desire to fight. We must make them believe in the victory. Yes, we need to make examples; but examples to follow. What we need... are heroes.

Khrushchev: [looks around, wryly] Do you know any heroes around here?

Danilov: Yes, Comrade. I know one.

Nikita Khrushchev: (to Danilov, after unconfirmed reports come in of Vassili's death) Write it then, "Vassili Zaitsev is not dead! This, is what he had for breakfast this morning. This, is a picture of him reading the paper." You're the poet.

Danilov: I've been such a fool, Vassili. Man will always be man. There is no new man. We tried so hard to create a society that was equal, where there'd be nothing to envy your neighbour. But there's always something to envy. A smile, a friendship, something you don't have and want to appropriate. In this world, even a Soviet one, there will always be rich and poor. Rich in gifts, poor in gifts. Rich in love, poor in love.

Major Erwin König: [The morning after König escapes a trap set for him by information he now knows Sacha gave the Soviets, König is waiting for Sacha as he crawls out of a pipe in the tractor factory''; ''Outside, pulling Sacha along''; ''The camera pans away slightly; König is leading Sacha to a makeshift gallows''] Good morning, Sacha. Once again, he knew exactly where to find me. Don't you think that's strange? Apart from me, only you knew. I don't hold it against you, Sacha. You've done a very brave thing. You've chosen your camp; I respect that. But it isn't my camp. We're both soldiers. We're both enemies. So, I... I know you understand. I'm annoyed with you, little Sacha, for not staying at home as I made you swear to do. I'm annoyed with you for obliging me to do what I'm going to have to do.

Major Erwin König: [On rumors of Vassili's death] Don't listen to them. It's just propaganda. He isn't dead. And do you know why? Because I haven't killed him yet.

Major Erwin König: [After giving his ID tag and Knight's Cross to General [[w:Friedrich Paulus|Paulus] Please also take this War Merit Cross. It was awarded posthumously to a lieutenant of the 116th Infantry Division who was killed here during the first days of the battle. He was my son.

Vassili Zaitsev: He doesn't know you exist, but at that moment you're closer to him than anyone else on earth. You see his face through the sight. You see whether he shaved or not. You can see whether he's married if he's got a wedding ring. It's not like firing at a distant shape. It's not just a uniform. It's a man's face. Those faces don't go away. They come back and they get replaced by more faces.

Vassili Zaitsev: (first lines of the film) I am a stone. I do not move.