Canal Plus, Le Journal Du Cinema
Interview by Vincent Lebrun
February 2000
Translated and transcribed by Christiane

VL: Vincent Lebrun (Journalist)
JJA: Jean-Jacques Annaud (Director)
JL: Jude Law
JF: Joseph Fiennes

VL: Postdam is located 30 minutes of Berlin. We are now at an old and deserted Russian community. It is here in this huge area covered with mud that Jean-Jacques Annaud is shooting Enemy at the Gates, his 9th film, which shows the Battle of Stalingrad. It is based on the true story of Russian sniper Jude Law who became a national hero, and political commissar Joseph Fiennes. It is a reflection on the "propaganda". The set is impressive, one of Stalingrad's main squares destroyed by the war was basically rebuilt for the movie.

JJA (Pointing at monuments): This fountain over here is an exact replica. What is interesting is that this fountain was built in the shape of a crocodile. In fact, it is very famous because it survived the war and also because it was a symbol of Stalingrad. Over there is a store that was called store "d'universe", it still exists in Stalingrad and it is identical to the one built here. Here is a big statue of Stalin and the Gorki Theatre is over there, we built it almost exactly the same as the original. All this, of course, was possible due to the talent of the set builders.

JJA (Talking to a member of the crew): And... shake the other hand? You really push at that moment and then...you can go... yeah... (you go) a bit wider at that point when, you know, the two of them are here and when he says his name you push again, you see?

JJA: In this movie you can see the exuberance of the terror, the beauty of hell, which exists. When you look around this set and see the black smoke, the red flames... there is a fascination... graphic.

VL: Is that the reason why you make a war movie, to exalt terror?

JJA: No that is not the reason. I have never been in a war. I have never handled a gun. I can't explain why I felt like diving into this period, why I wanted to understand all those things that were so close to me once. I was born right after the end of the war. I was raised with all the memories, and reminiscences. It was all too close to me and I didn't care much. With the end of Communism, I started wanting to understand East Europe through the Russian's point of view. I wanted to emerge in that culture that is so peculiar, so warm, so full of blood, pain, hate, and beauty too.

JL(Whispering to JF): Comrade commissar, I am sorry, I forgot to adjust the sight.

JL: Emotionally, I think, one of the things that attracted me to this and particularly to the way that Jacques wanted to tell it, was to tell how it was, to show the hardship, the brutality, the crudeness, I suppose, of this particular siege, this particular battle. And the filth, and the grime, and the cold is all part of that. So it was physically hard work and obviously very unglamorous. It's actually part of the kind of thrill of being here.

JF (Whispering to JL, inaudible, French subtitle says): What do I do? Do I kill him?

VL: On the mud all day long. Tell me, it is a hard job to be an actor, isn't it?

JF: Probably tougher was to really (have) lived this experience. So, every time I am in the mud... and feeling very cold... I... kind of re... remind myself that actually this was for real. And the boys who lived this experience, or didn't live this experience, didn't get coffee breaks, didn't get hand warmers or warm coats. So... hum... it's kind of tough, but when you remind yourself of the true reality, it puts in perspective.

JL shooting a rifle.

JJA (Talking to a member of the crew): And cut! Robert, it was good, huh? Beautiful. I am pleased...

VL: Don't you get nostalgic about the small movies you made in the past when you were starting?

JJA: Not nostalgia, there is a progress. I always tried to make movies that I felt like making, with a story line that I liked. And I a had to adapt to the conditions I had for that. I've always loved movies that make you travel. I felt the urge to make a movie... This need that I felt was stronger because television gets so much attention but it is a small screen. When I make a movie, on the contrary, I want to make things larger because people want to go to the movies to see something that they cannot see at home.

JJA: Cut. Great. BRAVO!