History YMMV / EnemyAtTheGates

** German audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and made the Nazis "too sympathetic" (despite the fact that they ''kill a child by hanging'', mind you). It doesn't help the film's case that when it was presented at the Berlinale film festival, it was viciously booed and met with contempt by the audience. The negative reception pissed off Jean-Jacques Annaud so much that he said he would never present another film at the Berlinale as he called it a "slaughterhouse".

* VindicatedByHistory: After receiving considerable flak from Russians and Russophiles for it's depictions of the Red Army using ZergRush tactics and executing anyone who retreats, extensive documentation of Russian forces doing exactly these things in Ukraine in the 2020s has helped vindicate the historical accuracy of the movie somewhat.

** Russian audiences hate this movie, and two successive Russian Culture Ministers along with the Russian Military Historical Society have classified this movie as "deliberately anti-Russian propaganda" (memory and commemorations of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII -- called "the Great Patriotic War" there -- are a ''[[SeriousBusiness very]]'' big deal in UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia since UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin is in charge). The main reasons for that are the [[ValuesDissonance weird behaviours of various characters]], the fact that Russians consider this movie too lighthearted and how they feel the Red Army is depicted as evil and incompetent (a general problem Russians have with Western-made productions about them). Russia has produced a huge a number of films about the heroism of World War II's Red Army in the 21st century, which have been understandably better received by their domestic audiences.
** German audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and made the Nazis too sympathetic. It doesn't help the film's case that when it was presented at the Berlinale film festival, it was viciously booed and met with contempt by the audience. The negative reception pissed off Jean-Jacques Annaud so much that he said he would never present another film at the Berlinale as he called it a "slaughterhouse".
* BestKnownForTheFanservice: What is the film NOT known for? [[ArtisticLicenseHistory Being historically accurate]]. What is it really known for? A LoveTriangle leading to a sex scene in which the audience gets to see Creator/RachelWeisz's ass for a few seconds.

** Russian audiences hate this movie, and two successive Russian Culture Ministers along with the Russian Military Historical Society have classified this movie as "deliberately anti-Russian propaganda" (memory and commemorations of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII -- called "the Great Patriotic War" there -- are a ''[[SeriousBusiness very]]'' big deal in UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia). The main reasons for that are the [[ValuesDissonance weird behaviours of various characters]], the fact that Russians consider this movie too lighthearted and how they feel the Red Army is depicted as evil and incompetent (a general problem Russians have with Western-made productions about them). Russia has produced a huge a number of films about the heroism of World War II's Red Army in the 21st century, which have been understandably better received by their domestic audiences.

** Russian audiences hate this movie, and two successive Russian Culture Ministers along with the Russian Military Historical Society have classified this movie as "deliberately anti-Russian propaganda" (memory and commemorations of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII -- called "the Great Patriotic War" there -- are a ''[[SeriousBusiness very]]'' big deal in UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia). The main reasons for that are the [[ValuesDissonance weird behaviours of various characters]], the fact that Russians consider this movie too lighthearted and how they feel the Red Army is depicted as evil and incompetent (a general problem Russians have with Western-made productions about them).

* RomanticPlotTumor: Does ''anyone'' find the love triangle more interesting than the sniper duel? Ironically, it was the ''love triangle'' that actually happened, not the sniper duel.

*** Thirdly, a simpler way of putting it, "You attempt to console a mother about her son by saying he's become a NAZI?" Worse still is the fact that Nazis openly regarded Russians and other Slavs as being subhumans, with the invasion of the Soviet Union being their attempt to turn Eastern Europe into Germany's settler colony by ''genociding them without remorse''.

** Russian audiences hate this movie, and two successive Russian Culture Ministers along with the Russian Military Historical Society have classified this movie as "deliberately anti-Russian propaganda" (memory and commemorations of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII -- called "the Great Patriotic War" there -- are a ''very'' big deal in UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia). The main reasons for that are the [[ValuesDissonance weird behaviours of various characters]], the fact that Russians consider this movie too lighthearted and how they feel the Red Army is depicted as evil and incompetent (a general problem Russians have with Western-made productions about them).

** German audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and made the Nazis too sympathetic. It doesn't help the film's case that when it was presented at the Berlinale film festival, it was viciously booed and met with contempt by the audience. The negative reception pissed off Jean-Jacques Annuad so much that he said he would never present another film at Berlinale as he called it a "slaughterhouse".

** Russian audiences hate this movie, and two successive Russian Culture Ministers along with the Russian Military Historical Society have classified this movie as "deliberately anti-Russian propaganda". The main reasons for that are the [[ValuesDissonance weird behaviours of various characters]], the fact that Russians consider this movie too lighthearted and how they feel the Red Army is depicted as evil and incompetent (a general problem Russians have with Western-made productions about them).
** German audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and made the Nazis too sympathetic. It doesn't help the film's case that when it was presented at Berlinale film festival, it was viciously booed and met with contempt by the audience. The negative reception pissed off Jean-Jacques Annuad so much that he said he would never present another film at Berlinale as he called it a "slaughterhouse".

*** Thirdly, a simpler way of putting it, "You attempt to console a mother about her son by saying he's become a NAZI?" Worse still is the fact that Nazis openly regarded Russians and other Slavs as being subhumans, with the invasion of the Soviet Union being their attempt to turn Eastern Europe into Germany's settler colony bu ''genociding them without remorse''.

*** Thirdly, a simpler way of putting it, "You attempt to console a mother about her son by saying he's become a NAZI?" Worse still is the fact that Nazis openly regarded Russians and other Slavs as being subhumans, with the invasion of the Soviet Union being their attempt to ''openly genocide them and turn Eastern Europe into Germany's settler colony''.

*** Thirdly, a simpler way of putting it, "You attempt to console a mother about her son by saying he's become a NAZI?"

** German audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and downplayed its history. It doesn't help the film's case that when it was presented at Berlinale film festival, it was viciously booed and met with contempt by the audience. The negative reception pissed off Jean-Jacques Annuad so much that he said he would never present another film at Berlinale as he called it a "slaughterhouse".

* MagnificentBastard: [[MajorlyAwesome Major Erwin König]] is an [[ColdSniper veteran sniper]] in the Wehrmacht who has trained many of Germany's sharpshooters at the academy in Zossen. König joins the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad to personally eliminate Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev and the boost he's giving to Soviet morale out of [[YouKilledMyFather revenge for his son's death]]. While hunting for Zaitsev, Kònig sets several sucessful traps for his opponent while avoiding ones laid for him in turn, even killing an expert who actually trained with him. König befriends the Russian boy Sasha and bribes him for information on Zaitsev while knowing that Sasha was a DoubleAgent attempting to lead him to his death the entire time, only killing him after Sasha does not heed his warnings to not get involved anymore. A quiet, stoic soldier, König has equal capacity for civility and utter ruthlessness, and even when he ultimately loses to Vasily he [[FaceDeathWithDignity calmly accepts his impending death]].

* MagnificentBastard: [[MajorlyAwesome Major Erwin König]] is an [[ColdSniper experienced sniper]] in the Wehrmacht who has trained many of Germany's sharpshooters at the academy in Zossen. König joins the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad to personally eliminate Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev and the boost he's giving to Soviet morale out of [[YouKilledMyFather revenge for his son's death]]. While hunting for Zaitsev, Kònig sets several sucessful traps for his opponent while avoiding ones laid for him in turn, even killing an expert who actually trained with him. König befriends the Russian boy Sasha and bribes him for information on Zaitsev while knowing that Sasha was a DoubleAgent attempting to lead him to his death the entire time, only killing him after Sasha does not heed his warnings to not get involved anymore. A quiet, stoic soldier, König has equal capacity for civility and utter ruthlessness, and even when he ultimately loses to Vasily he [[FaceDeathWithDignity calmly accepts his impending death]].

** German audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and downplayed its history. It doesn’t help the films case that when it was presented at Berlinale film festival, it was viscously booed and met with contempt by the audience. The negative reception pissed off Jean-Jacques Annuad so bad that he said he would never present another film at Berlinale as he called it a “slaughterhouse”

** Germany audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and downplayed its history. It doesn’t help the films case that when it was presented at Berlinale film festival, it was viscously booed and met with contempt by the audience. The negative reception pissed off Jean-Jacques Annuad so bad that he said he would never present another film at Berlinale as he called it a “slaughterhouse”

* AmericansHateTingle: Russian audiences hate this movie, and two successive Russian Culture Ministers along with the Russian Military Historical Society have classified this movie as "deliberately anti-Russian propaganda". The main reasons for that are the [[ValuesDissonance weird behaviours of various characters]], the fact that Russians consider this movie too lighthearted and how they feel the Red Army is depicted as evil and incompetent (a general problem Russians have with Western-made productions about them).

*** A simpler way of putting it, "You attempt to console a mother about her son by saying he's become a NAZI?"

** Secondly, governmental DisproportionateRetribution aside, if one considers the cultural attitude at the time, it would have only made sense for Danilov to tell her the truth: Sasha died in service to his nation. If Danilov had done that, Sasha would have been remembered as a hero. If a (Soviet) Russian mother receives news of her son’s defection, on that day, she no longer has a son (she would disown him, in addition to him being made a non-person by the government, or worse, sent to a gulag, even shot).
** A simpler way of putting it, "You attempt to console a mother about her son by saying he's become a NAZI?"

** Germany audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and downplayed its history. It doesn’t help the films case that when it was presented at Berlinale film festival, it was viscously booed and met with contempt by those in attendance. The negative reception pissed off Jean-Jacques Annuad so bad that he said he would never present another film at Berlinale as he called it a “slaughterhouse”

** Germany audiences were also critical of the movie as they felt that it glorified the war and downplayed its history. It doesn’t help the films case that when it was presented at Berlinale film festival, it was viscously booed to the point that Jean-Jacques Annuad said he would never present another film at Berlinale as he called it a “slaughterhouse”

** Germans were also critical of the movie. They felt that it glorified the war and downplayed its history and the affect it had on Germany and at the Berlinale film festival it was viscously booed to the point that Jean-Jacques Annuad said he would never present another film at Berlinale as he called it a “slaughterhouse”

* AmericansHateTingle: Russian audiences hate this movie, and two successive Russian Culture Ministers along with the Russian Military Historical Society have classified this movie as "deliberately anti-Russian propaganda". The main reasons for that, as further explained under ValuesDissonance below, are the weird behaviours of various characters, the fact that Russians consider this movie too lighthearted and how they feel the Red Army is depicted as evil and incompetent (a general problem Russians have with Western-made productions about them).