Customer Reviews

The Winter War

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Winter War" (Talvisota in Finnish)is the story of the 1939-40 Russo-Finnish War seen through the eyes of a reserve infantry unit. We see them leaving their farms on mobilization, to assembly at the border, and follow them into battle until the armistice some 110 days later. To most Americans who know anything about it, the Winter War is visions of Sissi skiing rings around Russians. True that did happen, but the majority of Finnish units operated conventionally either in the Mannerheim Line or to the North/North East of it. This is what this film describes. The battle scenes are as authentic as any in Saving Private Ryan; if memory serves the "Soviet" Forces are Russian extras. Vehicles, weapons, uniforms are all entirely accurate. It's probably fair to consider this movie as Finland's SPR. Whereas some have criticized SPR for it's somewhat contrived plot, this movie has none of that; simply citizen soldiers called to save their nation. We watch as more and more of their friends are killed and wounded, in relentless Red Army assaults. This sense of loss is brought home again simply, but elegantly, in the scenes with the "home front". The final anticlimatic news of the armistice on the troops is depressing to see, but again entirely accurate. This film is a fitting tribute to the Finnish "Greatest Generation" who also did nothing less than save their nation- twice in 5 years from Soviet enslavement.

The Winter War is the most historically accurate and realistic war film I have seen. During the film, we follow the lives of a small group of friends as they find themselves in the frontlines facing a soviet invasion. All aspects of the movie are well conceived and finely filmed. The best aspect of the Winter War, however, is the fact that there are no underlying subplots. Unlike Saving Private Ryan (which I must admit I also thought was excellent), the characters do not spend the movie attempting to accomplish an unlikely (albeit intellectually satisfying) objective. Rather, the characters try to stay alive, protect their friends, and follow orders as real soldiers might.

Another very compelling aspect of the film is it's historical accuracy. Tactics and equipment all correspond to those employed by Russia and Finland in 1939. T-26 tanks, I-16 fighters, and human wave attacks fill out the Russian Arsenal, while the Fins remain on the defensive aside from local counter attacks. Adding to the realism is the fact that much of movie is filmed in a limited geographic area. This allows the viewer to become familiar with local terrain features in a way that few other films permit. Hence, the viewer begins to sense the directions from which attacks might come and beings to get a feeling of what constitutes a "Full-scale Attack," a "Probe," etc.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Winter War to anyone who enjoys war films or who is interested in Military History. Due to the lack of subplots, however, people simply looking for an action film or for a simple diversion are likely to be disappointed.

it is the business of the artist to follow it home to the heart of the individual fighters-not to talk in armies and nations and numbers-but to track it home. D.H. Lawrence

The Russo-Finnish War, known as "The Winter War", began on November 30, 1939 when the Red Army invaded Finland. The war began after the Finns refused demands from Stalin to move its borders 25 kilometers back from Leningrad. The basis for this demand was the fear on the part of Stalin and the Soviet High Command that Hitler could launch an invasion of the USSR directed at Leningrad using Finland as a base for its attack. The Winter War ended by means of a truce signed on March 12, 1940. During this brief three-month war a Finnish army consisting of 180,000 men, most of them reservists waged a defensive battle against an advancing Soviet army of about 450,000 men. Fighting from entrenched positions against full-frontal assaults resulted in the death of close to 23,000 Finnish soldiers. At the same time more than 126,000 Soviet soldiers were killed or missing and another 264,000 were wounded. This short war had a dramatic impact on the future course of the Second World War (the Winter War took place during the `phony war' period between the occupation of Poland and the commencement of Germany's invasion of France). The horrifying losses suffered by the Red Army were a reflection of the chaos caused by purges of the military that practically eliminated every professional officer from the Red Army. This vulnerability could only have encouraged Hitler in making his decision to invade the USSR in June 1941. Finnish film director Pekka Parikka's 1989 film "The Winter War" is an exceptionally well made movie about this little-known (at least to me) war. The film is not about armies fighting armies as much as it is about the individual fighters who, collectively, are called upon to wage war against an invading army.

Parikka's film follows the war through the eyes of a small platoon of reservists called up from their village to fight the war. It begins with their mobilization and their trip to the front lines through three months of brutal and bloody fighting. The film appears to be very accurate from a historic perspective. The reservists are shown being issued incomplete, if any, uniforms, and finding gear and supplies when and if they can. The Finns, lacking in anti-tank weaponry invented the Molotov Cocktail to use against Soviet mechanized divisions and the film shows these ad hoc weapons being used to great effect. Particularly well done are the scenes that show the impact of the war on the rather stoic inhabitants of the platoon's village.

The Winter War is a straight-forward narrative of the war and how it was fought. It has a particular emphasis on the ugly reality of war. It is not for the squeamish. The film is not an examination of the souls or characters of the people that fought the war. This is true even of the principal actors. The characters in the film are involved in fighting a war, they are not there to engage in discussions of the meaning of life. However, I thought the film was very well done and certainly worth watching. Those with an interest in war films generally or interested in well made films that cover corners of our history that is not overly familiar to them should find this a rewarding film to watch. I've seen plenty of movies about the D-Day landings, the Battle of the Bulge, and the like. This is the first film I've seen on the Russo-Finnish war.

A word about the price. This DVD contains no extra features and is not in letterbox format. Although it is an excellent movie I cannot advise anyone to buy it at the current list price of $45.00. I purchased a new copy through an Amazon marketplace vendor and paid 1/3 of the list price. At that price it is a 5-star film. At the list price I think the viewer may feel that he has paid a bit too much. That is ultimately why I rated this film 4 stars and not 5.

L. Fleisig

"The Winter War" is a truly first-rate war film, one of my all time favorites. The battle scenes are incredibly gritty and realistic, surpassing most of what Hollywood has to offer.

The DVD itself, however, is atrocious. The picture quality is appalling, looking as if it was recorded from a television screen using a camcorder. Furthermore, the ridiculously oversized subtitles cannot be turned off, and many scenes have been unnecessarily deleted from the film.

Avoid this DVD at all costs and seek out an imported copy. The poor quality of this Region 1 release does not warrant the hefty price tag placed upon it.

This is true story of Finnish soldiers. Actions take place in Taipale. They are men who defend Finland in Mannerheim line.
25000 Finnish soldiers and 300000 Soviet Union soldiers died in that war. It last's only 105 days. It was 1939-1940.

Facts about winter war:http://www.winterwar.com/mainpage.htm

They now sell this movie in full lenght DVD, with * 3 h 11 min * WS 14/9 * DD Surround in Finnish * Subtitles: SUOMI, English, Swedish. * R0 PAL, and there is also some extras.

http://www.filmifriikki.fi/

Pekka Parikka's masterpiece "Talvisota" (The Winter War) is one of the most brutally realistic war films ever made, providing viewers with a gut-wrenching view of a bloody war fought in trenches, foxholes, bunkers, and bomb craters. Based on the wartime journals of the 23rd Finnish Infantry Regiment and veterans' memoirs, it tells the story of the Winter War through their eyes. Some viewers may find it annoying that there is no real protagonist in this film. Characters are hard to distinguish from one another in the harsh setting, but that is precisely the director's point: The hero in this film is the entire Finnish army, which fought on for over 100 days against the vastly larger Soviet army.

The battle scenes in "Talvisota" are amazingly realistic. The terror of a Russian frontal attack with huge masses of infantry is shown again and again, and you realize that these brave Finns fought against such unbelievable odds for so long. Aside from Russian infantry assaults, they also had to deal with brutal artillery and ariel bombardments. From the Soviet fighter planes and tanks to the Finnish army equipment, everything looks authentic in this film, something that history buffs will appreciate. Not all viewers will enjoy the director's techniques in retelling this incredible story from World War Two, but I consider it one of the greatest war films ever made and highly recommend it.

This movie is about as accurate a depiction of a historical event as you are going to find. Despite what Mr. Kessel has to say, the portrayals of the Soviet soldiers as "cardboard cutouts" are authentic. That is exactly the way the war was fought in Karelia. The Soviet troops advanced in human waves, utterly indifferent to casualties. Some Finnish soldiers collapsed from physical and psychological exhaustion after inflicting such horrendous casualties on the Russians in just one day of battle. There were even instances of Russian soldiers being forced to link arms and set off across mine fields to clear them for the next wave of troops to come through. As for the Mannerheim Line: Check your facts Sir. The Mannerheim line did not get breeched until mid-February 1940 after two and a half months of relentless artillery and air bombardment and that with the Finns short of ammunition and anti-tank weapons.

As for the movie itself, a warning to those of you looking for an oscar winning tour de' force (God I hate that term) in the American sense; this movie is not for you. It is very foreign in its presentation (and music) but that only enhances its authenticity instead of turning it into Enemy at the Gates, e.g. Its not Englishmen or Yanks playing Russians and Germans but Finns playing Finns and Russians playing Russians.

For military and history buffs who will appreciate the beauty seeing an authentic T-26 tank in action of half-scale models of DB-3's, SB-2's and I-16's making ground attack runs, this movie is a definite must see.

This is a very good movie about Finnish troops trying to repel the massive Soviet invasion of Finland in the early part of World War II. It has many tense, gut-wrenching battle scenes and some interesting, admirable characters. Some parts are almost heart-stopping, including outnumbered Finnish troops watching huge numbers of Soviets attacking their trenches, and Finns going out in the open to stop the Soviet tanks. Other scenes of soldiers visiting their families behind the lines are also effective.

This has to be one of the better war movies of all time. It's a shame that it isn't better known in the US. The battle scenes are fantastic, making you feel like you're a part of the action. What this must have been like on the big screen! This movie follows a Finnish company from mobilization to war's end, with plenty of action and some leave in between. The numbers of people involved, from the Russian wave attacks to the marching soldiers, is also seldom seen these days. Overall, it's an excellent film.

Winter War is a great movie, but a horrible DVD.

The picture quality STINKS, and there are NO EXTRAS.
It is impossible to turn the sub-titles off either.

However, from a military perspective, the movie ROCKS!!
There is battle scene after battle scene, with all of it re-inacted with tremendous realism. Watching the combat take place in the cold Finnish landscape, you will feel transported in time to the Winter of 1939-40. You will know what the experience was of a Finn soldier fighting against the Soviet horde.

I am planning on buying and reading the non-fictional book, Talvisota, because the movie does not give much of a strategic view of the 120 day war. The movie is dedicated to the tactical side of the fighting, because that is what the typical Finn solider did (example - "this is your trench, there is the enemy, NONE SHALL PASS!") For overall descriptions of troop movements, and the reasons why the Soviet Army was turned away in stalemate at the end of the conflict, one needs to read a pure historical account.

PS If any small country in the World needs inspiration to fight off the military aggressions of a big bully, then this story is it!