Rent The Winter War (1989)

Tribute to Brave Finnish - The Winter War review by CV

I chose this film as I had recently visited the National Museum in Helsinki on holiday. There was a special section in it on the modern history of Finland where the Winter War had followed a civil war during the end of World War I. The Winter War, of 105 days if I remember, saw the heroic thwarting of Soviet Russia's invasion by a much smaller army of Finnish soldiers and much less equipped.

The film follows the fortunes of a family and and associated friends based on actual recorded material from letters and memoires. The film, after the initial volunteering, is all trench action and long distance shots of explosions and carnage. After a while I began to feel the show of carnage and variety of death was more consciously for technical show and designed more to shock rather than tell a more objective account. It does become rather tedious and repetitive and wished there had been more political and military background information. There are some scenes of leave which do relieve the action but perhaps not enough.

Fascinating and timely movie made in 1989 about Russian (USSR) invasion of Finland: Russia lost - The Winter War review by PV

I knew very little about this or the history of Finland, which pre this involved a civil war in 1918 when the new USSR first tried to take it over - after centuries of Swedish empire rule.

The Soviets invade and lose the Winter War, which is now known as the Finnish Miracle. 105 days of fighting in harsh winter weather.

Very timely with Ukraine now the victim of Russia;'s expansionist ambitions, as Poland was in 1939 too and after World War II.

This movie is from 1989, and includes a helpful starting section with a map and basic history.

It can go on a bit and be repetitive, maybe a bit long - but nowhere as much as recent Hollywood movies or Bond films which last 2 and a half hours.

3.5 stars rounded up.