This is the first, so far, Finnish movie which I have ever seen, and this is about lesser depicted Sovier-Finnish winter war of 1939-1940, which claimed thousands of lives, brought immense suffering to both states and left unhealing scars.
This is a long, 180-inute epic TV film which depicts a group of Finnish boys joining the army for the war. We see them at home, during military training, in the cold snowy trenches and dugouts, and after all, in the very horrid hell of bloody massacre.
We witness immense harships of main heroes, their cold, miserable chores, constant battles, blood, deaths, wounds and shocking amount of realistic gore.
I, as a Russian, have to admit that Russian troops are shown well, they speak excellent clear Russian, and they are brave, valiant boys. As well as Finnish soldiers on the other side of the trench.
The movie is not devoid of weaker moments, at times, it drags, at times, it simply dwells on too much on gore and violence.
What is more cruccial, is a very strong and visible anti-war message, and that stays well.
Review of The Winter War
