Michael A. Martinez This oddly toned war movie still remains the definitive film representation of the Continuation War, the part of World War 2 where Finnish and German soldiers fought alongside one another as part of the failed conquest of Russia. THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER wisely remains apolitical, but the rather grim ending feels a tad out of step with the historical reality that Finland was able to quit the war on the most favorable terms of any Axis country, and kept its government, military, and most of its pre-war territory intact.The film follows a group of Finnish soldiers around beginning with their mobilization in the late summer of 1941 up to the major retreats of 1944. Mostly we focus on Koskela, the high-spirited goof-ball of the group, and to a lesser extent a defiant and selfish corporal Lehto, and later in the film by the angry volunteer Karelian farmer corporal Ante Rokka. Rokka is played by a non-actor (heavily resembling a young Eli Wallach) who however delivers such an animated and impassioned performance that he easily steals the whole movie. Most of the last half of the film are various acts of battlefield heroism interspersed with vignettes where one of the veterans will take a green recruit under his wing only to lose them in ensuing battle.There's a lot of good action and the stark black and white photography fits the subject matter well and helps to integrate it with the frequent use of stock footage (some of which is quite impressive). The film progresses at a solid pace, covers a lot of story, shows some fun character development, and overall packs a lot into its 3 hour running time.Unfortunately it's hampered on a few occasions by budgetary constraints and lack of authentic equipment. On two occasions the filmmakers use a Panzer IV to sub in for a Soviet T-34 and it really doesn't work. No Finnish artillery or heavy weaponry is shown outside of stock footage. Another thing which could put a lot of viewers off are the dated exaggerated performances and stereotypical depictions of the officers. Personally I wasn't too fond of the film's frequent forays off-target like a drawn out sequence where most of the platoon gets inebriated on hooch or when three soldiers go AWOL to harass some Soviet women who proceed to happily dance for them.However it's all much, much better presented than the 1985 remake and works very well as a "bridger film" going from TALVISOTA to TALI IHANTALA 1944 for those of you looking for a filmed historical time-line of Finland's Karelian front in World War 2. Overall I can say that for the time and budget, this film really is quite good and Finns can proudly look upon this as their version of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

revival05 The Unknown Soldier is really more than just a movie. It is a monument. The two wars between Finland and Soviet is so deeply rooted in the mythology of the Finnish country that it would be utterly pointless to limit yourself to the pure cinematic qualities, if you were to appreciate this film. The film really embodies a cinematic continuation of a big statue honoring the soldiers that fought and died in these battles, carved in stone to stand forever. To this day, this is still the most successful Finnish film ever made, and Finnish TV has been airing it every Independence day for over a decade. And that is only the movie, which despite all it's values is most important as an appendix to Väinö Linnä's classic novel of the same name. The 1954 novel is truly a masterpiece of realistic fiction, and the film is really just following it's trails. It is a fine war epic, but all it's virtues stem from the original novel. That is why I'm making a point of how to approach this film. This isn't just a story about the war, this is a film about a country, being important in itself, depicting a unique piece of Finnish history exclusive for Finland.That being said, the big thing that the film brings onto the viewer is it's big heart. This is an epic in the most classic of fashions, presenting a kind of sentimental warmth and heartbreaking honesty that only cinema can create. The psychological reality of the novel is apparent in it's narrative, using no main characters but various ones, all diverse, realistic and totally present. Film is a medium that can't really enter the human mind with such piercing accuracy, thus the film takes use of some astonishing actors letting them hammer out their characters with spellbinding presence. To say that the film is character driven isn't really accurate, it's character BASED. When we meet our first batch of characters, we expect their happy smiles to be turned into war torn frowns. But the jokers of the group insist on keeping the mood as good as possible, no matter what fate may fall upon them. One of them, the cheerful Koskela (Kosti Klemälä) even ends up becoming Sergeant after a death-defying attack on a tank, but it's no big deal as long as they don't call him 'Sir'. Other characters are more serious minded, like Rokka (Reino Tolvanen), a man twice the age of most of the other soldiers, who's got wife and children at home. He is humorous and lovable, yet fearless and completely consequent in his role as a fighter, and he has only contempt for his so-called duty of discipline. He is the best soldier in the group, we learn, yet the biggest problem for the higher ranks who disapprove of his ways. Tolvanen is furious in the role, almost resembling a Finnish Toshiro Mifune, becoming the unified center of the soldier's morality. These are just two examples of many characters that come and go during the film. I feel I have to mention the great Åke Lindman who portrays Lehto, a nihilist killing machine who seems to have leather skin and a heart of stone. As a dark version of Clint Eastwood he will never laugh, never cry, and he will defy death until the day it gets the better of him. Yet, as stereotypical as these characters may seem, you are never quite sure if they really are as happy, brave, cowardly or honest as they seem - indeed, in Linna's original version of the novel, Lehto was portrayed as a suicidal psychopath.Running for three hours without a traditional plot narrative, The Unknown Soldier is filled with memorable sequences worthy that of a proper epic. One short scene involves three soldiers exchanging words with two Russian women, ending up with a wild Kalinka dance. In another sequence, all the soldiers get drunk and have a party when they should be on guard for enemies and, as it happens, they are lucky enough not to get ambushed by any russians. In one scene the soldiers witness an execution to warn them about the dangers of disobedience. In another, three soldiers punished with two hours of standing guard hold their stand despite bomb planes are hovering above them, attacking the camp.These are basically war stories, anecdotes strung together and you get the feeling the film might as well keep telling them for another three hours, because the well doesn't dry up. These stories are the body of the Finnish war history, and for every soldier who fought in the war there's bound to be hundreds. These are as good as any, and it is when you consider the weight of this event that it becomes clear just what a monument the film is. The music seals the legacy - Jean Sibelius' opus for the epic, Finlandia.

tadeboy I consider this epic as the war movie of all time. Words are insufficient to describe something, that has been such successfully transferred through real-life experience to screen. To help understand the miracle of Winter War where small, but unique spirited Finland stopped the attack of an overwhelming enemy. The events of courage and will that ensured the nation's independence.

fugu_286 I haven't ever heard such incomprehensible gibberish in my life. The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon Sotilas) is not Soviet propoganda but a poignant and still very relevant look at the inhumanity of war. It is probably the only film that takes place during the little known Continuation War (1941-44), the sequel to the also little known Winter War (1939-40). Unlike Talvisota, the other great Finnish war movie, some knowledge of the chronology and background to this conflict is required. In 1941, Finland mobilized its forces along the 1940 armistice line incurring the wrath of the Soviet Union which bombed several Finnish cities in response. Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, began shortly after. With most Soviet forces tied down in defending the motherland against the Germans, Finland seized the opportunity and reoccupied the land it had lost in the previous war. The plucky Finns made significant gains until the war entered its 'static phase' with neither side giving or taking any ground for nearly 2 years. The Finns did, however, refuse to link up with the Germans at Stalingrad which consequently may have cost Germany (and Finland) the war. There was a color remake of this film but in my opinion, this appears to be the superior version. If you can get a copy of the novel in English, I would recommend reading that as well.