The Unknown Soldier

Through Tuntematon sotilas you really get insights into how these Finnish soldiers experience the war during the 1940s. It begins with a few men leaving their homes off to start fighting and you also see the army men wary of what is going on, when they're told to pack up their bunks and get ready. Get ready for what?

Then follows 4 hours of spectacular scenes, bombing, shooting, air attacks, crossing a river while getting shot at, but not in your typical action film kind of way. No, it's with emotion and caution that you follow this journey, through the lenses of all the brave soldiers.

My grandfather himself fought in this war and I simply just can't believe all the things these people went though, And just to imagine that this is all real, I'm simply at a loss. Can we please show this film to everyone in the world? Let everyone get the same perspectives, Seeing people get killed over a piece of land. Seing your friend get shot just after asking finishing a joke. It's inhumane that this has happened.

Everyone involved, so glad that this film has been made. A classic. Everyone must see it. Glad that Väinö Linnas book can be viewed as a film and series. Yes, the film exists as a 2 hour something film so make sure to watch the longer version and experience the raw Finnish/Sovjet war. No glory just war,

I watched the 3 hour movie version first and I didn't understand half of what was going on due to there being a TON of characters and Finnish names that I have trouble remembering.

I also didn't know much about the Fin war against Russia so did some research on it.

But, I read the novel by Vaino Linna. Helped me to understand what was going on in here. I loved the book, was a blast to read. I had to write down all the character names to remember, but it helped a lot.

This version follows the book very closely too, down to exact quotes. The book however doesn't show what each character did on leave, so this added a bit there.

I have not seen the 1955 or 1980's version of The Unknown Soldier as I have had great difficulty in finding them... but I was told they are not as faithful to the book.

1941, the finnish army is on the offensive.

A year after fighting a legendary war against the invading russians, the finns take to the offensive as Nazi Germany and the axis powers invade USSR in the largest invasion in the history of the world.

We follow the finnish army pushing into Russia and then follow the same troops as they retreat back towards Finland three years later.

The action is very good, the character developement is very good, the acting is very good.

At times it's moving, grizzly and even slightly absurd.

This is basically Band of Brothers on the russian/finnish front.

Very good.

Watch it!

I don't normally bother writing reviews, as scores speak for themselves, however, this is an exception.

This is a gritty and down to earth realistic look at warfare. No plot armor, no heroes, just people surviving the hells of war as best they can. It gives a unglamorous look into what normal people go through on the front line.

Without going into details, I can without a shadow of doubt say this is up there with BoB and other such series. The cast is phenomenal in every aspect. They feel like real people living in real circumstances.

It's just long enough to give the impact it needs to. Being based of real accounts and giving the material the honor it deserves really shows through the runtime.

From the first scene to the last, it's sneaked it's way into my top 10 of all time series up there with BoB, The Pacific etc. Feels like a Finnish Stalingrad of Iron Cross. If you have 5 hours to live, this isn't a terrible choice of viewing material and really delivers a memorable performance you wont soon forget.

I feel urged to rewiew this mini series due to the fact that an 2 hour 15 minutes version (edited from this mini series) was released in 2018 and that was just a pale version of this masterpiece. If someone have seen that movie - forget it! This is the what you should watch! Here it is no heroes, no glory. Just pure realism who mirrors the life in northern Finland and Sovjet in the 40's, shows the horrors of war, but also the friendship between the soldiers. I'm 58 and have waited all my life for a worthy filming of Väinö Linnas Tuntematon Sotilas (Unknown Soldier) from 1954. That book is said to be the second most read book after the bible. Personal I equals this series with Band Of Brothers in quality and realism.