Tuntematon sotilas

Rauni Mollberg's version of the Unknown Soldier, the novel of Väinö Linna, has always been the one that has been compared to the first movie version directed by Edvin Laine 30 years earlier. The times have changed between 1955 and 1985 and it shows. Laine's Unknown was jolly and cheerful, almost farce-like when compared to this one. Mollberg's Unknown is grimmer and wants to show the darker shades even darker and deeper than the first one. Laine skips the difficult themes like plundering of enemy cities and the executions of the soldiers sentenced in court-martial quite quickly or doesn't handle them at all. Mollberg obviously wants to dig deeper in them but hasn't left out any of the original scenes either. Hence the titanic length of the film.

When one has seen the Laine's version so many times as, for example, I have, it is difficult to form an objective opinion about Mollberg's version. The first impression stresses the darkness and seriousness of the atmosphere. It would be OK, if all the actors seemed natural, but they don't. Of course, all the actors in the first version don't seem natural either, but hey, it's Laine's Tuntematon Sotilas! Who cares!? This one gets better along the way, though. You get used to the "new sides of the characters" and forgive some of their faults compared to the old ones. I have to say I haven't read the novel so fortunately I don't have to compare this film to the book. Fortunately, because the book usually overcomes the movie versions. Because of my illiterate manners, I cannot compare this film to the original novel, and again, cannot say how much this one is more or less true to the novel than Laine's film. Therefore, I can only compare these two films. This version has its strengths. It is in some ways more realistic and brings out the characters more than Laine's version, which is almost like an action movie because of its fast pace and light atmosphere. But sometimes Mollbergs Unknown is almost too dark and grim to believe. This is a nice film but it doesn't compare to the first one, which, unfortunately for this film, is a legend. However, Mollberg's Unknown couldn't make it without Laine's version, because to me, it could not stand alone without the legendary memories experienced with the scenes in the first one. Mollberg's Unknown adds something to the "one and only" but that's all there is to it. I first and foremost recommend Laine's Unknown and after that, if you have some extra four hours on your hands, take a look at this Mollberg's view.

I'm writing this 19 years after I saw Mollberg's Unknown Soldier in Helsinki's Bristol Theatre. However, seeing the original 1955 film somewhat recently, and being comparative to the Väinö Linna historical novel, it raised memories of that 1985 rendition. Mollberg certainly made a far superior film as far as cinematography and aesthetic realism is concerned. He used a familiar technique of confusion in combat by utilizing the cameraman on foot, and running. Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan had these effects in 1998, but I'm not insinuating that Rauni Mollberg invented it. Perhaps Elem Klimov in "Come and See" (Soviet Union, 1985) had these stylistic effects. That USSR film, in my opinion, is the most anti-war film ever made. As far as Finnish war films, I would recommend "Talvisota" (Winter War)(1989), and "Täällä Pohjantähdenalla" (Here Under the North Star)(1968), with a sequel in 1971 titled "Akseli ja Elina". These last three are indicative of the tragedy of the Finnish Civil War, and WW2, and how they affected not only a family, but various social classes of society in Finland. This phenomenon of class hatred exists today in Finland.

Rauni Mollberg's 1985 version of the Unknown Soldier also included this biased left-wing attitude towards the soldiers, but especially officers of the Russo-Finnish wars. Essentially, in the theatre and film world of 1970's and 1980's Finland, one had to be the figurative "Communist." Fortunately that has changed since, at least a bit.

Having rambled, "Unknown Soldier" (1985) and the aforementioned film reviews, really only interest certain film historians, as well as historians of Soviet-Finnish politics. I hope that I gave you some insight.

Respectfully, Timppa

During a visit to the Salpalinja in the late eighties, a friend mentioned this film. We had had a tour by a veteran of the Winter War and the Continuation War of the fortifications and I really wanted to see the film. On our way back to Pyhtää, we hired the video of the film in Kotka and prepared for an evening's viewing.

To say I was stunned and amazed would be an understatement. The film captured perfectly what the aging ex-soldier had recounted to us - he hadn't held back about anything, including atrocities committed by both sides and about the sheer horror of the war.

The Finnish front is barely known elsewhere in the West. Nor were the transfers of populations when Russia took Finland's arm and skirt. What madness possessed the Finns to march on? The film explains the collective frenzy of nationalism gripping the dirigeants and (most of) the men. No dissent was allowed. Those who refused to cross into Russia proper were killed. This was sensitively shown in the film.

Parts of the film were unbearable. The attack on the ambulance stays in my memory. The new lad who doesn't heed the warning about snipers and is rewarded with a bullet in the skull. The line of Russians crossing a snow-covered field only to be mown down to a man.

Loud, lurid and gory, the film captures the dreadfulness of war and the vagaries of the human spirit in a Finnish context. Definitely recommended.

This movie is following a Finnish platoon in Finlands struggle against Soviet Union in the Continuation War starting in 1942. In the beginning the men are conscripts who are sent to the front when Finland attacks SU in hope of getting back the area that SU took from Finland in Winter War in 1940. In the beginning Finland is victorious but then the luck turns... Finland has to start its retreat. The men are just 19-year-old boys when the war starts, but in the end they are heroes who kept the Finland independent despite of the massive Soviet Army.

Historically accurate showing Finnish Motti tactics. I was impressed with that in itself. "A hiding" was all I could look for in this movie and found it. Good Directing, decent acting, makes for a historically accurate foreign made film