Rukajärven tie

I saw this film at a Finnish cinema, with only swedish subtitles. As I can only speak a small amount of Finnish and no Swedish, I expected it to be an uncomfortable film to watch, but I found it uniquely interesting to watch a war film in which everyone spoke their own language, instead of an American with an accent. I would recommend this film to anyone.

Very well done film about the battle between Finland and Russia in the early stages of World War 2. Well shot, well acted and exceptionally moving. I found this film on DVD at Vidiots in Los Angeles. Never had heard of it before and found it to be a big treat. The label lists Vanguard Cinema has the distributor. I highly recommend it.

It's a shame they made a "Hollywood" movie out of it. Even though it does tell something about the situation Finland was in during that time, the movie looks like one made in Hollywood.

The battle scenes were unrealistic with the characters heroically running in the forest even though the air is full of bullets and kill many of the Russians while at it (pretty much like a Rambo or Commando but not that far out). Also, the love story plays too big a role in the movie.

I don't mean it's a bad movie but if you want to really get an idea of the Winter War or the Continuation War, try to see The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas, 1955) or The Winter War (Talvisota) or read the books.

Of the American depictions of war (in films), only Band of Brothers comes close to what The Unknown Soldier and The Winter War deliver.

Before anyone can judge this movie, PLEASE take the time to consider others comments.

Well I personally love the movie dearly. It is in my blood, literally. A few years back my mother and I were invited to see this film at the Finnish Embassy in Ottawa. My mother being a Finlander thought this would be an interesting movie. We both very much enjoyed it and were dually haunted by this film. When my mother went back to Finland the other year to visit relatives with her mother, they discovered the true significance of this movie. It turns out that this movie is actually about my mothers grandfather. So my great grandfather and really as I loved this movie, it is a real understatement to what happened to him during the war. His real name was Perkkola Savinainen and the movie hardly shows his real escapades, or even his friendship to the Fin President, Mannerhaim. Even after the war, of what happened to my family, having to escape into Sweden to escape from being shipped to Siberia. This movie is honestly I believe a very very excellent movie and I will never forget it. Liisa Savinainen Mountain

I wrote the above comment in 2006 and as I have recently read through some of the comments, which I had not done before, I noticed that many people questioned the story and it's liability. PLEASE read other comments before you judge this movie, for it is a true story, again based on my great grandfather. I would really appreciate anyone not dismissing the plausibility of the story. The real events of that war are beyond the tellings of a movie. If anyone would truly like to know how he died, was from given the wrong blood years later after the war. He had been shot through the head, then skied it was about 50 miles, then received the transfusion of the wrong type.

I do understand that this movie is one of events that people don't really believe and yes I do find it is an understatement. I have several pictures from his tasks during the war.

It must be remembered that in Finnish history, the suffered many wars between both Russia and Sweden, the Germans and others. The Finns didn't support the Nazis but if your country is forced to defend themselves, and there was scarce any money for weapons.. The Germans did abuse the Finns, as many were sent to Italy. The numbers the Finns faced against the Russians sometimes were 20-1 and not in the Finns favour. War truly is a hard thing, and this movie tried to show something that had happened that many didn't know of.

Perhaps other readers may understand that it was not necessarily the wish of my family to have everything played over for us again. My grandfather and great uncle were in his platoon that were featured in the movie, though the names and relations were changed, I was able to watch them fight and suffer just like I was actually there.

I liked this movie more than I liked Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line. For some reason it was able to capture better what the other movies were trying to capture. What I liked even more was that it was able to "cheat". Meaning it was able to make it look like there was a war going on with a few well taken shots and angles and sound effects, an inspiration for all aspiring filmmakers with no Hollywood money. =)