STRAKER Posted October 17, 2000 Share Posted October 17, 2000 To anyone who was thinking of buying it on video, its coming out in Feb on DVD. So if u have a DVD player save ya monnies and wait for a better copy that will never wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Clark Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 For those of us w/ a DVD player, but who do not know what "The Winter War" is, can you tell us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SS Peiper Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Straker,Thanks for the heads up on the DVD. I have it on tape but the copy is not all that good. Mr. Clack,Just one of the Best War movies of all time. SS Peiper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Pike Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I didnt know either so taken from: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JPH0/qid%3D971893017/102-5361790-5894500 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Winter War" (Talvisota in Finnish)is the story of the 1939-40 Russo-Finnish War seen through the eyes of a reserve infantry unit. We see them leaving their farms on mobilization, to assembly at the border, and follow them into battle until the armistice some 110 days later. To most Americans who know anything about it, the Winter War is visions of Sissi skiing rings around Russians. True that did happen, but the majority of Finnish units operated conventionally either in the Mannerheim Line or to the North/North East of it. This is what this film describes. The battle scenes are as authentic as any in Saving Private Ryan; if memory serves the "Soviet" Forces are Russian extras. Vehicles, weapons, uniforms are all entirely accurate. It's probably fair to consider this movie as Finland's SPR. Whereas some have criticized SPR for it's somewhat contrived plot, this movie has none of that; simply citizen soldiers called to save their nation. We watch as more and more of their friends are killed and wounded, in relentless Red Army assaults. This sense of loss is brought home again simply, but elegantly, in the scenes with the "home front". The final anticlimatic news of the armistice on the troops is depressing to see, but again entirely accurate. This film is a fitting tribute to the Finnish "Greatest Generation" who also did nothing less than save their nation- twice in 5 years from Soviet enslavement.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I'll have to look out for a PAL copy in the UK [This message has been edited by Private Pike (edited 10-18-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tss Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 We see them leaving their farms on mobilization, to assembly at the border, and follow them into battle until the armistice some 110 days later. Just nitpicking on that review. The war lasted for 105 days. The movie is based on real events and battles but it is not documentary. The unit that they follow in the movie is one company of JR23 (Infantry Regiment) that fought at Taipale and Vuosalmi. The main battles that are depicted in the movie are: - The diversionary attack to Terenttilä village on Christmas '39. (The main body attacked over Lake Suvanto and got mauled pretty badly). - Attack on Linnakangas sector (closest to Lake Ladoga) on mid-January 1940 (I can't remember the actual dates right now). (The "bunker fight") - The battles of Vuosalmi-Äyräpää in early March 1940. My grandfather spent his whole Winter War in Taipale but he was in Kirvesmäki sector that was to West of Terenttilä sector. He was in a sapper company whose job was to go to front lines each night to clear trenches after the enemy had destroyed them with artillery during the day. A couple of weeks ago I went to read the war diary of his unit and it contained one pretty grim entry: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> (14.2.) ... few squads of III platoon were ordered to clean trenches in Stronghold V. The trenches were full of dead russkies after a counterattack. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Another source ("Posliinipojan talvisota") asserts that after the nightly counterattack 95 dead Red Army soldiers were counted in the trenches of stronghold V. Finnish losses were a few lightly wounded men. Though, Soviets captured the stronghold again the next day, this time for good. If you want to know where the battles took place but your maps don't mention those places, you can find them by first locating the Lake Ladoga to the North of Leningrad. Then look for a river that flows to the lake from West. The mouth of the river is almost directly to the North of the city. The river ends in a hook flowing first to South and then again to North. The front line went through this hook. The Linnakangas sector was at the mouth of the River and Terenttilä was few kilometers from the mouth. - Tommi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croda Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I hate to be an ugly American, but is this movie in English, or will the DVD version be subtitled? ------------------ "Nuts!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STRAKER Posted October 18, 2000 Author Share Posted October 18, 2000 I know it will definately have the subtitle option like most DVDs, but as to it being in english, im not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tss Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Croda wrote: I hate to be an ugly American, but is this movie in English, or will the DVD version be subtitled? Probably subtitled. The new Finnish war movie "Rukajärven tie" or "Ambush" as its international version is called was released as a DVD a couple of months ago and it had subtitles. Note that Ambush is also worth seeing but it is not as good as Winter War. In particular, I was disappointed on the amount that they hollywoodized the story and it has one pretty large hole in the plot. The movie is also based on real events, but the director decided that reality was not enough and threw in lots of additional stuff. In the end only four or five scenes in the whole movie are real occurences. However, I have to admit that the director managed to create one of the most powerful war movie characters of all times. The laconic psychopath Jussi Lukkari surely leaves a lasting impression. For those who can read Finnish, Antti Tuuri's "Elämä isänmaalle" tells the real story and it is also mentioned in "Raappanan miehet" or its companion book whose name escapes my memory now. - Tommi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I have seen Winter War and I have to say that although the battle scenes are excellent I found the movie to be confusing and I had a hard time identifying just who were the core characters. The action centers around a particular platoon, but there were no real main characters. The men are just faces that get killed one by one. Also the fact that the film jumped around a lot made the film difficult to follow. However, it is worth getting just to see the fight scenes and the vitange T26 tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GriffinCheng+ Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Thanks for the head-up. Damn! I have the tape version, should I buy it too? I am already too many thing in my Amazon basket! Griffin. ------------------ "+" is just the beginning. Expect to see "GriffinCheng76", "GriffinCheng(105)" or "GriffinChengA3E8" more should Forum problems occur again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Keith: I found the movie to be confusing and I had a hard time identifying just who were the core characters. The action centers around a particular platoon, but there were no real main characters. The men are just faces that get killed one by one.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> The Hakala-brothers are the main characters. The ones who wear Civil Guard uniforms at the very beginning. Characteristics of men might not open completely at the first time, but actually they are quite characterized. It probably has more to do with cultural difference, ie. I don't know what I'm supposed to tell from the fact that a GI in a US film is from Bronx... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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