The Winter War (1989) on Netflix
In October 1939, Finnish reservists are called up as a Soviet invasion looms. Farmer brothers Martti and Paavo Hakala leave Kauhava to serve in a platoon under Second Lieutenant Jussi Kantola.
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- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.5/109,266 votes
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Plot summary
Martti Hakala and his younger brother Paavo are farmers in Kauhava, in Southern Ostrobothnia. When Finland calls up its reservists on 13 October 1939, the brothers muster at the village school with other men from the area, then take the train to Seinäjoki, where the 23rd Regiment is assembling. They form part of a half-platoon commanded by Second Lieutenant Jussi Kantola, with Lieutenant-Colonel Matti Laurila in charge of the regiment. Weeks of training follow before the unit moves to the Karelian Isthmus; there Kantola's soldiers assist villagers leaving a settlement inside the possible combat zone. Laurila speaks to his troops, and they march to the Taipale River to dig in ahead of the Soviet assault everyone expects.
Cast
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Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Winter War (1989)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- In The Winter War, Private Pentti Saari plays 'Ich spür in mir' on his mandolin; the tune comes from Mazurka (1935), a German film about a singer put on trial for murdering a predatory musician, and the soldiers whistle it to show displeasure at an officer's doing.
- The Winter War used genuine wartime vehicles and artillery where they were available, and replicas when the real ones could not be had.
