Unknown Soldier (2017) on Netflix
In June 1941 Finland joins Germany's war against the Soviet Union, and a machine gun company of Finnish soldiers, among them Rokka, Koskela and Hietanen, advances into East Karelia.
- Netflix3.9/5
- IMDb7.7/1014,978 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Trailer
Plot summary
A film adaptation of Väinö Linna's best selling novel The Unknown Soldier (1954) and the novel's unedited manuscript version, Sotaromaani.
June, 1941: Trapped between two repressive regimes, Finland has little choice but to ally itself with Nazi Germany against its traditional foe - although it manages to remain a democracy throughout. Virtually unknown in the WW ll arena, a brutal war against Soviet occupation takes place in the Far North. As the men of a Finnish infantry unit march through the forests of Karelia to regain territory lost to Russia in the Winter War of 1939, each of them soon realizes the horror and pointlessness of war. Except for their officers, more concerned about medals and personal glory than the lives of their men. A diverse group of men, all at odds with how they see themselves, each other, and the common cause - yet they are strengthened by a growing bond of camaraderie to each other and their loved ones. After huge personal sacrifice and a prolonged trench war, the outcome is inevitable, ending with a ceasefire in September 1944.
—Beta Film GmbH
June 1941. Germany has invaded the Soviet Union and Finland, an ally of Germany, follows suit. We follow a group of soldiers in a Finish infantry company, their highs and lows, successes and failures, from the initial advances all the way to 1944.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Unknown Soldier (2017)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- On 29 June 2016, the production set a Guinness World Record when Duncan Capp of IFX International Special Effects detonated 70.54 kg of TNT equivalent, the most high explosives ever set off in a single film take.
- With a budget of 7 million euros, The Unknown Soldier became the most expensive film ever made in Finland or in the Finnish language.
- The cast slept at the scene locations in stove-warmed military tents, mimicking an actual war-time unit, and to add realism the film was shot without artificial lighting, using whatever conditions the crew had.
