Tuntematon sotilas (1955)

It is the summer of 1941. An eastern-Finnish machine gun company receives an order to turn in their surplus equipment. The company is transferred to the front lines. The next morning the ... See full summary »

Director:

Edvin Laine

Writers:

Väinö Linna (novel), Juha Nevalainen

Stars:

Kosti Klemelä, Heikki Savolainen, Reino Tolvanen

7 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kosti Klemelä	...	Koskela
Heikki Savolainen	...	Hietanen
Reino Tolvanen	...	Rokka
Veikko Sinisalo	...	Lahtinen
Åke Lindman	...	Lehto
Pentti Siimes	...	Määttä
Leo Riuttu	...	Vanhala
Kaarlo Halttunen	...	Rahikainen
Matti Ranin	...	Kariluoto
Jussi Jurkka	...	Lammio
Tauno Palo	...	Sarastie
Pentti Irjala	...	Kaarna
Vilho Siivola	...	Mäkilä
Martti Romppanen	...	Sihvonen
Tapio Hämäläinen	...	Salo

Storyline

It is the summer of 1941. An eastern-Finnish machine gun company receives an order to turn in their surplus equipment. The company is transferred to the front lines. The next morning the soldiers wake to the sound of guns - the war has begun. The Finnish troops attack and quickly move across the border. The young, nervous rookies of the company get their baptism of fire, and the men become familiar with death and the hardships of war. Under strength and badly equipped they fight a superior enemy. The lists of heroes and of the dead seem endless. Edvin Laine's epic interpretation of Väinö Linna's war novel "Tuntematon Sotilas" is an entire chapter in the book of Finnish movie history.

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Plot Keywords:

finnish | soldier | lake | finland | finnish soldier | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Release Date:

23 December 1955 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Az ismeretlen katona

Filming Locations:

Hanko, Finland

Box Office

Budget:

FIM 46,667,761 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Suomen Filmiteollisuus

Technical Specs

Runtime:

181 min 121 min (cut) 135 min (1956)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer T.J. Särkkä originally planned to shoot the film in color, but it would have cost too much, so the film was finally shot in black and white.

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Quotes

Veera: [the Finnish soldiers have just invaded Petrozavodsk] Why did you come here? Why didn't you let us be alone?

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Connections

Featured in Lotat (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Finlandia"
by Jean Sibelius

User Reviews

I think it is sad...

that someone wants to claim this movie, although it can be an "inner-circle-finnish" film, soviet propaganda. I merely would like to straighten out some facts that appeared on Politi Kasse's comment (that obviously was nothing more than a quarrelsome lie).

First, the finnish socialists did NOT join soviet partisans. The Finnish Social-democratic party had by WW2 become a party that represents political center. Some - and very few - finnish COMMUNISTS joined the partisans. It is true, however, that before the war the swedish government pressured Finland to surrender, to avoid a political conflict. And I think that was awful to hear when I first heard that, and I am very much offended of Politi Kasse's words.

Secondly, I, for one, was not forced to read the book in school. I read it two summers ago, and I don't recalled being TOLD to do so. Thirdly, that stuff about Renny Harlin having to flee to USA is ... well I won´t even dignify that with an answer.

I am deeply offended of Politi Kasse's comment, and although I file it under the rather inexhaustible file of Swedish Jealousy, I will reserve the right to make you EAT the print-out of your comment if we would ever happen to meet.

Yours, Tsulkaturin aka VP Hämäläinen, Keminmaa Finland.