Such a frustrating disappointment

Overrated and overhyped

Lack of good storyline.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

I am a totally WW2 fanatic and, generally, a war movie watcher,having viewed all the war films I could get my hands on, regardless of country, language or approach. generally speaking I think the Russian war movies are the best (despite the fact I really, really don't like Russia), because once you set aside the propaganda part (still present even in the latest ones) they are very realistic and gritty, not Hollywood Nazi hunting walk-in the-park style. But my favorite WW2 movie ever is Talvisota, and I watched it innumerable times. The reason? It is very realistic, both in filming and in story, and it really manages to make you feel the fear, frustration, boredom, desperation and slow gradual psychological grinding felt by the Finnish soldiers (and, indirectly by the Soviet ones, dieing in scores in endless frontal attacks). It also slowly grows on you, making you care for the characters, not as soldiers, but kind of as family members, and makes you feel bitter and sour about the absurdity of it all. As it stays true to the real Winter War, which was no Blitzkrieg, there are no tank battles or anything epic; just endless trench war, endless artillery bombardment, and endless waves of Soviet infantry, simply ignoring the horrendous losses and just wearing the Finnish down through sheer exhaustion. And that' s what the viewer feels, too, exhaustion and a slow loss of hope. Maybe i am a little biased, because I'm from another European country neighboring the USSR, invaded by them in 1940 and then fighting alongside the Nazi in a losing war, but I still think this is the best ww2 movie ever, describing perfectly what the soldier of a small army feels like when fighting a superpower. 10/10 for me, but don't expect it to be an Enemy at the Gates kind of movie, it's more similar to Brestskaya Krepost or Go Ji jeon.

It's a Film that is Limited to the Main story,the Soldiers at the Front.It's shows without Mercy also a Sad Site with Fight from Ditch to Ditch.But not like a Rambo Film.It's made in a very realistic Style.The Russian Army had about 4,5 Million,Finland had only about 330000 Men.And this is also in the Film visible.It was a Gruesome War where the finish Puuko,(the well known Finn-Knives,sharp like a Shaving Knive),was really used to cut the Russian Soldiers throat's.(Was me personally telled by a Finish War Veteran.).Not a fine war,but a fight to keep alive. I have read also the Book and have seen now the Film.The Adaption is very realistic told,with much little Details,that give this Film a special touch.The sound is good and the Camera leading excellent.A MUST for every finish History fan.Greez ZV

This is a very nice movie about the winter war between Finnish and soviets in 1940. That is a shame to cut a lot of scenes. The quality of the DVD Belle and Blade Studios is awful. You loose a lot of important scenes, there are too true scenes which can help to understand this black period for Finland. Forget it and go to"www.suomikauppa.fi" to get the true version.I can't believe such a bad copy could exist in the country of cinema! So you have to watch Talvisota in the true long version 191 min. My vote is 10 for the film and the European version and the American short version 1!

'Talvisota' movie is based on actual memoirs of the Winter War veterans. Finnish writer Antti Tuuri compiled these accounts for his novel 'Talvisota' and Pekka Parikka turned this book into a movie. The movie was made some years before the Soviet Union collapsed and it wasn't yet influenced by that temperament the collapse induced. That is why 'Talvisota' became extremely realistic war movie. It is not either pro-war or anti-war, it's nothing else than that how the veterans of the war experienced it.In the movie there are as much authentic equipment and uniforms seen as it was possible to get. The characters have their counterparts in reality and the personalities really help to comprehend the whole view. It's all a bloody slaughter but you will also experience pretty much of humor that many newer war films don't want to display. Yes, soldiers make pretty harsh jokes in the middle of all that fire.In stead of being a history lesson 'Talvisota' gives its own response to historical questions. Here are both patriotism and pacifism left as far out as possible. War is something that only those who have had to go through it are able to understand.