If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this movie. Director Törhönen has grown up and "Raja" makes me look forward to his coming work.A regular pitfall in Finnish films is the dialogue. To the ear of the average Finn, actors either speak like books or spew curse words. Here the dialogue is sounds natural and moves effortlessly from one language to another and from the local dialects to high style. The companionship between the officers of Finland and Soviet Russia reminds one of Renoir's Great Illusion. Fine side characters add to the believability of the story. Here the director echoes the works of John Ford and Sergio Leone.Another war classic comes to mind, Schöndorff's Der Fangschuss. Even the epoch and the front line are the same - whites against reds in a small, recently independent country - in Schlöndorff's case Latvia.To add to the emotions, both films feature an ill-fated romance across the divide. In Raja 1918 this slightly strains the historical narrative and drops one point from perfect ten.Another minor (minus one pt) disappointment comes up with the ending. The narrative turns to shock effects and a prolonged goodbye-scene with a dead love breaks the general, almost-documentary like feel of the movie. There is a Peckinpah-style sequence of stills to underline the brutality of warfare - quite unnecessarily. The film could have ended with the taking of the group photograph.Still, a commendable effort, maybe the best Finnish war movie ever.

"Raja 1918" takes us to the world of war between Whites and Reds in Finland. After the declaration of independence Finland drifted to the situation that it was torn between Finnish and former Soviet Nation. Before the independence Finland was under the power of Russia. "Raja 1918" tells a story of a captain Karl Von Munck (Martin Bahne) who is sent to the eastern border to control the way where people want to cross the border to Finland. Von Munck falls in love with a teacher Maaria Lintu (Minna Haapkylä) who is engaged to a rebel fugitive, traitor Heikki Kiljunen (Tommi Korpela). The movement controlling is cruel. People are guaranteed, sent back to Russia or killed merciless.The cast is brilliant. Martin Bahne is a very needed addition to the Finnish actors. Bahne brings a delicate touch to the Finnish soldier scene and deliver a touching performance. Bahne also speaks Finnish, Swedish and German what is very impressive. Minna Haapkylä is again in a strong female lead. Tommi Korpela is great as tough Heikki Kiljunen. Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Risto Kaskilahti and Lauri Nurkse make also memorable roles."Raja 1918" is a well-made, well-acted and surprising war-drama. The movie makes you appreciate our freedom and safety after all wars. The Civil War was very appalling and divided the people but it strengthen the unity of Finland and formed it how it is today. "Raja 19182 is realistic and interesting. The movie holds you till the end and still you yearn for more. "Raja 1918" is one of the best movies that Finland has produced ever. Freedom is a very topical subject because of wars and Civil Wars around the world.High recommends!

Borders between countries are a logical idea, but in reality they are absurd, as there really isn't any real borders, just some pieces of land people have decided to guard after looking some maps saying "This is where it goes." "Raja 1918" is a story of an officer Von Munck (Martin Bahne), who is sent after the civil war of Finaland to the Finland/Russia border to enforce the border line. After the idealistic man arrives, he notices, that the people live at the both sides of the border river, crossing the bridge as they will, not caring on which side of the imaginary line they are. And after the Bolsheviks are starting to seize the full control of Russia, a horde of refugees appears to the border. Von Munck has to tighten his grip, but it soon comes evident, that he isn't just separating two countries, he is driving a wedge between families as well."Raja 1918" is well acted and mostly well directed film, with great settings and good atmosphere. Only major issue is, that the story is overly melodramatic, whit no happiness in sight. The subject matter is very heavy and there are moments, which try to soften the film, like the commander of Russian border line major Gentch (Leonid Mozgovoy), who offers some brief moments of comedy, as well more drama, to the story. But overall the doomed love story, the social issues and dividing of the nations is filled with a bit too much drama. Maybe the movie would have been a bit more enjoyable, if the love story plot would have been removed, as now it just adds more depression into already heavy film.But overall "Raja 1918" is well made film. I wouldn't mind of seeing more quality projects like this coming from Finland.

This is a refreshing drama taking on issues "off the beaten track" of the main stream Finnish historical dramas.It is spring of 1918. The Finnish war of independence is over. The war had turned into a bloody civil war between whites and reds. A young scientist and officer, captain von Munck, is sent to close the border between the newly independent Finland and Russia under Bolshevik revolution. St. Petersbourg is close, only 40 km away and foreign, Russian and Finnish refugees, spies and revolutionaries try to cross the border to Finland.The young man must set up a clear border between Finland and Russia, white and red, enemy and friend, us and them. While the task seems clear he finds out the execution of his command in concrete situations is very difficult. Right choices turn out to be wrong ones and correcting them make things worse.This historical war movie is the border that most other war movies take for granted. There is a border, there is us and them. This is clear - also in this movie - but where is the border, where is the "thin red line" right here and now? In the story the border, us and them ,is moving from situation to another, from place to another.The movie has some technical flaw but the script and editing work well. As a description of the situation after 1918 civil war this is a rare filmatisation. I would recommend movie makers to look slightly of the beaten track when choosing historical war and drama topics.