The Winter War –
The Winter War (original title in Finnish: Talvisota) is a 1989 Finnish war film directed by Pekka Parikka, based on The Winter War, a novel by Antti Tuuri. It tells the story of a Finnish infantry regiment “JR 23”, which consists almost solely of men from Southern Ostrobothnia, focusing mainly on a platoon of reservists from Kauhava. The film was released in Finland and Sweden on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Winter War. It was selected as the Finnish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Talvisota (The Winter War) begins on 13 October 1939, when reservists in the Finnish army were called to active duty. Two farmers, Martti Hakala and his younger brother Paavo, join other men from the municipality of Kauhava in a fictional half-platoon under the command of Second Lieutenant Jussi Kantola. After mustering at the local school, the men ride the train to Seinäjoki to join the rest of the Finnish Army’s 23rd Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Matti Laurila. After some practice, the regiment goes to the Karelian Isthmus, where Kantola’s men help civilians in the potential war zone evacuate their village.
After marching to the Taipale River, Kantola’s men help in building defenses in preparation for the anticipated Soviet attack. On 6 December, the Battle of Taipale begins and rages for three weeks. Several times, the Russians get into the Finnish trenches, but the Finns always push them back. On 27, December the Russians halt their attack on the Taipale front and Kantola’s men go to Yläjärvi for rest and recuperation. Martti manages to get home leave.
When Martti returns from home, the unit goes to Vuosalmi on the Vuoksi River near the village of Äyräpää. There the men fend off Russian human-wave attacks. The film shows the ill-fated attack by the men of Nurmo on 5 March. The fighting stops at eleven o’clock in the morning of 13 March 1940, when the armistice takes effect.