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Summer 1941 and the Finnish army has been mobilized along the Russian border. A platoon, led by Lieutenant Eero Perkola, receives orders for a dangerous recon mission to search out Russian defensive positions. As his mission begins he learns that his beloved fiance has been killed in an ambush by Russian partisans. This traumatic event transforms the young Lieutenant from a blue eyed, idealistic officer into a killer intent on vindictive revenge against the enemy. As Perkolas personal war endangers his platoons safety and compromises the entire mission, he must wrestle his inner demons and make a choice.
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A big, sweeping war epic packed with rousing battling scenes beautifully shot. --Washington Diplomat
Affecting… well crafted --LA Times
A big, sweeping war epic packed with rousing battling scenes beautifully shot. --Washington Diplomat
Affecting… well crafted --LA Times
A big, sweeping war epic packed with rousing battling scenes beautifully shot. --Washington Diplomat
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
In the States there are a lot more low profile publications than in Europe since it is a much larger market. Hench they get a better selection.
Ambush is one of those movies, it is Finnish and therefore not likely to get videly distributed. Which is sad as it is an excellent movie. Great attention has gone into detail such as costumes and scenes, the uniforms are a bad general fit as you sea in the history books and very unlike later day Hollywood that specially taliors the uniforms to make their stars look better. Nor is this a constant action movie, you get to follow a patrol that is constantly waiting to get attacked, sees the enemy around every corner without making contact. It has its horrible moments as well.
As I have never been a soldier or taken part in any conflict I am not a qualified judge, but something about this film simply feels right and it confirms with most history books on the subject.
I liked it immensely.
The film itself rates 5 stars.
There is a downside however and that is the sloopy transfer to DVD this movie is, picture quality is poor and subtitles (in English) are fixed to the movie itself, not really subtitles but part of the film which looks to have been ripped of from a video tape so there is nothing in the way of DVD quality.
Hopefully one day this movie will be available in better quality to us Europeans.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Following on chronologically from the Finnish War epic 'The Winter War', this film takes us to the Finnish involvement in the Second World War. As allies of Nazi Germany, they fought against the Russians, over the same battlefields as the winter war, then invaded the territories disputed with the Soviet Union. This is a more intimate film,following a unit of cycle infantry on a scouting mission ahead of the main force. In the long tradition of war films, we get all the usual stereotypes. The father and son in the same unit, the grumpy soldier who is always hungry, the very young recruit who has never seen action, and of course, the cowardly one. There is some short reference to the confused politics of the time, with some anti-communist comments but this is not laboured. They are led by the clean-cut idealistic young officer, who is distracted by worry about his girlfriend.She is also serving in the war, with a mobile canteen unit.
What sets it above many similar films is the authenticity of period. The uniforms, weapons, vehicles and equipment are all spot on. The appearance of the soldiers, lack of food and supplies, is all well rendered.Even the sound and firing rate of captured Russian weapons is incredibly accurate. As usual, the unit is whittled down, as we follow its circuitous route around a watery, woodland peninsular. It is in the small skirmishes, and moments of suspense as villages are nervously searched, where this film impresses. In addition, the scenery is marvellous, and conveys the bleakness of this type of combat. The climactic battle is less impressive, reminiscent of so many earlier war films. The 'back story' of the officer and his fiancee, supplying a somewhat cliched ending, is unnecessary, and cost this otherwise excellent film a fifth star.
If you have seen all the usual war films and blockbusters, give yourself a treat with this unusual Finnish gem.
What sets it above many similar films is the authenticity of period. The uniforms, weapons, vehicles and equipment are all spot on. The appearance of the soldiers, lack of food and supplies, is all well rendered.Even the sound and firing rate of captured Russian weapons is incredibly accurate. As usual, the unit is whittled down, as we follow its circuitous route around a watery, woodland peninsular. It is in the small skirmishes, and moments of suspense as villages are nervously searched, where this film impresses. In addition, the scenery is marvellous, and conveys the bleakness of this type of combat. The climactic battle is less impressive, reminiscent of so many earlier war films. The 'back story' of the officer and his fiancee, supplying a somewhat cliched ending, is unnecessary, and cost this otherwise excellent film a fifth star.
If you have seen all the usual war films and blockbusters, give yourself a treat with this unusual Finnish gem.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A agree that this is a realistic movie, as far as you can get one about war. It reminds me a bit of "Das Boot" in several aspects, although is far~from being that good. You follow a finish patrol in a recognisance mission as part of an offencive against the russians. Historically, Finland tried to stay neutral on WWII but eventually joined the Axis after being invaded by the russians. They distinguished themselves by the fight they put though, fighting against a much bigger army and managing to drive the red army away for a while and infringed massive casualties. Part of the secret was that the finish army was very mobile, using snow skies on the winter and horses and bicycles on the summer. They were very fast and flexible on hit and run missions and ambushes. But in this movie, they are the ones who might get ambushed, as they move fast on bicycles and there's also a russion patrol that is retreating to their lines, on foot. Most of the time you don't see the enemy or a gun fired. Are just the men. And this leads to the issue that doesn't let me give this movie 5 stars. This kind of plot demands a lot of character development and here that lays short, in my view. In the end of the film I couldn't say who was who, apart from the main character and a few others. The director hints a few things about the men but it is all dropped to fast, never to be revisited. And even the main character is not very well pictured. I couldn't say where this guy was, as it seams that he is always in a state of preparation for a mental change or reaction that never happens. That could be the point, but I don't think so. Overall, thou, this is quiet a good war movie and I enjoyed it a lot. And its refreshing not to have american paratroopers killing 5 gremans a time with a single shot and a cigar on the corner of their mouth....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
High hopes but sadly let down
I had high hopes for this film, Winter War was an exceptional film, It showed great character depth along with a great story.
Ambush however had no character depth whatsoever! Read more
Ambush however had no character depth whatsoever! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dave
Love in a Void
It's not a war film, that is the first observation, but a love story set in a time of war. The Russian war films have no such romantic lead as this. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dr. Delvis Memphistopheles
Not what I expected
This film is well constructed in the elegaic continental style - it's certainly not very Hollywood! Yes, that's a plus. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Enquirer
Best War Film In Ages
I am not a fan of war films but bought this film because I am interested in the history of Finnish Karelia and the WW2 campaigns. The film makes for compelling viewing. Read more
Published 3 months ago by falco
Beauty & Brutality
"Ambush 1941" directed by Olli Saarela is a wonderfully tension paced film. Rather different in style to the usual mode of 'war films' as perhaps, set in Finland and directed by... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ms. C. C. Dobson
Watchable .. just
Good film location and whilst it moved slowly the plot was good, there was not much in the way of action until the end and that was a bit far fetched. Read more
Published 10 months ago by J. Mee
ambush 1941
finnish platoon on recon mission on the russian border,it reminds me of cross of iron yet,i really enjoyed the movie.at times slow but tense. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mr. Dermot Elmes
Jatkosota; Finland's fightback begins
Ambush 1941 is set in the early days of the Continuation War, the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front of World War Two. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Lance Grundy
Shows promise but needed a military advisor
This is the first Finnish film I have seen and it does show promise in that it is well filmed and shows off the countryside rather well. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Barry Ross
'A classic war picture'?
This is one of the few films that tells part of the story of the Finnish participation in WW2 along with 'The Winter War' The Winter War [DVD] [1989]. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Tommy D
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