mel-301 The movie "Ambush" is a very interesting movie although I can't still understand now in the plot what was the relationship between Finland and Germany in the second world war.By the fact I have some Finnish friends who couldn't explain it to me at all in a rational way, but it seems they were alliated to the Nazis?? I am sorry but I am not very implicated in these items about second world war, but the movie doesn't explain what was happening exactly, as the russians appear as murderer invaders in a out of time dimension war and also the guns used by the Finnish looked from the I world war. The Nazis and their collaboration with the finish are not ever mentioned.Instead of this the movie is very good filmed, with a lot of masculine and feminine cakes, and specially the music is super, some years ago I bought a CD from the finish label Ondine,called "Aurora Borealis", and I was very impressed about the music of this movie, , as it was never shown in Spanish cinemas I thought I never were able to see this movie, until I bought the DVD in a second hand shop last week in Madrid...incredible! I repeat that the movie is super. Sorry for my bad English!

DarknessOntheEdgeofTown It's a shame they made a "Hollywood" movie out of it. Even though it does tell something about the situation Finland was in during that time, the movie looks like one made in Hollywood.The battle scenes were unrealistic with the characters heroically running in the forest even though the air is full of bullets and kill many of the Russians while at it (pretty much like a Rambo or Commando but not that far out). Also, the love story plays too big a role in the movie.I don't mean it's a bad movie but if you want to really get an idea of the Winter War or the Continuation War, try to see The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas, 1955) or The Winter War (Talvisota) or read the books. Of the American depictions of war (in films), only Band of Brothers comes close to what The Unknown Soldier and The Winter War deliver.

Euromutt "Rukajärven Tie" is set in the opening stages of the "Continuation War." In 1941, the Finns sought to take advantage of the German invasion of the Soviet Union to seize back--with interest--the territory the Soviets had captured from Finland in the Winter War of 1939-40. The main protagonist is Eero Perkola, a subaltern commanding a platoon of Finnish bicycle infantry which is participating in the invasion. Once in Russia, Perkola is surprised to run into his fiancée, Kaarina, whom he thought to be safe in Helsinki, but who has joined the women's auxiliaries. Perkola requests his battalion commander to transfer the auxiliaries away from the front. The battalion commander agrees, but asks Perkola to take on a special mission in return; Perkola's platoon is to reconnoitre forward of a gap in the Finnish lines to ensure the Soviets are not preparing to counter-attack in that sector.This puts "Rukajärven Tie" into the "Lost Patrol" (as in the 1934 John ford film) category of war movies: a small unit making its way through hostile territory, harassed by groups of hostile fighters. Of course, this film is about Finns. It helps to have some knowledge of the historical situation to comprehend this film, but it's not vital. The soldiers do not see the war as some "crusade against godless communism," they're looking for payback, and while ideological differences within the unit are touched upon, the Russians (note: the Russians, not the Soviets) are clearly the common enemy, and the bitterness (in varying degrees) of the Finnish soldiers is clearly evident. War movies of this kind depend on suspense rather than spectacle, and this film has suspense in spades.The soundtrack contributes to the highly evocative atmosphere in the movie, from the excellent musical score to the buzzing of mosquitoes whenever the action takes place near any body of water. Otherwise, this film is an anorak wargamer's delight, featuring weapons very rarely seen in war movies (such as an SVT-40 Tokarev rifle in the hands of a Russian sergeant, and several Lahti-Saloranta M26 light machineguns), bicycle-mounted infantry (ubiquitous in many early 20th-century armies, but rarely seen in movies), and displaying the highly informal nature of the Finnish armed forces (the only salute in the film is a mark of respect, not of regulations). Incongruously, the platoon behaves amateurishly on occasion, e.g. bunching up while exposed to possible enemy machinegun fire, etc. but this is a minor distraction.This film has almost everything most people could ask for; sex, violence and though the plot is a little thin in places, there's lots of character development to make up for it. I loved it.

TTS You don't always have to find the largest, most massive, confrontation to make something impressive. The ones that portray a war without a real individual's perspective tend to get so removed from real life that they tend to glorify war.In real life war isn't a fast paced action flick. A movie made in Finland relies much more in its sense of "it could be real" then the average Hollywood product. Waiting is an essential, yet agonizing, part of war. When the action comes it can be over in 5 seconds. Waiting for that 5 sec is the definition of living on the edge. I enjoyed the tranquility of the earlier parts. In war, 10:1 odds in casualties are achieved by using the advantage when you have it. That means attacking from behind and taking out as many as you can before it's your turn. Yes it is cruel and brutal. Who said war is anything else?The movie is also visually beautiful and the soundtrack tends to amplify the beauty of the scenery, but does not go overboard obvious as is the case with some classical soundtracks. The film has an enjoyable atmosphere to it. However, I'm forced to admit that the actual events make it a bit hollow and somewhat popularistic. If you can get past the shell, which I would give maybe a 5, you can get to the core of it all. With the ambience and feel of it all, I'd give the movie's guts an 8. I'd rather grade it by that.If you are looking for an action flick for a friday night, this is not really it. Try maybe sunday.