MovieChat Forums > Rukajärven tie (1999) Discussion > Great war movie. The Finnish version of ...

Great war movie. The Finnish version of 'Platoon'?

posted 11 years ago by Eric-1226
3 replies | jump to latest

I found this film an incredibly intense, sobering look at infantry warfare in a war that most people probably know little if anything about: brave Finland going up against the forces of the USSR during WWII.

I was curious about the Finns' weapons and other military gear. They actually looked a bit like German soldiers of that era: similar uniforms, same type of helmets (the ones you always see Nazis wearing), and other things. Also wondered what types of guns they were using. It looked like most of them had automatic rifles with either cylindrical ammo drums (similar to the Thompson submachine gun), or banana clips. Were these guns of Finnish make, or were they provided perhaps by Germany?

[–] ChillEastweed 11 years ago

Some of the guns were made in Finland like these:

Suomi KP/-31 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suomi_KP/-31
Lahti-Saloranta M/26 LMG http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahti-Saloranta_M/26
Lahti L-39 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahti_L-39

and the rifles were Mosin-Nagants http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosin%E2%80%93Nagant#Finland

Machine guns were maxims http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxim_M/32-33

About the helmets: http://home.scarlet.be/be033830/jukka/jukkahelmetgallery.htm

"I'm a scientist, I don't believe in anything."

[–] Eric-1226 11 years ago

^A little late in getting back to you, sorry 'bout that..... But thanks loads for all the info and the links you provided. Good work.

[–] olioz (3307) 3 years ago

It's a really good movie. I just watched it again after almost 20 years, I really liked it back then and it's still an excellent war movie.