Tali-Ihantala – 2007
This Finnish film comes across as sort of a mixture of documentary and war film. It tells the tale of the Battle of Tali-Ihantala in mid 1944. This is where the outnumbered Finnish forces stopped the Soviet push to knock Finland out of war and conquer the country.
It was a skin of the teeth type battle with the Finns just barely holding the line. It was enough of a victory though that the Soviets decided to go for a negotiated peace treaty. They had use for their troops and tanks further south to pursue the fleeing German Army.
The film follows several different small units as they are thrown into combat against the Soviet Red Army. One follows a recon unit hiding behind Soviet lines. Another tells about a Finnish Unit made up of captured Soviet tanks and German supplied assault guns. Then there is the story of how the massed Finnish artillery saved the day at the last moment.
This is an interesting war film about one of the more unknown areas of the World War Two conflict. It might not be to everyone's taste, but should satisfy the war film buff. Of particular interest is the use of actual WW2 tanks etc.
This Finnish film comes across as sort of a mixture of documentary and war film. It tells the tale of the Battle of Tali-Ihantala in mid 1944. This is where the outnumbered Finnish forces stopped the Soviet push to knock Finland out of war and conquer the country.
It was a skin of the teeth type battle with the Finns just barely holding the line. It was enough of a victory though that the Soviets decided to go for a negotiated peace treaty. They had use for their troops and tanks further south to pursue the fleeing German Army.
The film follows several different small units as they are thrown into combat against the Soviet Red Army. One follows a recon unit hiding behind Soviet lines. Another tells about a Finnish Unit made up of captured Soviet tanks and German supplied assault guns. Then there is the story of how the massed Finnish artillery saved the day at the last moment.
This is an interesting war film about one of the more unknown areas of the World War Two conflict. It might not be to everyone's taste, but should satisfy the war film buff. Of particular interest is the use of actual WW2 tanks etc.