MovieChat Forums > 1944 (2015) Discussion > Balts and Finns are the best

Balts and Finns are the best

posted 10 years ago by kerchable
8 replies | jump to latest

There's been a handful of epic war movies about the Eastern Front of WWII where the war was mostly fought and certainly won. 1944 is another no nonsense account of historical events that took place on the Blue Hills of Estonia. For further examination You Tube offers a 6 part English subtitled documentary of this battle.

Russia/USSR has made several great war movies, classic in proportion and expense. But it's hard to find an unbiased de-propagandized Russian war film. Before I rattle too many hammer and sickles it should be noted that the American film industry has made dozens of anti war, anti American involvement in war films like MASH, Platoon, Catch-22 etc. Films not made after the fact but some in the midst of active conflict.

One cannot help feel immense pride and admiration for the brave soldiers of Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. To be sure all 4 of these small nations fought with German weapons and uniforms of sort. And all 4 were invaded by the Red Army long before Americas involvement. Fact is hundreds of thousands were brutalized and deported to the USSR before Pearl Harbor, John Wayne, and the Flying Tigers. Balts and Finns picked the lesser of 2 evils and the rest is history as written by the victors. 1944 and other movies made by the Balts and Finns are priceless and scarce resources that tell posterity what happened to them without the often clumsy "hurrah-ism" dished out from studios in Moscow or Saint Petersburg. Russia is a big country and I'm sure they're able to absorb this jab.

Home and family were on the front lines of Estonians in 1944 and with that stress and impact providing the inspiration I think all 4 of these nations make the best war films. Belarus in Soviet times made Come and See, another one of a kind war epic. Again though, the hostility that was burned into the face of the boy at the end seemingly has not been extinguished with the passing of time, no closure and never enough recompense. Great injustice was also practiced upon Estonia, who wasn't looking for a war nor colluded in creating one. But they fought for and with their lives, side by side with Wehrmacht soldiers at times, side by side with Red Army soldiers as well. Would Germany have invaded Estonia had Stalin not firstly invaded? Probably, but that's a topic for Putins trolls.

what ails most madmen is realitys grasp or escape, a paralysis of analysis

[–] aphrodisiaciix 10 years ago

Good post. I've learned more about this subject matter via your writing and did some more reading on this part of WWII. Thanks.

[–] kerchable 10 years ago

Thank you for your kind words which I wasn't sure I would receive after what I posted. WWII and issues on the Eastern Front are still very contentious topics on social media. It is exacerbated by pro Russia trolls crawling all over the internet.

If I may also suggest another 5 or 6 part You Tube documentary called "The Golgotha of Bessarabia" also with English subtitles. It is a horrendous account of the Soviet advance into Romanian territory which still impacts that land to this day. The Russian government is very very dangerous and too many Russians feel they were shafted when democracy (which they've never fully experienced nor embraced) ended Soviet dominance. Not fondly or often do I quote Adolf Hitler but he referred to that "Bolshevik gang in Moscow" and I fear with Putin and his fellow autocrats the world is witnessing another pre world war condition shaping up. A weak and immoral West as well that haven't the moral high ground nor the will to stop Russian expansionism. We now have a situation where Russia and China are very close, colluding allies, and Russia is building Irans nuclear program. Germany has already weighed these matters out and I wouldn't be caught off guard if Germany throws in with these huge powers to their East. If the Euro collapses this may orient Germany to the East because the Petrodollar is becoming a thing of the past. Google the BRICS alliance (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) and you'll discover their aim is to create and supplant the weak dying American Petrodollar standard. If successful Germany could hardly resist joining this alliance, I would think.

what ails most madmen is realitys grasp or escape, a paralysis of analysis

[–] raunka 10 years ago

Good post. To be honest, the only World War 2 movie from those 4 countries you mentioned I have seen is just this one. I don't know about Latvia and Lithuania but this is the only WW 2 movie that a re-independent Estonia has made. I'm aware of the Finnish Winter War film, but haven't seen it yet. Reviews say its good, though.

Would Germany have invaded Estonia had Stalin not firstly invaded?

I'm no troll, but they probably would have, yes. In fact, there was a race for the Baltic countries between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1940. At first the Germans wanted to have Lithuania in their own sphere of influence, but the Russians demanded it for themselves and the Germans saw no need to deny their demands since Hitler was planning a war anyways. Eventually Hitler was made aware of the strategical importance of the Baltics and so the race began which Stalin won by just a few days.
The leader of the Estonian Self-Administration Hjalmar Mäe (there was a representative of the the ESA in this film as well, he gave one of the soldiers a picture of Hitler) wrote about it in his memoir book. He claims he was the one who persuaded the German high command to not let the Baltics go, realising if the Soviet Union got Lithuania in its sphere of influence then the rest of the Baltics would be cut off from the world and Stalin would be free to do whatever he wishes.

[–] Shaolin_Apu 9 years ago

Yes, Germans hardly were any more liberators than Russians on their behalf. Germans in fact considered the Baltic states as another part of their Lebensraum, yet they might have agreed to some concessions too, e.g. exporting most Estonians to Finland or something similar. Still, Germans had handed Finns over to Russians once before with their Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. You can however always change your mind.

Reality television spoils fiction.

[–] edgar959 9 years ago

Most realistic WW2 film since ever? All others so far showed either based on bs events or another jewllywood anti-german propaganda like Shindlers List, Pianist and other nonsense.

[–] kerchable 9 years ago

I hear you man. For every anti-Soviet movie or doc made there's a hundred about the Holocaust or some nonsense distracting from structural elements for the causes of the war. By now I shouldn't have to qualify that being anti-Stalin does not equate to being pro Nazi or antiSemitic. Revisiting the Jewish tragedy of WWII is now a science but nothing of the sort can be said of the USSRs joint ventures with Germany to begin the Second World War which conveniently morphed into the Great Patriotic War. Stalin should have found himself dangling from a lamp post like Mussolini.

what ails most madmen is realitys grasp or escape, a paralysis of analysis

[–] nickm2 9 years ago

Well, Stalin didn't hang but he died lying in a puddle of his own urine & stained with his own excrement for hours while his lackeys dithered about what to do to help him.

Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!?

[–] greg-goremykin 9 years ago

Amen, everything you wrote was completely truthful and accurate, bravo!