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The Unknown Soldier (1955 film)
Encyclopedia
The Unknown Soldier is a Finnish film directed by Edvin Laine
and premiered in December 1955. It is based on The Unknown Soldier
, a novel by Väinö Linna
. The story is about the Continuation War
between Finland and the Soviet Union
as told from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers. The film was and remains the most successful movie ever in Finland; about 2.8 million people, or more than half the Finnish population, saw it in theaters. Its portrayal of Linna's characters is widely accepted as canonical. In 1985 Rauni Mollberg
directed a new version
of the film.
Since 2000 YLE TV2
has broadcast the film every year on the Independence Day of Finland
.
Edvin Laine
Edvin Laine was a Finnish film director. Laine was born Bovellán.Laine directed Aaltoska orkaniseeraa, a comedy, in 1949....
and premiered in December 1955. It is based on The Unknown Soldier
The Unknown Soldier (novel)
The Unknown Soldier is author Väinö Linna's first major novel and his other major work besides Under the North Star. Published in 1954, it is a story about the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union as told from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers...
, a novel by Väinö Linna
Väinö Linna
Väinö Linna was one of the most influential Finnish authors of the 20th century. He shot to immediate literary fame with his third novel, Tuntematon sotilas , and consolidated his position with the trilogy Täällä Pohjantähden alla Väinö Linna (20 December 1920 – 21 April 1992) was one of the...
. The story is about the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
between Finland and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
as told from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers. The film was and remains the most successful movie ever in Finland; about 2.8 million people, or more than half the Finnish population, saw it in theaters. Its portrayal of Linna's characters is widely accepted as canonical. In 1985 Rauni Mollberg
Rauni Mollberg
Rauni Mollberg was a Finnish film director who directed movies and TV movies.In 1963 Mollberg directed movies for YLE. He directed a version of The Unknown Soldier in 1985, 30 years after Edvin Laine directed the original version of it. Mollberg's movie's plot was same as Laine's movie...
directed a new version
The Unknown Soldier (1985 film)
The Unknown Soldier is a Finnish 1985 film directed by Rauni Mollberg. It is a remake of the 1955 film of the same title, directed by Edvin Laine and based on the best selling Finnish novel by the same name written by Väinö Linna. Mollberg used young and unknown actors, many of them now famous,...
of the film.
Since 2000 YLE TV2
YLE TV2
YLE TV2 is a Finnish television channel owned and operated by YLE.TV2 launched in 1964, and broadcasts public service programming, children's, youth, sport and music programmes.-Own Productions:* Ajankohtainen kakkonen* Akuutti* Jopet Show* Kummeli...
has broadcast the film every year on the Independence Day of Finland
Independence Day of Finland
Finland's Independence Day is a national public holiday held on 6 December to celebrate Finland's declaration of independence from the Russian Empire. The movement for Finland's Independence started after the revolutions in Russia, caused by the disturbances from the defeats of the First World...
.
Cast
- Kosti Klemelä – Lt. Koskela
- Heikki SavolainenHeikki Savolainen (actor)Heikki Savolainen was a Finnish actor renowned for the part of Urho Hietanen in Edvin Laine's 1955 Tuntematon sotilas...
– Sgt. Hietanen - Reino TolvanenReino TolvanenReino Tolvanen was a Finnish actor who played Antti Rokka in Edvin Laine's movie The Unknown Soldier, based on a book by Väinö Linna....
– Cpl. Rokka - Veikko SinisaloVeikko SinisaloVeikko Sinisalo was a Finnish actor. He appeared in 24 films and television shows between 1954 and 2002. He starred in Sven Tuuva the Hero, which was entered into the 9th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* The Unknown Soldier * Sven Tuuva the Hero -External links:...
– Cpl. Lahtinen - Åke LindmanÅke LindmanÅke Leonard Lindman , born Åke Leonard Järvinen, was a Finnish director and actor.In his youth Lindman was a football player, playing defence for the Finnish national team during the Olympics in Helsinki 1952. He represented the football club HIFK in the Finnish league. In the 1960s, the British...
– Cpl. Lehto - Pentti SiimesPentti SiimesPentti Siimes is a Finnish actor. He has appeared in 86 films and television shows since 1946. He starred in the film Miriam, which was entered into the 8th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
– PFC. Määttä - Leo RiuttuLeo RiuttuLeo Riuttu was a Finnish actor. He appeared in 81 films and television shows between 1946 and 1978...
– Pvt. Vanhala - Kaarlo HalttunenKaarlo HalttunenKaarlo Halttunen was a Finnish actor. He appeared in 87 films and television shows between 1933 and 1970...
– Pvt. Rahikainen - Matti RaninMatti RaninMatti Helge Ranin is a famous actor in Finland. His parents were actor Helge Ranin and actor Saara Ranin .He has had an extensive career both in film and television...
– Cpt. Kariluoto - Jussi Jurkka – Lt. Lammio
- Tauno PaloTauno PaloTauno Valdemar Palo was a Finnish actor and singer in what some consider the golden age of Finnish cinema....
– Maj. Sarastie - Pentti Irjala – Cpt. Kaarna
- Vilho SiivolaVilho SiivolaVilho Siivola was a Finnish actor, film director, television director and a member of the Council of Theatre....
– Supply Cpl. Mäkilä - Olavi AhonenOlavi AhonenOlavi Ahonen was a Finnish film actor.Ahonen first appeared in film in 1954 and made many appearances in Finnish film between then and 1997 appearing in films such as the Rauni Mollberg historical film Aika hyvä ihmiseksi in 1977. He has also appeared in many films by Spede Pasanen...
– Pvt. Riitaoja - Tarmo Manni – Pvt. Honkajoki
- Veli-Matti Kaitala – Pvt. Hauhia
- Tapio HämäläinenTapio HämäläinenEemil Tapio "Tapsa" Hämäläinen was a Finnish actor. He was a theater counsellor....
– Pvt. Salo - Martti Romppanen – Pvt. Sihvonen
- Vili Auvinen – Pvt. Asumaniemi
See also
- The Unknown Soldier (novel)The Unknown Soldier (novel)The Unknown Soldier is author Väinö Linna's first major novel and his other major work besides Under the North Star. Published in 1954, it is a story about the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union as told from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers...
- The Unknown Soldier (1985 film)The Unknown Soldier (1985 film)The Unknown Soldier is a Finnish 1985 film directed by Rauni Mollberg. It is a remake of the 1955 film of the same title, directed by Edvin Laine and based on the best selling Finnish novel by the same name written by Väinö Linna. Mollberg used young and unknown actors, many of them now famous,...
- The Unknown Soldier and Finnish Cinematopraphic Art commemorative 10€ coin
- Das BootDas BootDas Boot is a 1981 German epic war film written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, produced by Günter Rohrbach, and starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Klaus Wennemann...
- Stalingrad (film)Stalingrad (film)Stalingrad is a 1993 war drama film directed by Joseph Vilsmaier. It depicts combat on the Eastern Front of World War II, specifically the Battle of Stalingrad and showing the German Wehrmacht in a sympathetic light....
- Talvisota (film)Talvisota (film)The Winter War is a 1989 Finnish war film directed by Pekka Parikka, based on The Winter War, a novel by Antti Tuuri. It tells the story of a Finnish infantry regiment "JR 23", which consists almost solely of men from Southern Ostrobothnia, focusing mainly on a platoon of reservists from Kauhava...