This is an absolutely compelling, magnificent film, as much for eerie beauty of its setting (a subsistence farm in northern Finland during the Continuation War of 1944) as the power of its anti-war message. Two enemy soldiers, a Finn and a Russian are taken in by Anni, a young Sami (Lapp) woman, trying to run her farm herself since her husband left, evidently four years earlier, during the original Winter War. They eventually learn to get along (even though, to the end, the Russian keeps call the Finn "Fascist", to which the Finn replies that he is not a fascist, he's just a democrat - in Finnish, that the Russian can't understand.
SPOILER HERE - CAREFUL!
At the end, having learned that the war is over (a really humiliating defeat for Finland, I understand, although nobody in the film cares) both men prepare to go home, and say goodbye to Anni. They have both had sex with her, but there is no sign of any children around. However, in an epilogue, Anni is shown telling the story to her two children, evidently one the son of the Finn, the other the son of the Russian. Now, how did she manage that? Oh, well, the Sami are reputed among the Finns to have magical powers. . .
Anyway, run, do not walk, to see this film.
SPOILER HERE - CAREFUL!
At the end, having learned that the war is over (a really humiliating defeat for Finland, I understand, although nobody in the film cares) both men prepare to go home, and say goodbye to Anni. They have both had sex with her, but there is no sign of any children around. However, in an epilogue, Anni is shown telling the story to her two children, evidently one the son of the Finn, the other the son of the Russian. Now, how did she manage that? Oh, well, the Sami are reputed among the Finns to have magical powers. . .
Anyway, run, do not walk, to see this film.