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Tali-Ihantala 1944 [Blu-ray]

Rauno Ahonen (Actor, Host), Mikkomarkus Ahtiainen (Actor, Host), Sakari Kirjavainen (Director, Host), Rated:
Unrated
Format: Unknown Binding
3.9 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
Genre Drama
Format Import, Blu-ray, Subtitled, Widescreen
Contributor Rauno Ahonen, Johan Hallström, Tali-Ihantala 1944 (2007), Kari Hevossaari, Tali-Ihantala 1944 (2007) ( Tali-Ihantala Nineteen Forty Four ) ( 1944, The Final Defence ), Jussi Brech, Marcus Groth, Mikko Bredenberg, Mikkomarkus Ahtiainen, Sakari Kirjavainen, Tali-Ihantala Nineteen Forty Four, Frank Biermann, Riko Eklundh, 1944, The Final Defence, Marc Gassot, Åke Lindman See more
Runtime 116 minutes
Studio Ascot Elite Home Entertainment

Product Description

Germany released, Blu-Ray/Region A/B/C : it WILL NOT play on regular DVD player. You need Blu-Ray DVD player to view this Blu-Ray DVD: LANGUAGES: Finnish ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), Finnish ( DTS-HD Master Audio ), German ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), German ( DTS-HD Master Audio ), Dutch ( Subtitles ), English ( Subtitles ), French ( Subtitles ), German ( Subtitles ), Polish ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Interactive Menu, Making Of, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: Tali-Ihantala 1944 is an episode movie based firmly on actual events. The film depicts the largest battle in the history of the nordic countries, which ended in a decisive Finnish victory which ultimately ensured Finnish independence. The movie tells a story about individual men and units in combat, in which survival demanded luck but also the ability to with stand brutal toughness and cruelty. Only the few survived and out of those only fewer are still alive today. This is a story about those who defended our country. ...Tali-Ihantala 1944 (2007) ( Tali-Ihantala Nineteen Forty Four ) ( 1944, The Final Defence )

Product details

  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches; 2.93 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Sakari Kirjavainen, Åke Lindman
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Import, Blu-ray, Subtitled, Widescreen
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 116 minutes
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Rauno Ahonen, Mikkomarkus Ahtiainen, Frank Biermann, Jussi Brech, Mikko Bredenberg
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French, German
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ Tali-Ihantala 1944 (2007) ( Tali-Ihantala Nineteen Forty Four ) ( 1944, The Final Defence ), Tali-Ihantala 1944 (2007), Tali-Ihantala Nineteen Forty Four, 1944, The Final Defence
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Finnish (Dolby Digital 2.0), German (Dolby Digital 2.0)
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00A2FI50A
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
20 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Paco Rabanne
    5.0 out of 5 stars For those interested in the Continuation War in particular or ...
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    For those interested in the Continuation War in particular or in WW2 history in general, this film depicts the events leading up to the cessation of hostilities after the Battle of Tali-Ihantala. Movie comes with a variety of language options (audio in German or Finnish) with a selection of sub-titles (English, Dutch, etc.).
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Robert
    2.0 out of 5 stars Disapointing
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    The director attempts to recreate a documentary like effect. In the process, the underlying plot becomes disjointed and the movie becomes a collection of unrelated vignettes. Unless you are tank buff (great shots, including some interior ones of properly painted and marked T-34/76, T-34/85, KV-1, Sturmgeschutz III, SU-152 and T-26) you will be disappointed. At times it is even boring (even though I am a war movie fan and will put up with almost anything!). The only thing going for this movie is the painstaking attention to historical accuracy in uniforms and military equipment. It is a shame for what it could have been.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Richard K. Henricksen
    3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of action.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    How can you not root for the Finns in WWII.

    Entertaining movie, though each time I got interested in a character they seemed to get killed. Fortunately they took a larger number of Russians with them.

    Ambush and the Winter War were much better, but it kept my interest.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Biff Balata
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2015
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    Great movie..
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  • DRB
    5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2016
    Great movie as far as the combat scenes. The uniforms and equipment are excellent. Great movie of the gallant Finns doing all they can to stop the Soviet Red Army from steamrolling through Finland.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Deputy
    2.0 out of 5 stars Major disappointment
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I already had the DVD version of this movie and liked it a lot. I bought the Blu-ray thinking it would look much better in HD. WRONG!
    They must have done a direct DVD-to-Blu-ray transfer of the movie. It looks EXACTLY like the DVD version. No improvement in color, sharpness, or audio. Save your money and get the DVD version. There is no benefit to the Blu-ray version
    22 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Old Soldier
    5.0 out of 5 stars A true battle film
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2013
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    Finland was the only continental European country whose military successfully prevented it's country from being overrun at some point during WW II; a fact made even more amazing when one considers that Finland fought on the Axis side.
    This is the true story of the last stand of the Finns against overwhelming assault by the Soviet Allies as the war had definitely turned against the Axis. A stand which they did so well that ultimately the Soviet Union turned away and settled for a peace that fell far short of the "unconditional surrender" that the Allies imposed on everyone else.
    This is a true battle film; there is no moralizing, soul-searching or flashbacks; this film was made for a Finnish audience that knows what their grandfathers and grandmothers (Finland also mobilized the largest percentage females for national defense, of any country that took part in WW II - all volunteers) were fighting for. The only dialogue obviously designed for foreigners who don't know the background is a one-liner which explains that the Finnish (light blue) swastika symbol has nothing to do with Nazis; it is the traditional national insignia (that predated Hitler's rise to power and use of that insignia in Germany, by over a decade).
    The film is a special treat for historical armor buffs, as it probably contains the most diverse collection of historical tanks and assault guns ever assembled for a movie (augmented by some very good mock-ups, with which you can play the 'what's really under there?' game).
    The film is in Finnish, so be prepared to read the subtitles if you want to follow the strategy.
    This one of the ultimate war movies, with one desperate battle following another from beginning to end. And if you need to know more to understand the background, google "Continuation War" as the WW II Russian campaign was called by the Finns.
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  • Lance Grundy
    4.0 out of 5 stars Slaget om Finland 1944; the battle for Finland nears its end
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2011
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    Tali-Ihantala is set in the closing days of the Continuation War, the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front of World War Two. After having fought Stalin's forces to a standstill during the first of these conflicts The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland,1939-1940 the Finns were forced to concede around 10% of their territory to the Soviets as part of the ensuing peace treaty. When Nazi Germany declared war on the Soviet Union in 1941 and launched Operation Barbarossa, the Finns saw an opportunity to get their lost territory back. In a classic case of 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' they allied themselves with Germany, declared war on the Soviet Union and launched an all-out offensive to win back their territory - which they did, albeit only temporarily. When the tide turned against the Axis powers and the Soviet army began to sweep westwards, the Finns were forced to fight a last-ditch defensive campaign to keep Finland free from Soviet invasion. The biggest battle in this campaign took place around the villages of Tali and Ihantala and ended in Finnish victory when, as a result of fierce Finnish resistance, the Soviets concluded that conquering Finland was proving too difficult and not worth the cost.

    Made at a cost of over 3 million euros and partly financed by the Finnish government, this film is an unapologetically patriotic and nationalistic re-telling of the story of the battle of Tali-Ihantala. Made for Finns by Finns its only nod to international sensitivities comes in an obviously staged scene when a young Finnish soldier asks his older comrade "Why do we have swastikas on the side of our tanks?". His reply "Because it was our symbol first and Hitler stole it" is a rather clumsy attempt to make clear to a foreign audience that the swastika has a significance in pagan Nordic culture that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Adolf Hitler, Nazis or National Socialist occultism. Other than that, the acting is to a high standard. Wherever possible genuine wartime vehicles have been used to enhance the realism of the film and where genuine vehicles were not available replicas have been used. Because the battle took place over a number of days and in various locations the film necessarily has a slight docu-drama feel about it with the various battle scenes being punctuated with maps and subtitles giving the date and location of each of the skirmishes. However, I found this a definite plus and I'd imagine most non-Finnish viewers would too [especially those possessing only a rudimentary knowledge of the events of Tali-Ihantala who might otherwise find the film a little confusing].

    I'd recommend this film to anyone who is interested in Second World War history or who enjoys a good war film and not just those with an interest in the Finno-Soviet conflict. The Finns seem to be rather proud of what their armed forces achieved between 1939-44 and as patriotic and nationalistic films like this show, they appear to have few - if any - qualms about the morally dubious alliance with Nazi Germany that made their victory possible. Perhaps for the Finns the end justified the means. Unlike their Baltic neighbours Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania [who also fought against the Soviet Union but lost and were then forced to live under Soviet socialism for 40-odd years and economically ruined in the process] the Finn's successful defence of their country meant Finland remained free from communism and developed into one of the most economically prosperous societies on earth with one of the highest standards of living in the world. This film shows the events that made all that possible.
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  • Partisan
    3.0 out of 5 stars A fairly good historical movie but not a great movie ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    "Tali-Ihantala" describes the last, and "decisive", battle of the Continuation War between Finland and the USSR.
    The film shows the Finnish fighters and commanders in the critical days when they succeeded in blunting the Red Army offensive and "save" Finland from Soviet occupation. Soon after, many Russian units were send towards the Baltic front, against the Wehrmacht. In fact, Stalin probably didn't plan to turn Finland in a "Popular Republic", considering the hostility of the country toward the Soviet Union.
    "Tali-Ihantala" is a very good re-enactment of the battle, with reals Stugs III battling reals T-34 and JSU-152, and is a must-have for any WW2 buff but suffered from a lack of quality on the "pure" movie side. The characters are very difficult to follows and I just barely succeeded thanks to my knowledge of the topic. The movie is also entirely shown from the Finnish side and the Soviets are just a mass of troops and tanks ...
    Also, I'm not a "politicaly-correct" mind, but the German contribution to the battle is lightly covered with a few, historical and fictional, views of Gefechtverband Kuhlmey, a fighter-bomber unit send by Hitler, along with AT rockets and some ground troops, to support his ally. Even if Finland was probably the most honest of the Hitler supporters, firstly fighting to get back its lost territories of the 1939-1940 Winter War against the USSR, it ends along the most terrifying partner to be found. But, in the movie, the Germans seem to be nice knights of the air, protecting the weak against a terrifying opponent. The Finland situation wasn't the easiest in the war, and I personnally have great sympathy for the Finns, but the movie is clearly too manichean in my humble opinion.
    The bonuses aren't very remarkable, some with no English captions ...
    If you like good reenactment, with many action scenes, with a realistic side, buy "Tali-Ihantala", but do not expect a great film nor a splendid history lesson. In any case, the fact a movie exist about such a forgotten battle - outside Finland - is remarkable, so I end on a relatively positive note.
    Anyway, I found "Talvisota" - the Winter War -, also a Finnish movie, much better.
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  • Beetleypete
    4.0 out of 5 stars The end of Finland's war
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2013
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    This film feels like a dramatised documentary. There are some scenes inserted from actual newsreel footage of the time, and the use of maps, shown on screen as stills, to show the viewer the positions of the protagonists. We see the action from the viewpoint of various Finnish units, as well as getting some insight into the workings of their High Command.

    There is a series of continuing threads, involving a light infantry company, an armoured unit, and a behind the lines reconnaissance patrol. If you concentrate, it is fairly obvious which one you are following, at any given time. Given this style, the action rarely stops, very much a plus point for the film overall. The cast feels authentic, as if they are actually in 1944, avoiding the usual desire to use a bunch of good-looking youngsters. We also see something of the Finnish Air Force, with their mixed bag of British and German aircraft.

    As if often the case, the Soviet troops are portrayed as little more than cheering cannon-fodder, gunned down in their droves, by brave Finnish soldiers. After all, it is a Finnish film, not a Russian one. The setbacks suffered by the Finns are well documented, as is their lack of supplies, food shortages, and their need to use captured weapons and tanks, to supplement their own shortfall.
    The last stand of the Finnish Army is carefully shown. Their artillery and troops are all massed in one place, and they use all their aircraft, in one desperate defensive action. It worked, the Russians withdrew, with terrible losses, and they signed a peace treaty in late 1944.

    I always like these Finnish war films, and this one is no exception, despite being very different to most others. They show the involvement of Swedish Volunteer units, but make little or no reference to their alliance with Nazi Germany. That aside, it is full of action, and a satisfying experience for any fan of war films generally.
    I would recommend that you set 'Suomi' in the main menu, and then choose English subtitles. Then you will see and hear the film the way it was meant to be.
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  • dasbunker. carmarthen
    4.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent war film from Finland
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This is another excellent film about Finland's experience in WW2. Although not quite as poignant or dramatic as "The Winter War" this film has excellent production values, is well acted and uses much authentic equipment.Original footage of JU87 Stukas is skilfully incorporated within the film and there are many scenarios with T34s, Stug 3's KV1s etc to be seen.

    It is set in 1944 during the retreat from Leningrad, when Finland strove desperately to protect its border from the Russian advance. They were successful enough to persuade Stalin to agree to an armistice, thus guaranteeing Finland's independence. It is a little difficult to always follow the developing actions as there are so many characters, but overall this is very well made and based on true events. Well worth the purchase price.
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