The Road of War

1940 1h 12m FI

🤯

8.5

MASTERPIECE

★8.5TMDB · 2

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The film deals with the Winter War of 1939-40 between Finland and the USSR. It begins with military exercises in the Autumn of 1939 and moves on to the Soviet invasion; the battle for Karelia; the bombing of Helsinki and other Finnish cities; as well as the activities of the foreign press corps in Finland and the heroic efforts of Finnish women and the Red Cross in their treatment of the wounded.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Hilkka Helinä
Narrator (voice)
Kyösti Kallio
Himself
Turo Kartto
Narrator (voice)
Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Himself
Väinö Alfred Tanner
Himself

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Risto Orko
Writers: Turo Kartto, Topo Leistelä, Risto Orko
Languages: Finnish
Countries: Finland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Risto Orko, shot by Risto Orko. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Risto Orko shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Hilkka Helinä and Kyösti Kallio and Turo Kartto carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0138853 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Risto Orko directs. Risto Orko behind the camera. Risto Orko cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Finland. Dialogue in Finnish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
286 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Risto Orko, shot by Risto Orko. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Risto Orko shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Hilkka Helinä and Kyösti Kallio and Turo Kartto carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0138853 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.