Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Unknown Soldier Blu-ray Movie Review

A complex war-film with an exceptional presentation.

Unknown Solider is a war-film produced in 2017. The Finnish production is based on the novels by Väinö Linna and is the third-time these stories have been adapted for cinema. This production was Finland's most expensive movie ever made upon release. The film explores war-time during the Continuation War and was the biggest movie of the year in Finland upon its theatrical release.

The film focuses on a three year war mission involving Finnish soldiers. Unknown Solider explores the missions carried out by Rokka (Eero Aho), Kariluoto (Johannes Holopainen), Koskela (Jussi Vatanen), and Hietanen (Aku Hirviniemi) as the Army members go up against enemies in the Soviet Union. The storyline flashes back-and-forth between the perils of war-in-motion and the events occurring on the homefront. Can the soldiers make it home alive?

The production has a number of impressive elements. The production design is ambitious and seems to be a grand undertaking for Finnish cinema. The visual effects are similarly striking and make a solid impression. There are many scenes which seem to rival Hollywood productions in scope and scale. Tremendous production quality from beginning to end.

The costumes by Marjatta Nissinen (History Is Made at Night, The Girl King) are well-designed as well. The soldiers wear convincing attire. The women showcased in the film are also given excellent costumes which befit the time-period. The overall effort of Nissinen is impressive.

A war against time.

One of the greatest elements of the film is the music composed by Lasse Enersen (Tom of Finland, Legend of the Ancient Sword). The score was tense and effective during the epic battle scenes. The dramatic moments were also given plenty of moments to shine. An exceptional score.

The cinematography by Mika Orasmaa (Rare Exports, Iron Sky) was also beautiful and mesmerizing. There were so many wonderful visuals in the film and the scope on display was enormous. The film looks big-budget, grand, and impressive throughout. There is something extraordinary about the cinematographic design of Unknown Solider that makes the entire experience more rewarding.

Co-written and directed by Aku Louhimies (Rebellion, 8-Ball), who penned the script alongside Jari Olavi Rantala (Frozen Land, Tears of April), Unknown Solider is an impressive film on many levels. The direction is ambitious and exciting. However, the script is imperfect. The story does tell a tale of one of the times in Finnish history that is less pleasant to delve in to – the Nazi alliance (as the Finnish army was aligned with the Nazi party during the Continuation War).

Unknown Soldier doesn't explicitly explore these elements when it would have been a good opportunity to some how condone this past in a straight-forward manner. Nonetheless, the production does seem to advocate for pacifism – showing how dangerous war can be and how it can have a impact on soldiers. Unknown Solider is a fascinating (if imperfect) film that history enthusiasts will want to see.

The Unknown Soldier Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Unknown Solider is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. This is a near-perfect encode that manages to beautifully retain the cinematographic style. The visuals are razor sharp and the rich, evocative imagery looks nearly flawless. There is only one scene in which I noticed some very-slight banding. The entire rest of the presentation was exceptional. The imagery is enthralling and will bring viewers to the edge-of-their-seat. Kino should be commended on this top- notch, near reference-grade presentation.

The Unknown Soldier Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes an extensive selection of audio options (including Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio). The Dolby Atmos presentation is one of the most engaging surround sound mixes I have heard to date. The surround stage was enormously engaging and the track managed to make me feel as though the war was happening right in the room. The overheard effects are truly exhilarating to hear. The level of immersion created by the Atmos mix was remarkable. The surround effects are well implemented in to every scene.

Please Note: The English subtitles are free from any glaring spelling or grammatical errors.

The Unknown Soldier Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Into the Unknown: The Making of Unknown Solider (HD, 59:07) is an extensive production exploring the making-of the feature-film. Filmed in 2017. Subtitled in English.

Deleted Scenes (HD, 10:36) from Unknown Soldier. Subtitled in English.

Post-Production Featurettes:

ADR (HD, 2:53)

Music Recording (HD, 3:15)

Trailer (HD, 2:23)

Visual Effects (HD, 1:49)

Trailer 1 (HD, 1:48)

Trailer 2 (HD, 1:49)

The Unknown Soldier Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Unknown Solider is a complicated war-film. The filmmaking is remarkably ambitious and breathtaking at times. The performances are excellent throughout. However, the storyline could do a better job of exploring the ways in which The Continuation War was a major low-point in Finnish history (as it aligned the country with the Nazi party). This element is largely ignored in favor of highlighting circumstances of the Finnish soldiers.

It feels as though the production is made with Finnish pride. On that level, Unknown Soldier succeeds in showcasing the perils of war and exploring the ramifications it can have on soldiers. An impressive film, even if imperfect, and one that has a first-class video-audio presentation. Recommended.