Greetings, commies!
Leave it up to me to find some obscure but stellar WWII film. Today's feature gem is 1944 about the events that took place in Estonia towards the end of WWII.
Synopsis:
In the year 1944, Estonia faces advances from both the Russian Red Army and Nazi forces. Families are torn apart across enemy lines and soldiers are forced to make difficult choices to preserve a small nation caught in the middle of a global war. Estonia's Official Submission for the Academy Awards.
My thoughts:
I really hope this gem gets more exposure, because it's so though provoking. Rarely do you get a WWII film filled with such empathy. Estonia is a small country in northern Europe (no, it's NOT a part of Russia!) so you are not likely to read about it in most high-school history textbooks, namely what was going on there during WWII, how the population was divided politically and ideologically. Some fought on the side of the Red Army, believing the alliance with the Soviet Union to be more beneficial, and some fought on the side of Hitler. The latter was a sort of "hold your nose" type of alliance. They ridiculed Hitler openly and harbored no illusions about his promises to "grandfather" the Estonians into the Aryan race. You cannot help but feel empathy for this small unique country trapped between two toxic giants. You see these young people forced to choose sides and realize that they cannot win, regardless of whose side they take.
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