Men in motion: On the third Unknown Soldier

Abstract

The third adaptation of The Unknown Soldier premiered during the celebration of the centennial anniversary of Finland’s independence in 2017. The original novel by Väinö Linna was published in 1954. This article will set the story of the novel briefly in both historical and authorial contexts. Then the discussion concentrates on characteristics of spectatorship and observations about differences between the three film adaptations of the novel, the first directed by Edvin Laine (1955), the second by Rauni Mollberg (1985) and the most recent version, again some 30 years later, directed by Aku Louhimies (2017). Analysis of this film highlights differences from the earlier adaptations as well as additions and shifts in emphasis when compared to the novel, such as the role of the home front and the focus on particular characters, especially corporal Rokka.