Dead or Alive 1918 (2012) User Reviews

Brutal scenes interrupted by monologues

[rommel30 · 6/10 · 29 June 2022]

This is the only movie I saw about the Finnish Civil War and I must say it was way too short: it did not leave enough time for the viewer to remember and discover the personality of the main characters. It has plenty of action and has believable costumes and weapons. What annoyed me in this feature was the frequent monologues of some characters talking to the camera like if they were reading a letter while the rest of the guys where fighting: it was turning me off each time.

Brutal but worthy war film

[Andy-296 · 7/10 · 24 November 2013]

Worthy war film set in the Finnish Civil War (first months of 1918), which pit the Reds helped by Soviet Russia against the Whites of Baron Mannerheim, which were helped by Germany (the Whites won). As with most civil wars, the Finnish Civil war was very bitter since it pitted people often from the same family, only separated by their political ideology. This film (a little more than an hour long) is terse, intense, brutal. It focuses on the life of a White battalion, as they battle the Reds around a sort of grand hospital in the countryside. It has a few modern touches (use at times of hand-held camera, at points the soldiers talk to the camera, explaining what is going on) and sometimes the film is intercalated with documentary photos.

Fascinating and Troubling

[pmalt · 9 November 2012]

For a history buff as I am, this was a very unforgiving work of high integrity, I believe. I am still aghast at the brutality of WWI; there are so many untold stories that are being further elided with the passage of time. The longstanding conflict between Russia and Finland is not well known to Americans. The focus on the war in France overshadows the other battlefronts too. This story does not really spend any time on character development, but focuses on one small, cruel action on the periphery of The Great War, as it was known.

I have to remind myself how Finland was beaten up by Russia over the years because the alliance with the Nazis during WWII has sullied Finland for many Americans. As I understand, the Finns were really caught between two awful choices, and they chose the Germans to avoid allying themselves with the much-hated Russians. (That's a real oversimplification.) Anyway, this film was unrelentingly brutal and sad, exemplifying the terrible waste of life, the confusion, the hopelessness and pointlessness and impersonal nature of war. A troupe of young patriots try to hold off the encroaching Russian forces and in so doing are killed or wounded in various terrible ways. They show great courage, cruelty and brotherhood. Some of the background photos and film are authentic, and it always gives one an eerie and wrenchingly sad feeling to see these poor souls trapped in vicious circumstances, their lives and hopes and individuality swept away by History.