The Cuckoo

118 votes and 3 Reviews

Release Date: September 5, 2003

On DVD/VOD: December 2, 2003

1h 40m | Drama, Family

Several days before Finland, an ally of Nazi Germany, pulls out of World War II, Veiko (Haapasalo), a Finnish sniper, is turned on by his compatriots for being a pacifist. They shackle him and nail the shackles to a heavy rock after putting a German uniform on him, knowing that Russian soldiers have orders to shoot Germans on sight.

Days pass, and after several failed attempts, he succeeds in freeing himself and runs, shackles still attached. Ivan (Bychkov), a captain in the Russian army accused of anti-Soviet correspondence, is being held prisoner by the Soviet Military secret police.

En route to his court martial, Russian planes accidentally bomb the vehicle while carrying the disgraced captain, killing the driver and his guard. Anni (Juuso), a farmer and a war widow, locates the bodies of Ivan and his captors while foraging for food. As she begins to bury the dead, she discovers that Ivan is still alive.

She carries him back to her hut to try to save his life. Meanwhile, Veiko, in search of tools to remove his shackles, stumbles upon Anni’s farm.