Kreml (Peeter Tammearu), an ambitious and manipulative commanding officer who wants him to report any anti-Soviet remarks made by the men in his unit.
Not only must he look out for his men, who are all the family he has left, but he must also handle pressure from Capt. Meanwhile, Juri (Kristjan Ukskula), son of a communist collaborator, was recruited from the Estonian Defense Forces by the Red Army. Farm boy Karl (Kaspar Velberg) wears the uniform of the SS and is haunted by his inability to prevent his family’s deportation to Siberia by the Soviets. Running from the battle of the Tannenberg Line in July to the occupation of the Sorve peninsula by the Red Army at the end of November, the narrative focuses on two courageous Estonian staff sergeants fighting on opposing sides. By 1944, the bloodiest battles on the Eastern Front were being fought by soldiers from small nations who had only the slimmest hopes of survival, and who had learned the lesson of keeping their mouths shut. But in 1941, Germany occupied the tiny Baltic country, forcing 72,000 Estonians to fight as part of the Waffen-SS and other military units excepting the Wehrmacht, which was reserved only for those of German birth. In 1940, the Soviet Union annexed Estonia, drafting 55,000 men to serve in the Red Army. The text running under the opening credits provides context for those who don’t know the complicated history of this corner of Europe.
Nevertheless, further fest action is assured. Despite its domestic acclaim and a handsome production package, this foreign-language Oscar entry lacks the international arthouse appeal of last year’s Academy Award-nominated “Tangerines,” in which Nuganen appeared in a supporting role. As the film illustrates, the titular year was a dangerous one for Estonian men of combat age who wound up fighting compatriots on home turf. Ranking as Estonia’s biggest domestic box office success, Elmo Nuganen’s gritty war epic “1944” provides a harsh perspective on the country’s painful 20th-century history.
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