I do not want to go into details described in other reviews. Yes, this movie is amazing by the fact the main protagonists cannot speak to each other because of totally different languages.But there is one scene that left me stunned: The "Wolf's call" scene, where Kukushka uses very strange and very chilling ritual to call back the dying one from "the otherworld" back to the life. It is absolutely stunning, I had to watch this one particular scene over and over again. It is absolutely stunning introduction to the north European mythology.Great, great movie!

Fascinating film this, in many ways.Slow to start, as the conscientious objector is nailed to a rock as bait following the ending of WW2 hostilities in Scandanavia. The director takes is through a sometimes quite painfully slow process as or young soldier fights a battle with a nail and chain. The scene when the chain gets released is a relief.The scenery, the close-ups, the human facial reactions throughout carry this film well. I can't understand why some friends of mine say they cannot watch subtitled films - here we have no choice - though non verbal communication or body language is clearly universal, even in adversity.My favourite scene: when the young soldier suffers from the Russian guys bullet. He drifts away into unconsciousness and is bought back the Saami woman's traditional trance like spell - the scene cuts to a young boy in white (angel of death) leading our character away, only to be pulled back to the present at the very end.As someone interested in people and communications this film is a classic - ends beautifully and the camera-work throughout is wonderful.Watch it a few times, be sure to catch the humour!

Kukushka (The Cuckoo)is one of the best Russian films to be released since 2000, featuring a first-rate international cast and one of the finest directors working in Russia (or anywhere else) today. Rogozhkin's WWII-themed film follows the fates of a pacifist Finnish sniper who has been abandoned by his comrades, a Russian officer in the midst of being purged by the NKVD, and a Lapp (Sami) woman whose husband disappeared after going to war. The interplay between the three protagonists is sharp, and there is no small sense of accomplishment for the English-speaking viewer (with no knowledge of Russian, Finnish or Sami) to realize that they consistently understand the situation better than any of the characters. The linguistic challenges are amusing and, at times, heartbreaking. Although a few of the plot elements strain credibility, Kukushka is enjoyable to watch, and this unconventional take on the love triangle theme had me on the edge of my seat throughout the film. The Finnish actor Haapasalo, who Rogozhkin also worked with on the "National Hunting" series, displays his acting range, as well as his ability to mesh with Juuso and Bychkov (another "National Hunting" veteran), who are also excellent. The action sequences look professional, the cinematography is sublime and the story is intriguing, but it is the ensemble acting that makes this film worthy of multiple viewings.

This was a movie of beautiful outdoor photography and most of all brilliant performances by all involved and direction that was sensitive and humorous. The lack of communication literally is funny , but also can be seen in the bigger context of misunderstanding each other in war. The pivotal performance was by the female lead who I had never seen before , but will never forget.Her basic goodness and human needs and common sense anchored the film for the other two characters. Gritty realism and mystical power were brought together seeming without great effort by the screenplay and its cast and director. Definitely worth the time spent reading subtitles RWS