The Cuckoo

As Finland's withdrawal from World War II draws ever closer, a tentative relationship between an abandoned Finnish soldier, a Lapp woman, and a Russian captain accused of anti-Soviet correspondence offers momentary solace to a trio of lost souls. Dressed in a German uniform and tied to a rock after being branded a pacifist by his fellow soldiers, Finnish sniper Veiko ( Ville Haapasalo ) attempts to break free before being spotted by Russian soldiers and shot. Peering through the scope on his rifle after finally escaping, Veiko bears witness to the accidental bombing of a Russian envoy carrying a captain accused of collaborating with the enemy. As Anni, a Laplander whose husband is off to war, scavenges for food, she runs across the bombing and finds disgraced captain Ivan ( Viktor Bychkov ) clinging to life. Bringing him back to her house to nurse him to health, Anni is shocked when Veiko arrives in search of tools to remove his shackles. As language barriers keep the threesome from effectively communicating, Ivan's suspicions that Veiko is actually a German soldier begin to mount. Veiko and Anni's bond begins to grow, and as the lonely widow seduces Veiko, Ivan's jealousy and suspicions culminate in an attempt to murder the hapless Finnish sniper. — Jason Buchanan