简介：TheWinterWarwasanepiclifeanddeathstrugglethatchangedthecourseofWorldWarII,andsavedademocracy.FireandIcedocumentsthistimelessstoryofcourageagainstalloddsbyapeopleunitedtopreservetheirfreedom.InNovemberof1939,whenFinlandwasinvadedbytheSovietUnion,nooneexpectedthistinynationwouldresistthelargestmilitaryforceintheworld.Also,nooneanticipatedoneofthecoldestwintersinrecordedhistory.Outnumberedandoutgunned,Finnsknewthewarwasnotaboutterritory;itwasatotalwarfortheirveryexistenceasapeople.ThewarbeginswiththeaerialbombardmentofHelsinki.Firesrageinthecity.Dazedcitizensrunfortheirlives.PoorlyequippedFinnishtroopsfaceamassiveRedArmyattacksupportedbythousandsoftanks,heavyartillery,andairplanes.TheinvasionisalmostthreetimeslargerthantheAlliedlandingatNormandyonD-Day.TheRussiansareconfidentofaquickvictory.AFinnishpoetremembershowthewarstarted.Weenterherworldasachildofeleven.AnAmericanremembershowat21,hevolunteeredtodriveanambulanceasheleadsusdeepintothefrozenforestsofnorthernFinland.Finnishsoldiersimproviseadefense.TheyattacktankswithMolotovcocktailsandcrowbars.FinlandswomenformauniquecorpscalledLottaSvärd.Andastemperaturesdescendto50belowzero,theirmasteryofwinterbecomesastrategicadvantage.Finnishresistanceisrelentless.Theyknowthiswarisnotaboutchangingborders;theirlives,theirindependenceandtheiridentityasapeopleareatstake.Theyuniteagainstacommonenemyasneverbefore.Thenarrativeisenrichedwiththecontemporaryaccountsofjournalistsandsoldiersonbothsidesoftheconflict,manyfromwardiariestranslatedintoEnglishforthefirsttime.Rarearchivefootage,enhancedbymeticulousattentiontohistoricaldetailinre-creatingscenesofboththebattlefrontandhomefront,bringsthishistorytolife. Weavingacombinationofpersonalinterviews,contemporarydiariesandsourcematerial,historians,livere-enactments,andcomputergeneratedgraphics,FireandIcetellsthestoryofthepersonal,military,andhistoricalsignificanceoftheWinterWar.Thestyleisonethatviewershavecometoexpectfromdocumentaries.Theoverallhistoryiswelltoldandperiodicallypunctuatedwiththeminutiaofpersonalaccountsfromthosewhofoughtandlivedit.Anarrationopensthedocumentaryandexplainstheeventswhichcausedtheconflict:StalinsfearsthatSt.Petersburg(thenLeningrad)mightbevulnerabletoanattackviaFinlandthroughtheKarelianIsthmus.Thedocumentarythenmovesdeftlytoamorepersonalperspective,suchantheinterviewwithJackHasey,theAmericanwhovoluntarilyfoundedtheIroquoisAmbulanceCorps,andshuttledwoundedFinnishsoldierstomedicalcare.Clear,polishedgraphicsshowthestrategicplanofadvanceofthe14th,7th,and8thSovietArmiesastheyattemptedtocrushFinlandwithintwoweeks.Othergraphicsareusedtoexplainthetacticsused.Thesearereminiscentofthehighqualityviewsthatgamershavecometoexpectfromtopshelffirst-personshooterssuchasCallofDuty,RedOrchestra,andBattlefield1942andeventhoseviewerswholackanappreciationofmilitarytacticswillfindtheminterestingandinformative.Furtherbolsteringthestoryareinterviewswithmilitaryprofessionals,narrationsofcontemporarydocuments,andhistorians,ofwhomBillTrotterisprominentlyfeatured.Hiseasy,almostcasualrecollectionofthehistoryandhisabilitytoencapsulateitintoanintelligent,accessibleformatdrawsthecamerasattentionrepeatedly.Itisevidentfromhisknowledgethathecouldhavesingle-handedlynarratedtheentiredocumentary,andhenearlydoesso.Iwouldestimateheappearsinabouthalfthetimethatanyexpertaccountsareshown,andattimesheisapartofthegluewhichholdsthedocumentarytogether.Themixtureofabirdseyeviewofhistoryandpersonaltrivia(forinstance,theWinterWarwaswherethemonikerMolotovCocktailoriginated)makesforacompellingandinformativedocumentary.Mypersonalinterestisintheareaofmilitaryhistory,andifIhadtofindablemishinFireandIce,itwouldbethattherewasperhapsabittoomuchemphasisonthewarsimpactonthehomefront.TheimpactofthewarontheFinnswasnotinsignificantandshouldnotbedismissed.Thestoryofthehomefrontisimportant,shouldbetold,andmakesthedocumentaryaccessibletoabroaderaudiencethanjustmilitaryhistorybuffs.Itisalsoquitecompelling,anddespitemypreference,Ifoundthestoryofthehomefrontinterestingandmoving.Thesepersonalaccountshelptoplacetheimpactoftheconflictinbothhumanandmilitaryterms.Thestoryiswell-balancedandviewerswillcomeawaywithasolidappreciationandknowledgeofthemilitaryandhistoricalsignificanceoftheWinterWar.TheWinterWarisaconflictthatisintimatelytiedwithWorldWarII.ItwasmadepossiblebytheMolotov-RibbentropPact,andtheSovietsabysmalperformanceintheWinterWarwasadecisivefactorinconvincingGermanytolaunchOperationBarbarossa.IwouldhighlyrecommendFireandIcetoanyonewithaninterestinWorldWarII.Itfillsagapinhistorythatisbothsignificantandnearlyforgottenanditdoessoinarivetingandinformativemanner.TheDVDwhichIreviewedisabout12minuteslongerthanthatwhichisairingonpublictelevisionstations.Anyonewhocannotviewthepublicbroadcast,orwhowantstoobtainthelongerversioncanpurchaseitfromtheproducerswebsite,orevenviewabrieftrailerfromthatsamesite.BoththeFireandIceDVDandBillTrottersAFrozenHellcanbepurchasedatthewebsite,andspecialbundledpricingisavailableforanyoneinterestedinboththebookandtheDVD.…