Overview
In a world torn apart by war, unexpected bonds form amidst the chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- warm
- bittersweet
- thoughtful movie night
- international cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a sweet, amusing, humane wartime comedy drama with strong performances and an effective anti-war perspective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Finnish sniper Veikko and Soviet captain Ivan find shelter with Lapp woman Anni despite military hostility and mutual language barriers.
Anni rejects the soldiers' enemy classifications and treats both men as people rather than representatives of opposing armies.
Veikko, Ivan, and Anni communicate across Finnish, Russian, and Sámi contexts, producing recurring comic misunderstandings.
Anni's isolated farm shelters two enemy soldiers during the final days of the Continuation War.
Films like The Cuckoo, and why
Joyeux Noël
shared wartime setting, cross-cultural friendship, humane anti-war perspective, and gentle comic tone
Life Is Beautiful
shared tragicomic treatment of enemy soldiers, language barriers, and improvised human solidarity during war
The Ascent
shared remote wartime setting, intercultural encounter, and tension between military hostility and personal compassion
The Band's Visit
shared bittersweet romance, cultural displacement, and warm comedy emerging from political conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Aleksandr Rogozhkin
- Release Date
- 2002-09-12
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (122)
Cast
- Anni-Kristiina Juuso
- Ville Haapasalo
- Viktor Bychkov
- Mikhail Korobochkin
- Denis Aksenov
- Santeri Kuikka
- Aleksandr Zubkin
- Sergei Antonov
- Svyatoslav Lezin
- Vsevolod Lezin
Common questions
- What is The Cuckoo about?
- In a remote Lapland refuge, a Finnish sniper, a Soviet captain, and their determined host discover intimacy and comic solidarity across the wreckage of war.
- What is The Cuckoo like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Cuckoo as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Cuckoo violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Cuckoo as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Cuckoo?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a sweet, amusing, humane wartime comedy drama with strong performances and an effective anti-war perspective.
- Which films are like The Cuckoo?
- Films with a similar feel include Joyeux Noël, Life Is Beautiful, The Ascent, and The Band's Visit.
- How long is The Cuckoo?
- The Cuckoo runs 100 minutes.
