THE MURMANSK OATH (working title) - Script and screenplay included

- tammikuuta 01, 2026

🎬 Working Title (options)

The Murmansk Oath

Red Legion of the North

Brothers of the Arctic War

1918: The Forgotten Legion

🧭 Logline

During the chaos of 1917–1918, a group of Finnish Red soldiers are recruited into the British-backed Murmansk Legion and sent to fight brutal battles in Arctic Karelia and Petsamo—often against fellow Finns. Decades later, as the Winter War erupts, the survivors face their homeland once more, no longer as exiles, but as respected veterans defending Finland.

🧠 Core Themes

Brother against brother (Finn vs Finn)

Ideology vs survival

Loyalty without a homeland

Exile, shame, and redemption

History’s forgotten soldiers

Time, memory, and honor

Timeframe: 1917–1918

Locations:

Southern Finland (Civil War chaos)

Vienna Karelia

Petsamo

Murmansk coast & Arctic railway

Political chaos:

Finnish Civil War

Russian Bolshevik Revolution

British intervention in the North

Cold, hunger, darkness, snowstorms, mud, and frostbite are constant enemies.

🎭 Main Characters (Example Ensemble)

AARO KOSKINEN (25)
A former factory worker and Finnish Red. Idealistic at first, later disillusioned. Becomes a natural leader.

ILMARI LEHTO (30)
Veteran Red Guard NCO. Pragmatic. Believes survival matters more than ideology.

EINO VIRTANEN (19)
Youngest recruit. Joins to escape execution. His innocence is slowly destroyed.

CAPTAIN EDWARD HAWTHORNE (40s)
British Royal officer commanding the Legion. Cold, professional, respectful—but never fully trusted.

JAEGER COMMANDER (Antagonist)
Finnish White Army officer trained in Germany. Skilled, disciplined, and personally conflicted about fighting other Finns.
📖 Three-Act Story Structure

ACT I — Red Snow (1917–Early 1918)

Finland collapses into civil war

Reds are hunted, imprisoned, executed

Bolshevik chaos spills across borders

British forces arrive in Murmansk

2,000 Finnish Reds are recruited into the Murmansk Legion

They are promised:

Food

Protection

A chance to survive

Training under British command

First realization:

They are mercenaries in a foreign war

ACT II — The Frozen War (1918)

Major Battles:

Vienna Karelia
- Ambushes in forests
- Ski patrols
- Brutal hand-to-hand combat
Petsamo Coast
- Naval landings
- Artillery on frozen shorelines
- Whiteouts, frostbite, starvation

Central Conflict:

The Legion’s main enemy:
Finnish White Army Jaegers
Finns fighting Finns in Arctic hell
Prisoners recognize each other’s dialects
Some refuse to shoot
Others become ruthless to survive

Midpoint:

A major battle nearly wipes out a company
Aaro executes a wounded Jaeger to save his men
He realizes:
There is no clean side anymore

ACT III — Exile and Return (Late 1918)

War winds down

Legion survives—damaged but intact

They sail by ship to the United Kingdom

Internment, waiting, uncertainty

Politics shift

Finland stabilizes

Permission granted:

They may return home

Final scene:

Soldiers step onto Finnish soil

Some welcomed

Some shunned

All changed forever

🕯️ Epilogue — Winter War, 1939

21 years later
Soviet invasion begins
Surviving Murmansk Legion veterans return to arms
Now fighting for Finland
Young soldiers listen to their stories
Respect replaces shame
Final line (example):

“We fought each other once… so you wouldn’t have to.”

Fade out over snowy forest.

🎥 Tone & Style

Realistic, harsh, grounded (no hero fantasy)
Visual references:
- Come and See
- 1917 (atmosphere, not structure)
- The Unknown Soldier (Finnish realism)
Language:
- Finnish (primary)
- Russian
- English (British officers)

🎬 FULL SCREENPLAY OUTLINE

Working Title: THE MURMANSK OATH

ACT I — “RED MEN WALKING” (1917–Early 1918)

SCENE 1 — HELSINKI STREET, NIGHT (1917)

Snow. Gunfire echoes. Red Guards flee down an alley.

AARO KOSKINEN slips, faceplants in slush.

ILMARI LEHTO

(grabs him)
“Nouse nyt, sankari. Vallankumous ei odota.”
(Get up, hero. The revolution doesn’t wait.)

A bullet hits a wall.

AARO

“Se voi odottaa viis sekuntia.”
(It can wait five seconds.)

They run.

TONE: slapstick panic → instant danger.

SCENE 2 — RED GUARD SAFEHOUSE

A dozen exhausted Reds argue.

Someone loads a rifle backwards.

EINO (19)

“Onko tää oikein päin?”
(Is this the right way?)

ILMARI

“Jos ammut itseäsi, ei ole.”
(If you shoot yourself, no.)

Laughter. Then distant explosions.

Reality crashes in.

SCENE 3 — WHITE ARMY RAID

Jaegers burst in.

Chaos. Smoke. Screaming.

Aaro hides under a table with a broken leg of sausage rolling toward him.

He looks at it.

AARO

“…Vittu.”

Captured.

SCENE 4 — PRISON YARD, DAWN

Reds lined up. Executions nearby.

A British officer enters with interpreters.

CAPTAIN HAWTHORNE

“Gentlemen, you have three options.”

Interpreter struggles.

INTERPRETER

“Herrat… teillä on… kolme… öö… kohtaloa.”

Hawthorne gestures:

Stay → likely execution
Prison camps
Join Murmansk Legion

HAWTHORNE

“Cold. Dangerous. Paid.”

ILMARI

“Maksetaanko ajoissa?”
(Is it paid on time?)

Hawthorne smirks.

SCENE 5 — SIGNING UP

Aaro signs with shaking hand.

AARO

“Me taistellaan kenelle?”
(Who do we fight for?)

HAWTHORNE

“Today? Me. Tomorrow? History.”

ACT II — “THE ARCTIC IS A BASTARD” (1918)

SCENE 6 — MURMANSK TRAINING CAMP

British drills. Finns mock accents.

SERGEANT

“LEFT!”

Finns go right.

ILMARI

“Englantilaiset kompassit on rikki.”
(British compasses are broken.)

SCENE 7 — UNIFORMS ISSUED

British coats, Finnish boots, Russian rifles.

Aaro tries on coat — too small.

AARO

“Imperiumi kutistuu.”
(The Empire is shrinking.)

SCENE 8 — FIRST PATROL, KARELIAN FOREST

Whiteout snow.

Someone farts loudly.

EINO

“Oliko tuo karhu?”
(Was that a bear?)

Gunfire. Ambush.

Slapstick panic → brutal firefight.

First kill. Silence.

SCENE 9 — AFTERMATH

A dead Jaeger. Finnish face.

Aaro recognizes dialect.

AARO

“…Hämäläinen.”

Nobody jokes now.

SCENE 10 — VIENNA KARELIA BATTLE

Ski charge through trees.

British officer slips into frozen river.

BRITISH OFFICER

“I meant to do that!”

Explosions. Hand-to-hand combat.

Ilmari bayonets a man he went to school with.

SCENE 11 — NIGHT CAMP

Vodka bottle passed around.

EINO

“Ollaanko me pahoja?”
(Are we the bad guys?)

ILMARI

“Ei. Me ollaan hengissä.”
(No. We’re alive.)

SCENE 12 — PETSAMO COAST, LANDING

Arctic wind screams.

British naval guns fire.

Finns run ashore slipping on ice like idiots — until machine guns open.

Blood on snow.

SCENE 13 — AARO’S TURNING POINT

Wounded Jaeger begs in Finnish.

JAEGER

“Älä. Me ollaan samaa maata.”
(Don’t. Same country.)

White reinforcements coming.

Aaro shoots him.

Later, he vomits behind a rock.

SCENE 14 — HAWTHORNE & AARO

HAWTHORNE

“You did what soldiers do.”

AARO

“En tiedä mitä minä olen.”
(I don’t know what I am.)

HAWTHORNE

“Welcome to the club.”

SCENE 15 — LEGION DECIMATED BUT ALIVE

Roll call. Many names unanswered.

Ilmari cracks a joke.

Nobody laughs.

ACT III — “NO COUNTRY FOR RED MEN” (Late 1918)

SCENE 16 — ORDERS RECEIVED

War winding down.

Legion to be evacuated.

Mixed relief and fear.

EINO

“Päästäänkö kotiin?”
(Do we get to go home?)

Silence.

SCENE 17 — TROOPSHIP TO BRITAIN

Finns seasick.

British sailors laugh.

AARO

“Vallankumous kaatui aaltoihin.”
(The revolution drowned in waves.)

SCENE 18 — BRITISH CAMP, WAITING

Months pass.

Rumors.

Letters home unanswered.

One Finn learns his family was executed.

No jokes.

SCENE 19 — PERMISSION GRANTED

Hawthorne reads list.

They can return to Finland.

HAWTHORNE

“Politics change. Graves don’t.”

Handshake with Aaro.

Mutual respect.

SCENE 20 — FINLAND, RETURN

Dockside.

Some families waiting. Some turn away.

Aaro steps onto soil.

AARO

“Kotona.”
(Home.)

EPILOGUE — “WINTER WAR” (1939)

SCENE 21 — FOREST LINE, WINTER WAR

Old men in uniform.

Aaro, Ilmari — gray, slower.

Young soldiers stare in awe.

SCENE 22 — FIRE PIT

Young Finn listens.

YOUNG SOLDIER

“Te olitte Murmanskissa?”
(You were in Murmansk?)

Ilmari nods.

ILMARI

“Paska reissu. Hyvä oppitunti.”
(Terrible trip. Good lesson.)

SCENE 23 — FINAL BATTLE PREP

Artillery in distance.

Young soldier helps Aaro tighten gloves.

Respect.

SCENE 24 — FINAL LINE

Aaro looks toward enemy lines.

AARO

“Me tapeltiin toisiamme vastaan…”
(We once fought each other…)

Beat.

AARO

“…jotta teidän ei tarvitsisi.”
(So you wouldn’t have to.)

Snow falls.

FADE OUT.

🎞️ Tone Summary

Jokes stop when bullets fly
Humor = survival mechanism
No heroes, only veterans
History without clean hands

📜 PART I

120-PAGE INDUSTRY-STANDARD SCREENPLAY EXPANSION

“THE MURMANSK OATH”

Page counts are approximate and follow modern studio pacing.

ACT I — SETUP (pp. 1–30)

SEQUENCE 1 — COLLAPSE (pp. 1–10)

Helsinki riots
Red Guard chaos
Slapstick flight through alleys → sudden executions
Introduce AARO, ILMARI, EINO
Visual motif introduced: boots slipping, breath vapor

Purpose:
Introduce tone: funny → lethal → absurd → tragic

SEQUENCE 2 — CAPTURE & CHOICE (pp. 11–20)

White Jaeger efficiency (cold, German-trained)
Prison yard executions
British arrival feels alien, imperial, absurd
Hawthorne recruitment speech
Reds joke because fear demands it

Midpoint beat:
Signing the papers = moral Rubicon

SEQUENCE 3 — NORTHBOUND (pp. 21–30)

Train journey through frozen wilderness
First exposure to Murmansk
Mixed uniforms, languages, authority confusion
First Shane Black–style banter-heavy barracks scenes

ACT I TURN:
They are no longer Finns in Finland — they are soldiers without a country.

ACT II-A — CONFRONTATION (pp. 31–75)

SEQUENCE 4 — BECOMING A LEGION (pp. 31–45)

Training mishaps (humor-heavy)
British discipline vs Finnish improvisation
Weapon familiarization:
- Mosin–Nagant
- Lewis gun
- Mills bombs
Bonds form
First hints they will fight Finns

SEQUENCE 5 — FIRST BLOOD (pp. 46–60)

Karelia patrol
Ambush
First confirmed Finn-on-Finn kill
Aftermath silence is longer than firefight
Eino breaks emotionally

Motif escalation:
Hands shaking, blood on snow, breath slowing

SEQUENCE 6 — VIENNA KARELIA CAMPAIGN (pp. 61–75)

Large-scale ski warfare
Jaegers portrayed as professional, not villains
Ilmari kills former schoolmate
Humor now sparse, bitter

MIDPOINT (p. ~75):
The Legion wins tactically — loses innocence permanently.

ACT II-B — DESCENT (pp. 76–100)

SEQUENCE 7 — PETSAMO (pp. 76–90)

Arctic amphibious landing
Brutal conditions dominate screen time
Nature becomes antagonist
Aaro executes wounded Jaeger
Moral fracture becomes permanent

SEQUENCE 8 — DISINTEGRATION (pp. 91–100)

Casualties mount
Legion reduced by half
Jokes now sound forced, painful
Hawthorne admits Empire is leaving soon

ACT II TURN:
They survived the war — now must survive peace.

ACT III — RESOLUTION (pp. 101–115)

SEQUENCE 9 — EXILE (pp. 101–108)

Transport to Britain
Internment
Time jump conveyed through visual repetition
Letters unanswered
One suicide attempt (quiet, stopped)

SEQUENCE 10 — RETURN (pp. 109–115)

Political clearance
Finland no longer needs them — but allows them
Dockside return
Some welcomed, some rejected
Aaro chooses silence over argument

EPILOGUE — LEGACY (pp. 116–120)

SEQUENCE 11 — WINTER WAR 1939

Old men, young soldiers
The same forests
The same breath in the cold
But now unity

Final image:
Boots no longer slipping.

🎞️ PART II

PITCH DECK (15 SLIDES)

1. TITLE

THE MURMANSK OATH
“No side stays clean.”

2. LOGLINE

Finnish Red soldiers, recruited by the British in 1918, fight a forgotten Arctic war—often against their own countrymen—and return decades later as respected defenders of Finland.

3. WHY THIS FILM

Untold European history
Finn vs Finn conflict
War film with humor that hurts

4. TONE

Shane Black humor + Nordic fatalism

Laugh → flinch → silence

5. COMPARABLES

The Nice Guys (dialogue rhythm)
Come and See (moral impact)
The Unknown Soldier (authenticity)

6. SETTING

Helsinki
Karelia forests
Arctic coast
Britain
Winter War Finland

7. CHARACTERS

Aaro — moral center collapses
Ilmari — survivalist humor
Eino — innocence destroyed
Hawthorne — Empire with a conscience

8. HISTORICAL AUTHENTICITY

Correct weapons
Accurate uniforms
Real political dynamics
No cartoon villains

9. VISUAL LANGUAGE

Muted blues & whites
Blood as the only strong color
Handheld intimacy → wide Arctic scale

10. THEMES

Brotherhood
Betrayal
Memory
Redemption

11. EPILOGUE POWER

1918 shame → 1939 respect

12. MARKET POSITION

Prestige European war film
International co-production potential
Festival-friendly

13. BUDGET RANGE

Mid-range historical epic
Limited CGI, practical effects

14. TARGET AUDIENCE

War film audiences
Prestige drama viewers
Nordic & European markets

15. FINAL NOTE

This is not about winning wars —
It’s about surviving history.

📘 PART III

VISUAL BIBLE

COLOR PALETTE

Whites, greys, cold blues
Red appears rarely, violently

CAMERA RULES

Humor = handheld, close
Violence = wide, unforgiving
Death = stillness

COSTUMES

Mismatched uniforms
Repairs visible
Age and wear increase over time

SOUND DESIGN

Wind louder than music
Silence after gunfire
Breath as rhythm

SYMBOLS

Boots
Gloves
Compasses
Snow swallowing blood

FINAL IMAGE

Snow falling — but no longer chaotic.
Stillness earned.

THE MURMANSK OATH

ACT I (Pages 1–30)

FADE IN:

EXT. HELSINKI – INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT – NIGHT (1917)

Snow falls sideways in hard wind.

A FACTORY WHISTLE SCREAMS somewhere offscreen.

RED GUARDS — mismatched coats, red armbands — run through a narrow alley.

BOOTS SLIP on frozen slush.

AARO KOSKINEN (25), breath ragged, face raw with cold, looks back—

—SLAMS into a pile of trash, goes down hard.

His BOOTS fill with icy water.

He gasps.

ILMARI LEHTO (30), thick-set, mustached, hauls him up by the collar.

ILMARI

Nouse. Vallankumous ei pysähdy sun perskeen takia.

Gunfire CRACKS. Brick explodes beside them.

AARO

Se voi odottaa viis sekuntia!

They RUN.

Their BREATH hangs white in the air.

EXT. SIDE STREET – CONTINUOUS

A Red Guard slips, slides under a wagon.

A BULLET punches through the wood inches from his head.

The alley spills them out into—

INT. RED GUARD SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT

A former WORKSHOP. Windows boarded. One OIL LAMP.

About a dozen RED GUARDS inside.

Weapons everywhere — mostly MOSIN–NAGANT RIFLES.

Someone slams the door shut.

A beat.

Then nervous LAUGHTER.

EINO VIRTANEN (19), baby-faced, struggles with a rifle.

He tries to load a stripper clip.

It won’t fit.

EINO

Onko tää oikein päin?

ILMARI crosses, flips it around.

ILMARI

Jos ammut itseäsi, ei ole.

Aaro drops onto a crate, pulls off a boot.

Ice-water pours out.

AARO

Mahtavaa. Me kuollaan flunssaan.

Laughter again. Louder this time.

A distant BOOM rattles the walls.

The laughter dies.

Everyone freezes.

FOOTSTEPS outside.

A muffled COMMAND in German-accented Finnish.

Ilmari looks at Aaro.

Aaro looks at the door.

The OIL LAMP FLICKERS.

EXT. SAFEHOUSE COURTYARD – DAWN

The door EXPLODES inward.

WHITE ARMY JAEGERS flood the yard — disciplined, efficient.

German-cut uniforms. MAUSER RIFLES.

A Red Guard runs.

A SHOT.

He drops.

Aaro is shoved to his knees, hands bound.

His breath comes in panicked bursts.

He looks down —

— BLOOD drips onto the snow.

Bright red.

Still steaming.

EXT. PRISON YARD – MORNING

A bleak yard. Snow packed hard by boots.

RED GUARDS stand in lines.

A FIRING SQUAD works methodically at the far end.

Rifles up. Shots. Bodies fall.

No speeches.

No drama.

Just work.

Aaro stares at his own hands — shaking.

A BRITISH OFFICER steps into the yard.

CAPTAIN EDWARD HAWTHORNE (40s), Royal Marines.

Clean uniform. Arctic gear. Calm eyes.

He surveys the scene like a man checking the weather.

An INTERPRETER hurries alongside him.

Hawthorne stops in front of the Reds.

HAWTHORNE

Gentlemen. You appear to be having a bad morning.

The Interpreter blinks.

Translates, badly.

Murmurs ripple through the Reds.

Hawthorne gestures toward the firing squad.

HAWTHORNE

We can continue this.

Then points north.

HAWTHORNE

Or you can come with me.

INTERPRETER

Hän sanoo… Murmansk. Britannian armeija. Työtä.

Ilmari raises an eyebrow.

ILMARI

Maksetaanko ajoissa?

The Interpreter hesitates.

Translates.

Hawthorne smiles — thin, amused.

HAWTHORNE

I admire practical men.

EXT. SIGNING TABLE – LATER

A rough wooden table.

Papers. Pencils.

Names are written with stiff fingers.

One by one.

Aaro steps up.

Stares at the paper.

His HAND TREMBLES.

AARO

Ketä vastaan me taistellaan?

Interpreter translates.

Hawthorne considers.

HAWTHORNE

Whoever tries to kill us first.

A beat.

Aaro signs.

The pencil SCRATCHES loudly.

EXT. TRAIN PLATFORM – DAY

A BLACK STEAM TRAIN hisses.

The Reds — now something else — are herded aboard.

British soldiers watch, curious.

One Brit offers a cigarette.

Ilmari takes it.

Lights it with shaking hands.

ILMARI

Englanti. Murmansk. Helvetti jäätyy ensin.

Aaro stares at the train.

SNOW drifts onto the tracks.

INT. TRAIN – MOVING – DAY

The landscape turns white.

Endless forest.

The men sit cramped.

Eino peers out the window.

EINO

Luuleeko ne oikeasti että me osataan marssia?

AARO

Ei. Siksi ne ottaa meidät.

Laughter.

Short.

The train plunges into a SNOW SQUALL.

The light dims.

EXT. MURMANSK – TRAIN YARD – DAY

A frozen port city.

British FLAGS whip in the wind.

The men step off the train.

Immediately assaulted by COLD.

Their breath EXPLODES from their mouths.

A British SERGEANT MAJOR barks orders.

SERGEANT MAJOR

Form up! Move it!

The Interpreter struggles to keep up.

The Finns shuffle into something resembling a line.

Half face the wrong way.

Ilmari squints at the Sergeant Major.

ILMARI

Ne huutaa väärään suuntaan.

EXT. TRAINING GROUND – DAY

Drills.

Chaos.

SERGEANT MAJOR

LEFT!

The Finns go right.

SERGEANT MAJOR

NO! OTHER LEFT!

Ilmari stops, thinks, turns again.

ILMARI

Nyt se valehtelee.

A British PRIVATE trips, faceplants.

The Finns laugh.

Then —

— A SHOT rings out from a distant firing range.

Everyone flinches.

Silence.

The laughter doesn’t come back.

INT. ARMORY TENT – DAY

Weapons laid out.

MOSIN–NAGANTS.

LEWIS GUNS.

MILLS BOMBS.

Aaro lifts a Lewis gun.

Nearly drops it.

AARO

Tää painaa enemmän kuin aate.

Hawthorne watches him.

Says nothing.

EXT. CAMP – NIGHT

Tents glow dimly.

Wind howls.

The men huddle around a small fire.

Vodka passed hand to hand.

Eino stares into the flames.

EINO

Jos me kuollaan tänne… muistaako kukaan?

No one answers.

Aaro looks down at his BOOTS.

Still wet.

Still cold.

EXT. KARELIAN FOREST – DAWN

SILENCE.

White trees. Snow unbroken.

The men move on SKIS now.

Awkward. Learning.

Their BREATH rises in clouds.

Ilmari glances back at Aaro.

Grins.

ILMARI

Jos selvitään tästä, juon koko Viipurin tyhjäksi.

Aaro smirks.

A SNAP.

Then —

— GUNFIRE.

The world ERUPTS.

END OF ACT I

CUT TO BLACK.

ACT II (Pages 31–75)

ACT II – CONFRONTATION / DESCENT

EXT. KARELIAN FOREST – DAWN (CONTINUOUS)

Gunfire SHREDS the silence.

Snow EXPLODES off trees.

Aaro drops instinctively, skis tangling, face-first into powder.

BOOTS scramble.

MEN shout in Finnish and English at once.

BRITISH SERGEANT (O.S.)

CONTACT FRONT! FRONT!

A LEWIS GUN opens up, chewing bark.

A Jaeger drops — disappears into snow.

Eino fires wildly.

ILMARI

Älä hosu! Hengitä!

A BULLET clips Ilmari’s pack — rips it open.

Vodka bottle SHATTERS.

Clear liquid bleeds into the snow.

Red drops mix with it.

EXT. FOREST CLEARING – MOMENTS LATER

Silence again.

Too sudden.

Too complete.

Aaro rises slowly.

Breath steaming.

A dead JAEGER lies ten meters away.

Young. Finnish face.

Aaro stares.

Motif: BREATH / STILLNESS

Ilmari steps beside him.

ILMARI

Savosta.

A beat.

They turn the body over.

A blood-soaked COMPASS dangles from the man’s neck.

The needle spins.

Broken.

EXT. TEMPORARY CAMP – NIGHT

A miserable fire.

Wind cutting through trees.

The men eat frozen bread.

No one jokes.

Finally—

EINO

Se katsoi minua ennen kuin kaatui.

Ilmari chews.

Swallows.

ILMARI

Niin ne kaikki tekee.

Aaro doesn’t eat.

He rubs his hands together.

They shake.

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS – DAYS LATER

Drills again.

Harder now.

Less yelling.

More expectation.

British NCOs correct quietly.

The Finns move better.

Still sloppy.

But alive.

INT. ARMORY TENT – DAY

Weapons reissued.

One less Lewis gun than before.

No one comments.

Aaro checks his MOSIN.

Bolt smooth.

Hands steadier now.

Motif: HANDS ADAPTING

EXT. VIENNA KARELIA – FOREST RIDGE – DAY

Wide, cinematic.

Ski troops form a rough line.

British artillery BOOMS in the distance.

Jaeger positions below.

Hawthorne moves along the line.

Stops at Aaro.

HAWTHORNE

Stay moving. Standing still is how men become landmarks.

Aaro nods.

The whistle BLOWS.

They surge forward.

EXT. VIENNA KARELIA – SKI ASSAULT – CONTINUOUS

Chaos.

Skiers weaving through trees.

Lewis gun firing from the hip.

A Brit slips, slides downhill.

BRITISH LIEUTENANT

I meant to—

He vanishes in an EXPLOSION.

The joke dies with him.

Ilmari crashes into a JAEGER.

They grapple.

Fall.

ROLLING in snow.

The Jaeger recognizes him.

JAEGER

Ilmari…?

Ilmari hesitates.

A split second.

Then SHOVES the bayonet in.

Pulls it out.

Staggers away.

Motif: HANDS BLOODIED

EXT. RIDGELINE – LATER

Victory.

At cost.

Bodies half-buried already by snow.

Eino sits shaking.

Aaro crouches beside him.

Hands Eino a cigarette.

Eino drops it.

Aaro lights another.

Puts it between Eino’s lips.

No words.

INT. BRITISH COMMAND TENT – NIGHT

Maps. Oil lamps.

Hawthorne confers with officers.

Ilmari and Aaro wait.

Hawthorne turns.

HAWTHORNE

Petsamo.

A pause.

HAWTHORNE

Amphibious landing. Arctic coast.

Ilmari snorts.

ILMARI

Meri tappaa meidät ensin.

Hawthorne allows a ghost of a smile.

EXT. TRANSPORT SHIPS – DAY

Grey sea.

Ice on rails.

The Finns board.

Some cross themselves.

Some spit.

Aaro watches the water.

Unforgiving.

EXT. PETSAMO COAST – DAY

HELL.

Naval guns THUNDER.

Ice shards rain down.

The ramp DROPS.

Men rush—

—SLIP.

—FALL.

—LAUGH—

Machine-gun fire TEARS them apart.

Laughter CUT SHORT.

Aaro runs, slides, crawls.

Bullets chew the ice inches from his face.

Motif: BOOTS SLIPPING / RED ON WHITE

EXT. PETSAMO – ROCK OUTCROP – LATER

The beach secured.

Barely.

Aaro leans against rock.

Gasping.

He hears a sound.

A WOUNDED JAEGER crawls toward him.

Dragging useless legs.

JAEGER

Älä… sama maa…

Aaro freezes.

Behind him —

— distant SHOUTS.

White reinforcements coming.

Aaro looks at the Jaeger.

Then at his rifle.

Motif: BROKEN COMPASS IN HAND

He fires.

The sound feels louder than the guns.

Aaro staggers back.

Vomits into the snow.

EXT. PETSAMO CAMP – NIGHT

Men sit apart now.

Isolated.

Ilmari cleans his knife.

Slow.

Methodical.

Eino stares at his hands.

They won’t stop shaking.

INT. HAWTHORNE’S TENT – NIGHT

Hawthorne pours tea.

Offers it to Aaro.

Aaro accepts.

Hands steady now.

HAWTHORNE

You’re adjusting.

Aaro says nothing.

HAWTHORNE

That’s not praise.

EXT. MUSTER FIELD – DAY

Roll call.

Fewer names.

More silence.

Ilmari cracks his mouth to speak —

— closes it again.

Motif: EMPTY BOOTS IN SNOW

EXT. KARELIAN FOREST – DUSK

Another patrol forms.

Automatic now.

Professional.

No jokes.

Aaro checks Eino’s straps.

Tightens them.

Motif: HANDS STEADYING OTHERS

They move out.

Breath rising.

Snow swallowing their tracks.

EXT. FOREST – CONTINUOUS

They disappear into white.

The wind erases sound.

Only breath remains.

END OF ACT II (Page ~75)

CUT TO BLACK.

ACT III (Pages 76–120)

ACT III — EXILE / RETURN / LEGACY

EXT. KARELIAN FOREST – NIGHT (1918)

Black trees. Blue snow. Wind like a saw.

Aaro’s patrol moves single-file. Skis whisper.

Motif: BREATH AS RHYTHM

Aaro pauses. Looks down.

His BOOT lace is snapped.

He ties it with numb fingers.

Motif: HANDS / BOOTS

Ilmari leans in.

ILMARI

Jos kuollaan, toivon että se ei ole kengännauhan takia.

Aaro almost smiles.

A SHOT cracks.

A man at the front goes down, silently.

The line breaks. Chaos snaps back.

EXT. KARELIAN FOREST – FIREFIGHT – CONTINUOUS

Tracer fire cuts between trunks.

Lewis gun chatter — then click — jam.

A Brit swears.

BRITISH CORPORAL

Bloody—

Ilmari shoves him aside, works the feed pan fast.

ILMARI

Älä puhu, tee.

The Lewis gun ROARS again.

Aaro crawls forward, breath bursting.

He looks up—

A JAEGER, ten meters away, also crawling.

They lock eyes.

Both hesitate.

Two Finns in the same snow, same fear.

Then a THIRD PARTY shot — the Jaeger’s head snaps back.

Aaro flinches — looks behind him.

Eino holds his Mosin, shaking.

EINO

En minä… en minä halunnut—

Aaro grabs his sleeve.

AARO

Hiljaa. Hengitä.

Motif: HANDS STEADYING

EXT. TEMPORARY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAWN

Canvas tents. Men groaning.

Frost on blankets.

Aaro walks past rows of bodies.

Some alive. Some not.

A priest mutters prayers.

Aaro stops at a corpse — boots stiff, toes curled inside.

He looks away.

Motif: EMPTY BOOTS

INT. BRITISH COMMAND TENT – DAY

Maps. Lamps. Mud.

Hawthorne stands with a senior British officer (MAJOR).

The Major’s tone is clipped, distant.

MAJOR (ENGLISH)

London wants us out. The situation’s… untidy.

Hawthorne’s jaw tightens.

HAWTHORNE

And the Legion?

The Major shrugs like he’s discussing crates.

MAJOR

They’ll be… processed.

Hawthorne turns to Aaro and Ilmari.

His expression: apology without words.

HAWTHORNE

We’re leaving.

A beat.

ILMARI

Ja me?

Hawthorne doesn’t answer directly.

HAWTHORNE

You’re soldiers. That’s what I can give you.

Aaro understands: nothing else.

EXT. MURMANSK PORT – DAY

Grey ships. Grey sea. Grey men.

The Legion forms a line. Smaller than before.

Hawthorne walks along them.

Some men avoid his eyes.

Some glare.

Some look like they’ve forgotten how to feel anything.

Ilmari adjusts his pack.

Aaro watches British sailors load crates of supplies.

Food.

Warm blankets.

Not for them.

Aaro exhales.

Motif: BREATH / BITTER LAUGH

AARO

Imperiumi pakenee pakkasta.

Ilmari snorts.

ILMARI

Imperiumi pakenee vastuuta.

A British sailor overhears, smiles politely like he didn’t.

INT. TROOPSHIP – DAY (AT SEA)

Cramped holds. Hammocks.

Seasickness. Sweat. Stale bread.

Finns stare at the horizon like it owes them money.

Eino leans over a bucket, miserable.

Ilmari pats him like a father.

ILMARI

Jos selviät tästä, selviät mistä vaan.

Eino groans.

EINO

Meri on pahempi kuin Jaegerit.

Aaro sits alone, cleaning his Mosin.

He realizes—he doesn’t need to clean it.

He keeps doing it anyway.

Motif: HANDS / ROUTINE

EXT. TROOPSHIP DECK – NIGHT

Moonlight. Cold spray.

Hawthorne smokes alone.

Aaro approaches.

They stand in silence.

Finally—

AARO

Miksi te otitte meidät?

Hawthorne exhales smoke.

HAWTHORNE

Because you were there.

Beat.

HAWTHORNE

Because we needed men who knew the snow.

Beat.

HAWTHORNE

And because someone was going to shoot you anyway.

Aaro nods, like that’s the first honest thing he’s heard in months.

Motif: BREATH / CONFESSION

EXT. BRITAIN – MILITARY CAMP – DAY (LATE 1918)

Rain. Mud. The opposite of Arctic… but still miserable.

Barbed wire. Guards.

The Finns disembark. They look around.

England is real. And doesn’t care.

A British officer reads instructions.

BRITISH OFFICER

You will remain here until further notice.

Interpreter translates.

Ilmari squints at the drizzle.

ILMARI

Missä se teidän aurinko on?

No one laughs. Not even him.

INT. BARRACKS – NIGHT

Wooden bunks. Damp air.

Eino unwraps a letter.

Hands shake.

Aaro watches.

Eino reads. His face empties.

He folds the letter slowly.

AARO

Mitä?

Eino tries to speak. Can’t.

Finally—

EINO

Ne… ampuivat isän.

Silence hits like a hammer.

Ilmari sits on his bunk.

Stares at the floor.

ILMARI

Me ei olla missään turvassa.

Motif: HANDS / LETTER PAPER

EXT. CAMP YARD – DAY

Months pass in montage-like beats:

— Finns drilling pointlessly in mud.
— British guards smoking, bored.
— Snow falls briefly, melts immediately.
— Letters arrive. Or don’t.
— A man screams in his sleep.
— Aaro stares at his boots, now caked with English mud.

Motif: BOOTS THROUGH DIFFERENT WORLDS

INT. CAMP OFFICE – DAY

Hawthorne sits across from a CIVIL OFFICIAL.

Stamps. Papers. Bureaucracy.

The official slides a file.

CIVIL OFFICIAL (ENGLISH)

The Finnish government will allow repatriation for a limited number.

Hawthorne leans forward.

HAWTHORNE

All of them.

The official smiles like that’s cute.

CIVIL OFFICIAL

Captain… politics.

Hawthorne nods once, hard.

HAWTHORNE

Yes. Politics. The finest weapon in the Empire.

EXT. BARRACKS – DAY

Hawthorne stands before the Legion.

The men gather, wary.

He holds a list.

HAWTHORNE

Some of you can go home.

Murmurs. Disbelief.

Interpreter translates quickly.

Aaro watches Hawthorne’s face for the lie.

Hawthorne continues.

HAWTHORNE

It will take time. There will be conditions.

Ilmari steps forward.

ILMARI

Ja jos ei?

Hawthorne holds his gaze.

HAWTHORNE

Then you stay alive anyway.

A beat.

That lands.

EXT. PORT – DAY (RETURN VOYAGE)

A smaller ship. Harder faces.

The men stand at rail.

No cheering.

No singing.

Just the sea and the fact of moving.

Eino stands beside Aaro.

EINO

Luuleeko Suomi että me ollaan pettureita?

Aaro thinks.

Motif: BROKEN COMPASS PRODUCED

He pulls the broken compass from his pocket — the one from the dead Jaeger.

Needle still useless.

AARO

Suomi luulee kaikenlaista.

He closes it.

AARO (CONT’D)

Me tiedetään mitä me ollaan.

He doesn’t sound convinced.

EXT. FINLAND – HARBOR – DAY (1919)

Cold sunlight.

A Finnish dock. A crowd.

Some families waiting.

Some not.

Some stare like these men are ghosts.

The Legion disembarks.

Boots touch Finnish wood.

Motif: BOOTS RETURNING

Aaro steps down.

He sees a WOMAN in the crowd — his sister, maybe. She doesn’t move.

Then she does.

She takes one step forward… then stops.

Fear. Shame. Relief. All tangled.

Aaro nods once — permission for her to choose.

She chooses nothing.

She turns away.

It hurts worse than a bullet.

Ilmari claps Aaro’s shoulder.

ILMARI

No… ainakin maa on sama.

Aaro looks down at his boots.

They are still wet. Always.

EXT. RAIL PLATFORM – DAY

The Legion splits up.

Men hug awkwardly. Like strangers in their own language.

Eino grips Aaro’s hand.

Motif: HANDS CLASPED

EINO

Näemmekö enää?

AARO

Jos maailma on armollinen.

Ilmari laughs once — sharp, small.

ILMARI

Maailma? Armollinen?

Aaro smiles. The first real one in a long time.

AARO

No… jos sattuu.

They separate.

Aaro walks toward the train.

The CAMERA stays on his boots.

Motif: BOOTS MOVING FORWARD

EPILOGUE — WINTER WAR

SUPER: “KARELIA, 1939”

EXT. KARELIAN FOREST – NIGHT (1939)

Same trees.

Same snow.

Different war.

Finnish soldiers in Winter War gear.

Aaro is older now — late 40s. Face lined, eyes steady.

Ilmari too — heavier, greyer, stubbornly alive.

Aaro’s breath rises — slower, controlled.

Motif: BREATH AS MEASURE OF LIFE

A YOUNG FINNISH SOLDIER (18) stares at Aaro’s old insignia, patched, mismatched.

YOUNG SOLDIER

Ootteko te… Murmanskin miehiä?

Ilmari’s mouth twists.

ILMARI

Sitäkö ne meistä puhuu?

The young soldier nods quickly — reverent.

YOUNG SOLDIER

Isä sanoi… että te selvisitte sodasta.

Ilmari looks at Aaro.

Aaro shrugs.

AARO

Selvittiin pahasta päätöksestä.

The young soldier doesn’t understand. Yet.

EXT. FIRE PIT – LATER

A small fire in a dugout.

Young soldiers listen.

Aaro says little.

Ilmari speaks more than he intends.

ILMARI

Britit huusi aina “LEFT!”

He points left.

ILMARI (CONT’D)

Me mentiin oikealle.

He points right.

The young soldiers laugh.

For a moment, the world is human.

Then ARTILLERY rumbles far away.

Laughter fades.

Motif: HUMOR DIES ON SOUND

EXT. FRONT LINE – PRE-DAWN

Snowy berm. Pine logs. Frosted rifles.

Weapons now are different — Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun among them, Mosins still present.

Aaro checks a young soldier’s scarf. Tightens it.

Motif: HANDS STEADYING OTHERS (FULFILLED)

The young soldier hands Aaro a canteen.

Their hands touch — youth and age.

Respect passed like heat.

EXT. FOREST EDGE – DAWN

The sky lightens.

Enemy artillery begins.

Aaro and Ilmari take positions.

Aaro looks down.

His BOOTS are planted firm.

Not slipping.

Motif: BOOTS STILL (RESOLUTION)

The young soldier watches them like watching legends.

Aaro takes out the broken compass.

Opens it.

Needle still spins uselessly.

He closes it gently.

AARO

Me tapeltiin kerran toisiamme vastaan.

The young soldier listens, breath visible.

AARO (CONT’D)

Jotta teidän ei tarvitsisi.

A beat.

Ilmari loads his rifle.

His hands are steady now.

ILMARI

No niin. Nyt tapellaan oikeaa vihollista vastaan.

Aaro nods.

They rise.

Move forward into the snow.

Breath. Boots. Silence.

Motif: BREATH FADING INTO WHITE

FADE OUT.

THE END

HELSINKI RIOTS – OPENING IMAGE

SAFEHOUSE TENSION

WHITE JAEGER RAID

PRISON YARD & RECRUITMENT

MURMANSK TRAINING CAMP

FIRST KARELIAN AMBUSH

DEAD JAEGER CLOSE-UP (MORAL TURN)

VIENNA KARELIA SKI ASSAULT

PETSAMO AMPHIBIOUS LANDING

EXECUTION MOMENT (INTIMATE)

MURMANSK EVACUATION

BRITISH INTERNMENT CAMP

RETURN TO FINLAND

OLD SOLDIERS, NEW WAR

FINAL IMAGE – RESOLUTION

POSTER IMAGE

🎬 TONE & STYLE (FOR PRODUCTION)

Genre:
Historical War Drama with Dark Comedy Elements

Tone:
“Laugh because you’re alive — stop laughing because someone isn’t.”

The film operates on controlled tonal whiplash:

Early Act I: Fast, verbal, defensive humor (Shane Black–style banter)
Mid-Act II: Humor becomes rare, sharper, almost painful
Act III: Humor survives only as memory and ritual
Epilogue: No jokes — only earned respect

This is not parody.
Humor exists as psychological armor, not entertainment.

Visual Tone

Cold realism — no romantic snow
Violence is sudden and brief, never operatic
Camera favors human scale:
- Close-ups during humor
- Wide, indifferent frames during death
Arctic landscapes are shot as hostile, silent antagonists

Cinematography

Handheld intimacy for dialogue and chaos
Locked-off or slow dolly shots for aftermath
Minimal score:
- Wind
- Breath
- Snow under boots
Music used sparingly, almost apologetically

Performance Style

Naturalistic, restrained
Jokes are thrown away, not “performed”
Emotional beats land after dialogue, not during
Silence is treated as dialogue

Violence Philosophy

No heroic slow motion
No triumphant kills
Death is quick, awkward, often offscreen
The camera never celebrates survival — it observes it

❄️ WHY THIS STORY — NOW

1. It Speaks to a World of Divided Loyalties

This is a story about people forced to choose between bad options, not good and evil.

In an era of:

Polarized politics
Proxy wars
Ideological branding
“Sides” becoming identities

This film says:

Most people don’t choose sides. They choose survival.

That resonates globally — right now.

2. It Reclaims Forgotten History

The Murmansk Legion is:

Real
Politically inconvenient
Largely erased from popular memory

Audiences are increasingly drawn to:

Untold historical stories
Perspectives outside dominant narratives
Moral gray zones instead of nationalist myth-making

This film does not revise history — it complicates it.

3. It Redefines the War Film for a Modern Audience

Modern viewers are:

Tired of clean heroism
Skeptical of propaganda
Drawn to character-driven authenticity

This story offers:

No “right” side
No victory speech
No clean ending
Only continuity — from one war to the next.

4. It Bridges Generations

The 1939 epilogue reframes the entire film:

Shame becomes experience
Exile becomes warning
Veterans become moral witnesses

It asks:

What do we owe the people who survived history we simplified?

That question lands hard today.

📣 SHORT MARKETING STRATEGY

Positioning Statement

A prestige historical war film about soldiers history forgot — and needed anyway.

Target Audiences

Prestige Drama Viewers
- Fans of grounded, serious cinema
- Festival audiences
War Film Enthusiasts
- Looking for realism over spectacle
Nordic / European Markets
- Strong regional relevance
Younger Audiences
- Drawn to morally complex narratives

Festival Strategy

Primary Targets:

Cannes (Un Certain Regard)
Berlin
Venice
Toronto

This film plays as:

Serious
Political without being partisan
Historically grounded
Emotionally restrained

Marketing Angles

“A war film about men who fought the wrong war — and learned from it.”
“Before the Winter War, there was Murmansk.”
“Some soldiers survive battles. Others survive history.”

Visual Marketing

Snow-dominated posters
Small human figures against vast white space
One strong red element only (blood, armband, scarf)
No weapons-forward key art

Trailer Strategy

Teaser:
Humor → silence → sudden violence → breath in cold air
Main Trailer:
Emphasize brotherhood, exile, return — not combat volume
Avoid explaining the politics too clearly
Let mystery do the work

Final Sell Line

This is not a story about choosing sides.
It’s a story about living with the choice.