Blizzard of Souls Dvēseļu putenis
Movie Poster
Main Cast
Character
Actor
Artūrs Vanags
Oto Brantevics
Edgars Vanags
Raimonds Celms
Vanags
Martins Vilsons
Mikelsons
Jekabs Reinis
Konrads
Gatis Gyga
Spilva
Renars Zeltins
Sala
Vilis Daudzins
Blizzard of Souls , also titled The Rifleman , is a 2019 Latvian war movie directed by Dzintars Dreibergs and based on the novel of the same name by Aleksandrs Grīns. Latvia, 1915. 16-year-old Artūrs Vanags joins the Imperial Russian Army after losing his mother and home to war. But the hope of glory and the thrill of training is soon followed by the harsh reality of the battlefield. When the war seems to be coming to an end, there is a revolution in their own ranks. Artūrs now finds himself fighting in the midst of a brutal civil war, which makes the hope of peace and the liberation of his homeland a distant, almost futile, prospect.
The following weapons were used in the film Blizzard of Souls :
Revolvers
Nagant M1895
Latvian officers like Father Vanags (Martins Vilsons ) and Sala (Vilis Daudzins ) are seen using the Nagant M1895 . Both the correct Imperial Russian and later produced Soviet variant are seen.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nagant 1895, produced 1920s. The rounded front sight is a sign of revolvers produced from 1890s until 1930 - 7.62x38N
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Nagant M1895 - 7.62x38R Nagant. This example was dated 1939 manufacture and was a wartime-issued weapon. Note the angular front sight which was used from 1930s.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Vanags gives orders to flank the sniper with his revolver in hand. This revolver has a rounded front sight.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pinned down by machine gun fire, Edgars takes cover with his Nagant with a angular front sight.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A closer view of Edgars' snowy revolver.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Bolshevik officer with his drawn Nagant revolver.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Artūrs fires a Nagant revolver during the bridge defense.
Rifles
Mosin Nagant M1891 Dragoon
Despite the fact that Latvian troops during WWI were not equipped with the Dragoon rifle, it is widely used by Latvian Riflemen in the film, including Artūrs Vanags (Oto Brantevics ), Edgars Vanags (Raimonds Celms ), Mikelsons (Jekabs Reinis ), and Konrads (Gatis Gaga ). It is still a more accurate choice than the M91/30 and Finnish M39 rifles seen in the first trailer.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin-Nagant M1891 Dragoon Rifle - 7.62x54mm R
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Artūrs proudly inspect his newly-received Dragoon Rifle, which allows for a good view of the Konovalov sight.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing He and other soldiers prepare their rifles to go over the top.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing During the advance in the fog, Artūrs shows modern military trigger discipline, which would become standard practice many years after WWI.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The front part of Mikkelsons' Mosin Nagant as he and a German insult each other.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing During marching, the bayonet is mounted upside down.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Latvian troops with their Dragoon rifles in Winter.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Red firing squad takes aim at unwanted peoples.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Artūrs offers a child his rifle.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another child soldier aims his rifle at incoming German soldiers.
Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry
The Infantry variant of the Mosin Nagant M1891 is also used by Latvian infantrymen.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M1891 - 7.62x54mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The second soldier from the left fires salute salvo with other soldiers.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Bolshevik with his rifle over his back.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The same soldier with his Mosin Nagant.
Mauser Gewehr 1898
Most German soldiers are armed with Gewehr 98s .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mauser Gewehr 1898 - 7.92x57mm Mauser
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Two German solders at Artūrs' mother's house with their Gewehrs.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close-up of the Seitengewehr bayonet that barely missed Artūrs' face.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A young German soldier encounters Artūrs during close-combat.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A German soldier named Hans carries a Gewehr 98 over his back in a deleted scene.
Mauser Karabiner 98k
An anachronistic scoped Karabiner 98k is used by the German sniper and later by Artūrs and his father. Some unscoped Kar98ks are also used by German and Latvian soldiers in mass scenes.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Karabiner 98k with S84/98 bayonet - 7.92x57mm Mauser
Error creating thumbnail: File missing An abandoned Kar98k with a fixed bayonet on the right.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A distant view through the tall grass of the sniper's Karabiner.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The caught sniper tries to fire a warning shot.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Vanags holds his camouflaged Kar98k while covering Artūrs' face with mud.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing There are scratches on the buttstock, to show how many kills he made with the rifle.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Artūrs aims the carbine at a German soldier, who stands on top of the edge of a trench as a punishment (a rather unlikely event).
Mauser Model 1938
What appears to be an anachronistic Turkish Mauser is briefly seen used by a child soldier.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mauser Model 1938 - 7.92x57mm ("8mm Mauser")
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The child soldier second in the foreground aims his Mauser. The front barrel is different from German Mausers.
Mauser Puška vz. 98/22
Post-war Vz. 98/22 Czech Mausers can briefly be seen used by German soldiers.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Puška CZ Brno 98/22 - 7.92x57mm Mauser
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Note the tangent leaf sight...
Error creating thumbnail: File missing ...and the front barrel band.
Unknown Rifle
One German soldier can be seen with an unknown Mauser-type rifle in a deleted scene.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The soldier on the right points his rifle at Artūrs; his mate to the left has a Czech Mauser.
Machine Guns
Maxim M1910
Maxim M1910s are used by Latvian soldiers.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Maxim 1910 - 7.62x54mmR
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A PM 1910 on the barracks' rooftop is used to shoot at a German airplane.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Two child soldiers repel a German attack with the Maxim.
Maxim MG 08
Maxim MG08s on Dreifuß 16 tripods are used by German soldiers.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Maxim MG 08 - 7.92x57mm Mauser
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Maxim next to its badly wounded user.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Artūrs takes a look at the dying soldier.
Maxim MG 08/15
One German soldier hiding in a tree is armed with a Maxim MG08/15 .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Maxim MG 08/15 - 7.92x57mm Mauser
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Shot and fallen from his tree, the dazed German keeps firing his MG 08/15.
Hand Grenades
Model 24 Stielhandgranate
Instead of accurate German stick grenades like the Model 15 , 16 , or 17 , the post-war Model 24 Stielhandgranates are used, presumably standing in for their more historically accurate counterparts.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Model 24 Stielhandgranate
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Artūrs pockets an M24 taken from a dead German.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Later the next day, he tosses it to Mikkelsons.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Model 24 thrown by a German soldier in mid-air.
RG-14
Artūrs and other Latvians use RG-14 hand grenades .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing RG-14/30 Soviet hand grenade (Model 1914/30 grenade)
Error creating thumbnail: File missing On the left, Artūrs carries an RG-14 into battle.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Shorty after, he primes his grenade.
Other
Double Barreled Shotgun
A 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun hangs on a wall in Artūrs' mother's home.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing J. Stevens and Company Side by Side Shotgun (Circa 1878) exposed hammers and designed to fire Black Powder shotgun shells - 12 Gauge
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The shotgun is seen hanging on the left side of the entrance.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A German officer checks the shotgun.
15 cm sFH 13
Schwere Feldhaubitze 13 howitzers are seen in a German position and on a Bolshevik train.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Schwere Feldhaubitze 13 - 149.1x112.5mmR
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A line of sFH 13s in the German artillery position after the battle.
Romfell Armored Car
An Austro-Hungarian Romfell Panzerwagen supports German forces of the Eiserne Division (Iron Division) during the Latvian War of Independence in 1919.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The Romfell in the far distance; unlike the attack plane, it is not CGI, but a replica.
Plane
A CGI German plane is seen two times.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing The plane flies over Latvian positions.