By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Jalmari Helander
Starring: Jack Doolan | Jorma Tommila | ksel Hennie | Mimosa Willamo | Onni Tommila
Country: finland
Year: 2022
Running time: 91
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14846026/reference/
Brett says: “According to the film, SISU is a word that has no clear translation but one that reflects undeterred courage and determination when all hope is on the chopping block. This Finnish film from RARE EXPORTS director Jalmari Helander has part Rambo, part Mad Max spirit set against the backdrop of the final days of World War II. A silent prospector minding his own business in the Lapland plains region finds himself surrounded by remnants of Nazi Germany completing their scorched earth campaign as they find themselves coming up on the short end of a long and grueling war.
“The prospector’s past seems to hint at misfortune, loneliness, and a sense of being incomplete, but a fortuitous discovery of gold could be the beginning of a new life and final stamp on what is clearly indicated to have been a hard life. The man crosses paths with the vacating German army, and a crescendo of hyper-violence begins.
“It is a man with the simple goal of retaining what’s his and what he’s earned through his own hard work. The imperialist forces standing in his way serve as a buffet of creative kills that splatter their way across the canvas all the way to the penultimate chapter of the film.
“It’s an action film with little depth beyond that, but the mystique of the man of no words combined with the “how will he get out of what’s next?” allure and resilience that follows each new scene provides enough intrigue to keep appealing to one’s thirst for adventure and more than a fair share of extreme violence for those who prefer that particular cup of tea.
“What’s most refreshing is the film’s self-confidence in bottling up action for action’s sake without any contrived needs to paint a Hollywood portrait of the protagonist. However, that’s also the very thing that could work against the film for a crowd that prefers their action films saturated with frothy character development instead. 3 cats out of 5
“*Recommended for raw action-oriented film-goers*”
“*Not recommended for opponents of violence for violence’s sake* “