Iron Sky

IRON SKY

Directed by: Timo Vuorensola

Finland, Germany, Australia, 2012

Sci-fi/Comedy/Drama, 93 min

In a near future, 2018 to be precise, an American venture to the moon stumbles over a secret that’s been lurking on the dark side of the moon for seventy years! After their defeat during the second world war, the Third Reich have been hiding out of sight on the back of the moon. There they have been tending to their wounds, licking their sores and preparing to rise again. Now regrouped, restructured and full of faith, The Fourth Reich is ready to reclaim their earth!

I really got a kick out of Iron Sky, and it’s already on my list of movies that I need to see again! Unlike the so-so curiosity it could have been, it’s a Wagnerian blitzkrieg, taking its public on a captivating ride through action, lust, love, power and greed, but still managing to deliver a message to its audience.

Characters are presented in a straight and stern manner, polarizing good guys from bad guys. The Nazis come with their historic luggage and you get the badass vibe from their strict and futuristic storm trooper suits already in the first four minutes. The use of Nazis in any form is a great move, as this does two things in the blink of an eye.

One: you need not waste time on backstory – we all know that the Nazis where amongst the evilest form - take a look at Mike Mignola’s early Hellboy comics or even the first Guillermo Del Toro movie of the same comic, Kroenen and Ilsa Hauptstein don't just look awesome, we know from the word go that he's gonna be a bad ass, because they are Nazis! Look at Michael Mann’s The Keep 1983, or even read the original source – superior to the movie – written by F. Paul Wilson in 1981, Ken Weiderhorn’s Shock Waves 1977 or even contemporary stuff like Steve Barker's Outpost 2008… you get the jest, no need for backstory, just get right in there and let the Nazis stir shit up.

Two: you present a threat that comes with all the trimmings in one go. There’s no need to explain what they are, their genesis or even set rules for the antagonist. They are Nazis it doesn’t get any easier. Adding the pizazz of Nazis hiding behind the moon for seventy years is just sheer genius on the behalf of originators Johanna Sinisalo, Jarmo Puskala and screenwriter Michael Kalesniko. Not forgetting director Timo Vuorensola for bringing it all to life.

The Stormtroopers are led by Führer to be Klaus Adler [Götz Otto], also introduced in the first few minutes, hell, even the Führer himself Wolfgang Kortzfleich [the majestic and iconic Udo Kier] is posed against the heroic character James Washington [Christopher Kirby] immediately after the bombastic opening titles with their hard electronic Laibach score. Which leads us to the main character of the piece Renate Richter [Julia Dietze] Richter is presented in a fashion that shows the audience the conscious and determined brainwashing of both her, and the generation of Nazi youth that she educates in her work as school teacher. In her world the message of the fourth Reich is Love and understanding. To such a degree that when she show’s her students “Chaplin’s most famous short movie” it’s The Great Dictator 1940, cut down to a ten minute shape, only showing the dictator at his happiest and most peaceful, like playing with the globe balloon… It’s a smart and intelligent way of explaining what has been going on and the indoctrination taking place on the back of the moon for the last seventy years.

This all changes when the Space Nazis are forced down to earth to take part of new technology. Captured Astronaut Washington’s modern day cell phone manages to bring a spark of life into the Götterdämmerung – the largest of all the spaceships hidden in the darkness of the moon. Alder see’s his chance to side step the current leader and take his rightful place as Führer through a daring mission to earth to find more “computer plates” as to prepare the invasion. With the aid of Washington they take off for earth and upon arrival realize that Renate has snuck on-board the spaceship… time for culture crash, and moral awakening.

The Nazi’s become the focus of Vivian Wagner [Peta Sergeant] a razor sharp, no bull public relations advisor to the President of the United States of America [Stephanie Paul] – an obvious Sarah Palin gag. With the attention comes hubris, and Renate soon has a terribly rude awakening, whilst Adler, who in his turn has been playing Wagner for his own needs, slowly moves towards his plan of becoming Führer and invading earth.

Despite all the intrigue, action sequences, space battles and ironic comments, Iron Sky still manages to deliver a biting satire over the US, and other leading countries exploitation of new sources, and the greed that comes with it. In Iron Sky the object of desire is Helium 3, and despite claiming that sending an African-American to the moon will help popularize the residing female president, it’s the Helium 3 they are really after. It’s a great move to have the female president cheer as she realizes that going to war always guarantees a second period of presidency, and a comedic moment which is way to close to reality to really be laughed at.

What surprised me the most with the movie, is that when you look at the heart of Iron Sky, you find a quite tender, but at the same time gloomy, tale of morale! If there’s a message to take with you after a viewing it’s that revenge is messy and only leads to further violence. Violence of the most nihilistic kind of way, Because notwithstanding the laughs that have been obtained during the ninety minutes of Iron Sky, and despite the clear polarization of Nazis versus so called good guys, there’s a stern finger pointed at us the citizens of modern age… a warning is given much more threatening than Space Wehrmacht hiding behind the moon!

But the road there is hilarious. It’s Mars Attacks 1996 versus Where Eagles Dare 1968 seen through a filter of Steam Punk, live action Animation and the films of Jeunet and Caro, coming out in a result which is undoubtedly the most kick ass Space Nazi invasion film ever made!

When Iron Sky hit’s home video I challenge you all to a movie referent drinking game, because it’s loaded with them. Heck there’s even a gag where that viral “Hitler get’s angry” scene from Oliver Hirshbiegel’s Der Untergang (Downfall 2004 – in which Götz Otto had a part), is mimicked. Working that gag in there is hilarious, and one of many great laughs.

I recall hearing about Iron Sky back in the early 2000’s when Richard Raphoorst’s eagery awaited fan financed project Worst Case Scenario folded and went down in flames. Just like that one, I was never expecting to really see Iron Sky, despite my mates coming back from Cannes with great stories of Nazi clothed hostesses promoting the movie at some of the greatest parties they’d been to. But never the less, it's here and it's a fact, Iron Sky is a winner; it looks amazing and was definitely worth the semi decade wait! Iron Sky is the hidden behind the moon movie of the decade and The Götterdämmerung puts those god-awful Cybertronian pieces of shit from that “Makes-no-sense” Michael Bay flick from last year to real shame!

Heil Iron Sky!

The White Reindeer

The White Reindeer
Original Title. Valkoinen peura
Directed by: Erik Blomberg
Finland, 1952
Horror, 74min

Say the words “Genre movie from Finland” and most people will think of Pete Riski’s Dark Floors 2008, Jalamari Helander’s Rare Exports 2010, or perhaps even Antti-Jussi Annila’s Sauna 2008 but they will probably not mention Erik Blomberg’s 1952 early shocker Valkoinen peura (The White Reindeer).

Blomberg was a Finnish documentary filmmaker with background in cinematography. After lensing several feature films and short documentaries – several of them award winning - Blomberg took the step up to directing. Obviously he perfected what he already knew, and co-directed documentary Porojen parissa (With the Reindeer) 1947, a movie which went on to win Blomberg a Jussi Award for best editing together with his co-director and co-editor Eino Mäkinen. Six documentaries later, he made his debut feature with The White Reindeer, a movie that he co-scripted with his wife, actress Mirjami Kuosmanen – who also won a Jussi Award for her performance in The White Reindeer.

His final movie, Noc poślubna (Wedding Night) 1959, a Finnish, Swedish, Polish co-production based on Émile Zola’s L’attaque du Moulin. Despite an international cast of amongst others Bergman muse Harriett Anderson and Ignacy Golowenski; the movie was a devastating failure. After screening in Poland and Finland, the critics thrashed the movie and Blomberg so profoundly that the movie never opened in Sweden, and Blomberg left movie industry. Looking back at his career, the obvious highlight is winning the international prize at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival with The White Reindeer, a movie I’m taking a closer look at today.

There’s no wasting time in The White Reindeer, as soon as the opening credits are finished, a singing voice comes in and delivers otherwise awkward exposition and more or less establishes the setting, the mythology, the genesis of the curse. Song ends and it’s all fun and games as the Lapps race sleds drawn by reindeers. Pirita [Mirjami Kuosmanen] stands out, as she’s the only woman competing in the race, and she certainly gives the men a run for their money. Although to keep gender roles at bay, Aslak [Kalervo Nissilä] ropes her in and gives her a snog – suggested inoffensively off screen, after all this is still the time of innocence.

Alsak asks Pirita’s father for her hand in marriage and all seems to be leading towards a happy conclusion for the young couple… but, and there’s always a but… shortly after their wedding night, Aslak has to take the herd off to roam, and leaves Pirita alone at home. Disappointed, Pirita wanders the snowy plains visiting the Shaman Tsalkku-Nilla [Arvo Lehesmaa] to ask for a love charm to be cast, helping her keep Aslak at home. But mid-chant the Shaman pulls back in fear and screams that Pirita is a witch, the spell goes wrong, she becomes cursed instead and the shaman tells her that she will kill/become the first living thing she encounters… which just happens to be a white reindeer.

Later that night in the light of the full moon, Pirita turns into a white reindeer, and such a reindeer is a prized trophy amongst the Lapps. Aslak’s mate, Niilo, sees it, chases after it and wrestles it to the ground. As he brings the animal into submission he hears a familiar laughter. The Reindeer has turned back into Pirita, and her lustful gaze seduces him completely. As he moves in for a kiss, we see how Prita sports fangs... The vampire has claimed it’s first of many victims…

That Blomberg would choose to set his first feature in Lapland, as this is where the majority of the documentaries that he’d worked on where set comes as no surprise. He undoubtedly knows his nature shots, which bring a lot of added production value to the movie. I find myself thinking of oddities like Gunnar Höglund's Kungsleden (My Love and I) 1964, Trier’s AntiChrist 2009 and André Øvredal’s Trolljegaren (Troll Hunter) 2010. Movies which all utilise a lot of nature and location shots to create mood. I have a friend who will remain unnamed, as I’m not sure how official his work on the movie was, but when he was requested to go through Trollhunter and tighten the movie up, it was under the strict order that he was not to trim any of the nature shots. They had to stay at any cost. Never underestimate the importance of your location and the impressions it brings with it.

Basically the movie is about greed, obsession and envy. Pirita challenges conventional gender roles, and is therefore punished. She’s punished for wanting more, not being content. For being aggressive, and not the common passive housewife. She captures the alpha male, but then grows weary of his long absence when he’s herding the reindeers. Again challenging gender roles, she takes action instead of being content. She makes that pact with the village shaman to become irresistible for any man, with the intention of luring Aslak back and keeping him there. A pact that goes wrong. It’s also a stern warning, as the desire for more – or perhaps even the at the time provocative “female lust” leads to a certain death. I can’t say that Blomberg intended this, but it’s definitely a way to interpret the movie and what happens in the narrative. After all this is a movie made before female sexuality took control of the Scandinavian cinema screens, and old values where still valid. The movie could also be seen as a metaphor for the fear of the threat from within. Within the family, within the community, with the individual.

A lot of the tension in The White Reindeer comes from the slow and steady build towards the inevitable hunt the Lapps all engage in. They know that there’s a cursed white reindeer roaming their snowy plains, they know that there’s a witch slaying the men of the village, they know that they have to put an end to the troubles, but they don’t know that Pirita is the vampire witch.

Being something of an old movie, the in-camera effect and editing bring a lot of the in all fairness, cosy, atmosphere to the piece. There’s a lot of old universal vibe here and it’s an enchanting movie that certainly impressed me. God knows, I’ve seen worse stuff that this. The White Reindeer managed to grab my attention and delivered an interesting story.

At times the movie manages to come in close to the feeling of the gothic flicks Italians such as Riccardo Freda, Mario Bava and Piero Regnoli would be making in a few years time and to some extent even certain Hammer movies. But this was all before that, it’s most likely that the old Universal and Weimar movies where the largest influence on the imagery and style. Suggestive lighting and cinematography by Blomberg make an ironic statement, as the most impressive moments of the movie all take place on a set – I would have expected the outdoors “documentary” footage to have looked better. In any way, there are moments in the later half of the movie that really stand out and deserve to be re-discovered, this is a lost gem worth seeking out if you want to see what the Finns where doing in the fifties.

Sauna

Sauna
Directed by: Antti-Jussi Annilla
Finland / Czech Republic, 2008
Drama / Horror, 85min
Distributed by: SandrewMetronome.

Story:
In 1595 a party of five men is sent out to divide and draw the borders between the two countries after a twenty-five year war. The Finnish party consists of the two brothers Erik, a hardened soldier with fifteen years of fighting behind him and a large number of kills to his name, the other is his sensitive brother Knut, a scholar who is planning to take a professor post at the Geographical Institute at Stockholm after the task at hand is completed. After coming across a family who refuses to declare their items of value for the new states a frustrated and emotionally scared Erik goes to far threatening the lives of both the farmer and his young daughter. For her own safety Knut locks her in the underground cellar. Upon returning to the house he finds Erik straddled upon the farmer rapidly stabbing him and repeating the number 73, his latest death count. As they prepare to ride on, Knut tells Erik that he locked the dead farmers young daughter in the cellar, Erik tells Knut to get ready to move on, and that he will release the girl. A few days later they come to a large marsh area that will take them several days to get through, and after two days of trekking through the marsh Knut starts seeing distorted visions of the young girl. When Erik confesses that he didn’t release the girl from the cellar they start to fear that she has met her end in that dark damp underground. After this haunting realisation they come to a strange village in the middle of the marsh. A village built around a strange sauna, a village where time seems to stand still, a village with 73 inhabitants…


Me:
I was quite surprised by this movie as that I had heard a whole lot of different opinions about it, some claiming that it was good and some claiming that the Finns should stay away from J-Horror rip offs. But in all honesty this feels pretty much what I might have expected a Finnish horror movie to feel like. If you are acquainted with Finnish cinema you’d know that directors like the Kaurismäki brothers Mika and Aki and Aleksi Mäkelä are all known for their traditional storytelling, where the pacing is slow, gentle and saturated with legendary Finnish melancholy. Not that this means tedious imagery, even though their storytelling may be of the slowest kind, the imagery is stunning. With a simple almost minimalist sets and design, there craftsmanship is all within the framing. This is also very true of Antti–Jussi Annilla’s second feature Sauna. There’s a deep gloomy melancholy running throughout the movie which works fine as they are all emotionally scared by the many years of war, longing for home, and haunted by the events that have started to happen to them.


The movie kicks of rather suggestive, where we follow a bundle of furs as they flow along with a river. The furs are picked up and an off-screen person unravels them and reads the signed border documents, which end with the haunting words… and may we receive forgiveness… This propels us back in time eleven days earlier where we meet the two brothers Knut [Tommi Eronen, who looks and acts like a young version of the late Matti Pellonpä who you will remember from several Kaurismäki movies and Jarmush’s Night on Earth] and his older sibling Erik [Ville Virtanen] as they unleash the events that will bring them to their final justice at the end of the movie. Erik has just killed the farmer, and calculates that he has seventy three lives on his conscious. He tells Knut to get ready to meet up with the Russians and they take off to their meeting with Sjemenski [Viktor Klimenko] and his men. They set off to measure up, divide and map out the remaining parts of the land on behalf of their countries. Soon they find themselves approaching the marshes which they will need a few days to trek through. Sending off the remaining men to meet them on the other side of the marsh, the two brothers start to make tracks. But there is a tension between the men even though the war is over, and as they don’t totally trust each other the brothers are accompanied by Sjemeski, and two other Russian delegates. This is where the horror part of the story kicks in. After walking though the marsh a few days, Knut starts seeing visions of a young woman following them at a distance; this initiates the second flashback, to the events before the murder of the farmer. We learn that the farmer has tried to conceal valuables and food from the two brothers as to avoid paying a larger amount of taxes, and after receiving stale bread and exposing that they are hiding a large well stocked food cellar, Erik looses his calm and ends up killing the farmer, which is where we came into the story. At the same time in the cellar Knut makes a move on the young girl who rejects his approach, he concludes that it would be better if she stay in the cellar as to avoid the rampaging Erik. After the murder, and Knut preparing the horses, Knut tells Erik of the girl in the cellar, Erik claims that he will release her. So the visions in the marshes make Knut start worrying that she maybe wasn’t released, and Erik confesses to never letting her out. Knut wants to return to the farm and free her after encountering the ghost up close while racing after a map that has blow out of his hands. Erik refuses and they push on through the swamp, and pretty soon they find a strange very minimalist, misplaced building in the middle of the marsh. The building, a sauna is very evocative, because up to this point everything in the movie has been painstakingly time appropriate and this mysterious building is obviously built from moulded concrete slabs. Something definitely not around in 1595. Just beyond the concrete sauna lies a village, a village that looks very tidy and neat. Uncomfortably neat. The brothers and the Russians try to figure out how they should share the village, as this is so far the most important finding they have made in the marsh as they at the same time try to figure out the strange village and its mysterious sauna. Things start going bad, group members are killed or go insane, Knut tries to ward of the draw of the sauna, Erik tries to make an end for his foul doings during the war and eventually it all ends up in the sauna where the hermit monks who built the village hundreds of years ago, went to “wash away their sins”.


It’s true that the ending is very bleak, nihilistic and enigmatic, but then on the other hand, it kind of works with the genre. I prefer having a downbeat, closed ending which still poses questions after the movie ends than one that fails attempting to explain everything resulting in a loss of pacing and mysticism. We all know how devastating a lame or failed attempt at saving the day, killing the demon, and making the world a safe place again can be. But at the same time the movie has been such an entertaining, cryptic and haunting ride so far that the ending just takes the breath out of it. Up to the point where Knut finally enters the Sauna to confront the ghost of the young girl the movie has been doing a great job of building up the suspense. As soon as Erik joins his brother the air kind of goes out of the movie which is a shame, since it leaves you with a kind of “was that it” feeling. Then again, as stated earlier, you really don’t need to explain what happened in the Sauna, you understand that it’s the spirits of all the people Erik has killed that have come to take their revenge on him, and the girl takes Knut because he is the person responsible for her being locked in that cellar to start with. So all in all Sauna is a very entertaining movie, original, great atmosphere, the ending is sort of a let down, but there have been a lot worse than that on my DVD player lately, and it’s definitely a movie that makes me curious to what screenwriter Irio Küttner and director Antti-Jussi Annila come up with next time.

The cinematography by Henri Blomberg in this movie is great, the saturation, the washed out colours work perfectly with the dark brooding tone of the movie, acting wise the characters are very believable, sets and clothes are immaculate really selling the illusion that this tale takes place over five hundred years ago. And the themes of life, death, salvation and redemption run thoroughly through out the movie, and even though a few scenes are somewhat tame and confusing, there is more than enough to make up for that, and as mentioned before a lot going on inside the characters that never gets explained or dwelled into, which makes it an interesting movie to at some point in time return to and see how well it has matured and what new layers you can detect. And it’s a crying shame that I don’t understand Finnish, because I would have loved to listen to the director commentary and see what he has to say about his fabulous movie.

Image:
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen for 16x9

Audio:
Finnish language, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround 2.0, Finnish, English and Swedish subtitles are optional.

Extras:
A whole disc full of extras; a decent making of feature, trailers, teaser trailers, bloopers, and that Commentary track I wish that they would have subtitled.