As a theme,madness is rather difficult to portray not only in cinema but also in other fields of art.It has a lot to do with a formal definition of the word "madness" as madness has its own fair share of plausible interpretations.This is probably one reason why the theme of madness and its interpretation are always challenging be it through the works of French philosopher Michel Foucault or its portrayal in mainstream films such as "One flew over the cuckoo's nest".It must also be added that there is a marked difference in the manner Europeans like to deal with madness as opposed to what their American counterparts would do.Arto Halonen's Finnish film "Prinsessa"/Princess is a different cinematographic experience as it thoroughly ensures that all its characters are treated in the same manner as other sane people are treated.For this reason,the film relies heavily on its leading actress Katka Kukkola whose saga of erratic,madcap behavior makes one wonder whether there is really some hidden sense in madness or it is just a different name given to the mystery surrounding life's pranks in which everybody would like to indulge.Lastly,princess is based on a true story wherein the director has succeeded in staying close to the actual events by taking complete control of his imagination by making room for innumerable moments of hilarity.
