petteri-kalliomaki

Africa addio (1966)

A film that should not have been made.

I was shocked by the user comments! Why is this film considered as a remarkable documentary? It is nothing but an ultimate exploitation piece that tries to show as many bloody bodies as possible while traveling around the continent. Think about it: a film exploiting real human suffering.

Besides, as it is told by a German professional soldier Kongo-Müller in a truly remarkable documentary Der lachende Mann (1965), there were actually people executed in front of the cameras just because of this film.

This film lacks about everything that has anything to do with moral or ethics - or humanity. It is made with style, and it makes the viewer believe that there is a message or even a heart in it. In many ways, this is a very dangerous film.

Yevreyskoye schastye (1925)

Little masterpiece of Jewish comedy.

This film was called by one expert as "the greatest Jewish film ever

made." I am not sure what does this "Jewish film" mean. All films made by the Jews? Films by Mauritz Stiller, Woody Allen, films made in Israel, like "Avanti Popolo"? If it does, it is hard to agree with that opinion. But if the term "Jewish film" concerns movies that presents old Jewish traditions, this little masterpiece is propably the most entertaining and best-made. And far better than "Fiddler on the Roof", the most successful film of this sort.

Film was made in Soviet Union during the time when government policy still defenced different cultures, and I guess it could not have been made anywhere else in Europe: the atmosphere was too racist. The story has a cunning Jew trying to make a living. In a train he decides to become a match-maker. In a hilarious dream sequence he sees himself "saving the America" (that has too much grooms and no brides) by loading a big steamboat with young Russian brides. The comedy is quite funny. The last, slightly sentimental scene where the Jew walks away from the village alone, reminds me of similar scenes by Charles Chaplin and Jacques Tati.

For some idiotic reason this film was actually BANNED in Finland in the 20's! Can't understand why, because it has no violence, no sex and no communistic ideas.

Sininen varjo (1933)

A vanished masterpiece?

This was the third movie and first talkie directed by perhaps the greatest master of Finnish cinema, Valentin Vaala, and also the only one of his films that has vanished for good, not counting the remaining 15 minutes I have seen. Those minutes, set after a little while after the original beginning of the film, are very promising. Story tells about a famous burglar, "The Blue Overall" (Tugai), who tries to pull himself together after meeting a charming girl (Nuotio) by finding a decent job at a newspaper. These honorably attempts are however made difficult when he is being accused of a murder he has not done.

Simple plotline is handled with great visual imagination in the remaining bit. Especially strong is the eerie atmosphere on the murder night, (original subtitle of the film was "Murder at Midnight"), that is not far from Matti Kassila's modern crime thrillers made three decades later. Memorable is also the scene where the former lover of Tugai's chases him with a car.

Film was based on a play by Mika Waltari, who was paid with only a small portion of whiskey for giving the rights to film it (it was prohibition at the time). Film was sponsored by Fyffes-bananas, so the dialogue was included three or four discussions about these particular bananas. For example:

• Do you know, what could be better than one Fyffes-banana?

• Well, of course two Fyffes-bananas, darling.

Making a talkie for an independent corporation was quite expensive at the time in Finland, so perhaps we must excuse certain amount of stupid product placement.

Merci pour le chocolat (2000)

Nice thriller, but unsatisfying

Like all thrillers made by Claude Chabrol during the last decade, this is quite well-made and intensive film. It is nearly perfect except for one thing: it is not fresh. Unlike new films made by Chabrol's Cahiers du Cinema -colleague Jean-Luc Godard, this takes no risks, nor does it surprise. Unlike Godard, Chabrol has became a tame artists since the days of the New Wave.

Still, this is a very entertaining and professional film, worth watching once or even twice. And surely at its best on the big screen, on television the intensity of the film will never come through.

La Charcuterie mécanique (1895)

First science fiction film?

In Phil Hardy's encyclopedia of science fiction films, this 50-second movie by Lumière was celebrated as the first science fiction film ever. Why not? It is the first time there was given a cinematic form for fear of technology. Here the theme is dealed with humour. There is a big box with circulaw saw in it. A pig is put in and it comes out as sausages and other kind of meat products.

Of course, you can't seriously talk about science fiction films as a genre before the 50's, but "La charcuterie mécanique" has certainly a scifi-angle in it.

Anyway, this is the funniest film by Lumière I have seen, and least dated of his fictitious subjects.

Isoviha (1939)

Great patriotic stuff!

Kalle Kaarna was a talented director, whose almost all features (10 out of 13) were lost before 60's or burned in the fire at archives of Adams-Filmi. Later on, two of his films were found in the United States ("Tukkijoella" and "Elinan surma") and this one, "Isoviha", from Sweden.

"Isoviha" was not made by any major Finnish production company at the time, so it is made very cheap, with very primitive technology. This is seen in the poor quality of sound recording and film material. The subject and approach is related to the Finnish wave of nationalistic spectacles made before WW2 ("Jääkärin morsian", "Helmikuun manifesti", "Aktivistit"...) and the atmosphere is as patriotic as in these, but otherwise the film looks more original and genuine. The story sets in the 18th century when Finland was violently but only temporarily invaded by the Russians. I think that if they would have made films back then, the result would have looked very similar with "Isoviha". This is not an insult; on the contrary, the films style is fascinating. Sort of dogmatic, rough and honest.

Young leading players (Hilkka Helinä, Kalevi Mykkänen, Santeri Karilo) play their parts with great melodramatic sense. Older players try to present some comic scenes in the manner of folk anecdotes, but they are far too unfunny and slow. Music is also very bad. But many images are just amazing! Kaarna was originally a painter so he had a terrific visual sense. Check out the scene where the Russian invaders ride with their horses in the church, in the middle of the service, flogging people and shooting the priest! Or the last duel between the Cossack and the Finnish army soldier in the lake.

With censorship "Isoviha" had many problems. Many quotes that were too insulting against the Russians were cut off, but when the Winter War started, the film had it's premiere uncut. After WW2 it was completely banned. The only remaining version is the uncut one, shown in Sweden, so it has all the hilarious racist comments on it.

Näköradiomiehen ihmeelliset siekailut (1969)

Very uneven but fascinating as a self-portrait

In 1969 the popular comedy genius Spede Pasanen made two of his most interesting films, "Pohjan tähteet" and "Näköradiomiehen ihmeelliset siekailut". The first was his most obvious self-parody as a film maker and producer and the latter set in the unstable world of television comedy was a kind of a self-portrait.

The story: Pasanen works as an assistant in television comedy called "Simo-Show" (in real life Pasanen made "Spede-Show") and dreams of his own career as a comedian. Then he gets a supporting role in one gag and accidentaly steals the whole show. Soon he gets his own television series where he does gags with doors. Success makes him too proud and he tries to move from door comedy to window comedy. Although the basic joke is the same with windows than it was with doors, the audience does not approve this at all and in one night Pasanen's fame collapses.

The disasterous window show is the emotional climax of the film, and the image of the sad comedian on the stage after audience has left is oddly melancholic for Pasanen. The film is uneven, but it has great moments. One of them has Pasanen trying to do some shopping, which is impossible because everybody starts laughing at him and at everything he says. A scene from his everyday life? In the funniest scene night-watchman (Veikko Sinisalo) starts rewriting Pasanen's script.

Miljonäärimonni (1953)

Average military farce

Finnish military farces were never too well-made, and this is no exception. Undoubtedly it is also usually very enjoyable director Roland af Hälltröm's worst effort, an absolute routine comedy. Farce is built around a millionaire recruit who tries to get away of every unpleasant task by hiring some other conscript to do it for him. Not counting the title character Lasse Pöysti - the basic naive character of our national cinema - the actors are either bad or misused. Especially the end is a huge disappointment: as soon as there has some kind of tension developed between the characters the whole story is rushed within few minutes into a happy conclusion.