The last film by Finnish melodrama king Teuvo Tulio before his weird erotic swan song SENSUELA 15 years later, YOU'VE GONE INTO MY BLOOD marks the end of an era for the auteur, providing one last glimpse at a number of his classical strengths and weaknesses.
Fairly simple story starts bewilderingly in media res, as protagonist Rea recalls her youthful dalliances with a couple men through the odd device of speaking to their apparitions while at a dinner table in full cocktail attire. Starting as a factory girl, Rea meets handsome composer Tauno while out drinking. Beginning an affair, she's crestfallen to discover he's already married, and in solace runs into the arms of his friend Erkki, a ship's captain. Finding a welcome bit of stability with the guy, Rea gives birth to a daughter and seems content, but still isn't immune to the charms of Tauno, who appears to see his wife as no particular impediment to sleeping with Rea.
(SPOILERS)
All this leads to pre-ordained tragedy, with the final third of the film turning into a seemingly out-of-left-field anti-drinking polemic. Growing so soused one evening she accidentally runs down Erkki, Rea is left with nothing but regret, eventually becoming such an alcoholic mess she's forced to give up her daughter to Tauno, the very guy who drove her to the habit in the first place.
(END SPOILERS)
BLOOD is a strange beast, often feeling more like a film from the '30s or '40s stylistically, while also featuring fleeting glimpses of nudity and references to adultery and abortion that would never fly on American shores either before or after the Hayes Code. In that sense, the film feels simultaneously progressive and naive, refreshingly aware of adult concerns while articulating them through a vernacular straight out of the '30s. This makes it a fitting precursor to SENSUELA, another film that attempts to address modern (sexual) problems while stylistically feeling woefully out-of-date.
This is not to say BLOOD is *bad* in terms of style - in fact, Tulio's greatest strength is his painterly eye, with many of his crisp black-and-white compositions proving absolute stunners. The script, by star Regina Linnanheimo, is another matter, bluntly shoehorning in tragedies and morals at the eleventh hour with little buildup. It's not all bad - Linnanheimo does create for herself an interesting protagonist who allows her to run the gamut of emotions and apperances as an actress - it's just clear from the script where the priorities lie: much more around providing the star a collection of showcase moments rather than producing a smooth and cohesive narrative. More's the pity for Tulio, whose talents end up eclipsed by a story he seemingly had less control over than usual. Nevertheless, the film is not without its merits, and still makes a good case for him as a director, albeit one with quite a penchant for the maudlin.
Fairly simple story starts bewilderingly in media res, as protagonist Rea recalls her youthful dalliances with a couple men through the odd device of speaking to their apparitions while at a dinner table in full cocktail attire. Starting as a factory girl, Rea meets handsome composer Tauno while out drinking. Beginning an affair, she's crestfallen to discover he's already married, and in solace runs into the arms of his friend Erkki, a ship's captain. Finding a welcome bit of stability with the guy, Rea gives birth to a daughter and seems content, but still isn't immune to the charms of Tauno, who appears to see his wife as no particular impediment to sleeping with Rea.
(SPOILERS)
All this leads to pre-ordained tragedy, with the final third of the film turning into a seemingly out-of-left-field anti-drinking polemic. Growing so soused one evening she accidentally runs down Erkki, Rea is left with nothing but regret, eventually becoming such an alcoholic mess she's forced to give up her daughter to Tauno, the very guy who drove her to the habit in the first place.
(END SPOILERS)
BLOOD is a strange beast, often feeling more like a film from the '30s or '40s stylistically, while also featuring fleeting glimpses of nudity and references to adultery and abortion that would never fly on American shores either before or after the Hayes Code. In that sense, the film feels simultaneously progressive and naive, refreshingly aware of adult concerns while articulating them through a vernacular straight out of the '30s. This makes it a fitting precursor to SENSUELA, another film that attempts to address modern (sexual) problems while stylistically feeling woefully out-of-date.
This is not to say BLOOD is *bad* in terms of style - in fact, Tulio's greatest strength is his painterly eye, with many of his crisp black-and-white compositions proving absolute stunners. The script, by star Regina Linnanheimo, is another matter, bluntly shoehorning in tragedies and morals at the eleventh hour with little buildup. It's not all bad - Linnanheimo does create for herself an interesting protagonist who allows her to run the gamut of emotions and apperances as an actress - it's just clear from the script where the priorities lie: much more around providing the star a collection of showcase moments rather than producing a smooth and cohesive narrative. More's the pity for Tulio, whose talents end up eclipsed by a story he seemingly had less control over than usual. Nevertheless, the film is not without its merits, and still makes a good case for him as a director, albeit one with quite a penchant for the maudlin.
