Reviews

This is the first of two films based on Linnas trilogy "Here Beneath the Northern Star" (1959-62). The second film is called "Akseli ja Elina". Linna has described the living of Koskela family through the generations in a rural society in ca. 1880-1950. Laine hasn't used much of his imagination filming the novel so the film can be seen as a series of incidents happened in the novel. There are lots of theatretical mannerisms what comes to acting. A very big part of the main actors of the time are included.

The accidents are situated in Urjala, near Tampere. Jussi Koskela is a hardworking crofter, a real stereotype of Finnish farmer of the time in Finnish idealistic literature. His son Akseli joins the local labour movement which criticizes the local land owners. After Finland gains its independence in December 1917 the opposite situation become crucial and the national incidents drift country towards Civil War. Akseli and the other men from the village are with the red troops against the white army troops of government. This film ends in 1918/19 when the main character Akseli Koskela is released from white army's camp after being prisoned for a some time.

Because of their realistic view, particularly the novels faced lots of criticism when they were published. Because they treated a painful subject, civil war, the author is often described as a national therapist and (with another fine novel, "Unknown Soldier") has a reputation of a national author. Despite the main character represents a worker, there are also some descriptions about life of other classes in the village (like the vicar). The film is a fine description of how a little society reflected the national incidents, despite the film lacks some of the principles of modern film making.

Based on Heikki Turunen' novel which was published in 1976, Pölönen's movie is a great voyage to a Finnish rural community, a village called Jerusalem situated in Northern Karelia. Maybe the English name (The Last Wedding) gives a more appropriate picture of how the people in the movie feel when the community is dying in front of the new, urban waves (the real translate would be "The Village of the Man Who Rolls a Rock" or something like that).

The subject was very topical at the time when the book was released. Young people started to abandon the countryside in Finland. Some moved to Sweden, like the main character of the film, Pekka (Martti Suosalo). He, his wife Meeri, and their daughter Jaana arrive for the last wedding that the village is to celebrate. Pekka is willful to stay in Jerusalem, but Meeri is adapted perfectly in Swedish, urban life.

There are lots of fine characters in the movie. There is this old local storyteller Eljas (marvellous Matti Varjo), who describes the people how earlier the village was full of life. Tuomo, the village idiot, is always rolling his big rock along the local paths. Pekka's old friends start to drink heavily (the traditional way of celebrating a wedding in Finland!) and Pekka takes some booze too. Pölönen has some actors that he uses very often in his films, like Pertti Koivula and Esko Nikkari, who now are two local villagers.

The film is about the fate that people can't change. The summer unites all the people once together in middle of the nature, but everybody knows that things will change. Although this sounds sad, the film is one of the funniest this country can offer, despite I can't imagine how foreign people understand it.

It's a shame there's no DVD release with English subs. Or at least I haven't heard about it.