‘Sisu’ Review: A Grisly Good Time if You're Into WWII-Set Nordic Westerns
Courtesy of Lionsgate.
If you're scratching your head at the movie's name, fret not because Sisu begins with an explanation of the untranslatable Finnish concept: "A white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds." In consideration of the film's central protagonist, a solitary gold prospector driven to the rugged perimeters of Finnish civilization by the country's Nazi occupation during the latter half of World War II, the notion of "sisu" entirely embodies the character's undying spirit and determination in the face of the German SS's blunderingly brutal attempts to take him down. Pulpy –– if not hilarious –– violence comes together with a straightforward narrative to make Sisu an altogether satisfying and entertaining cinematic experience.
Written and directed by Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, Big Game,) Sisu taps into the Finnish filmmaker's passion for genre-bending, combining elements of War films, Westerns, and even a dash of Nazisploitation to create a 91-minute experience jam-packed with grisly deaths and unforgettable action sequences. Sisu is set in 1944 when most Nazi troops figured that World War II would not work out in their favor as the Allied forces were storming Europe from every direction. 64-year-old Jorma Tommila stars as Aatami Korpi, titled "The Immortal" by Soviet troops, a veteran commander of the barbaric Winter War who recreates a peaceful life in the wilderness of Lapland as a gold prospector after losing his family during the conflict. One day, Aatami comes across an unimaginably massive gold deposit in a quiet stream, spurring him to return to a Nazi-occupied city to sell his newfound assets. On his journey back into society, Aatami is discovered by a grungy Nazi squadron that quickly realizes he is loaded with fortunes, prompting them to employ their scorched earth tactics against "The Immortal," a colossal mistake that the inept troops will quickly come to regret.
Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Sisu blends intriguing historical context with stimulating genre-twisting to form a movie that delivers an over-the-top viewing experience unparalleled by recent commercial releases. While most World War II movies focus on the events in Western and Central Europe, Sisu shifts its attention to the periphery of the hostility in Finland, a country that faced severe aggression from both sides as it dealt with encroaching forces from the Soviet Union and the Nazis between 1939 and 1945. The film's depiction of the SS openly criticizes the damaging, if not witless, influences of the Nazis and their treatment of the lands they occupied and destroyed. While the movie employs a slimmed-down plot, it's especially effective in creating a Western genre sensibility around Aatami's character, a wordless (except for one uproarious line of dialogue in the film's epilogue) figure that harkens back to the machismo, silent types from the Westerns of yesteryear. At the beginning of the movie, this homage to the Western is particularly apparent as Aatami travels through the vastly untouched backcountry of Finland with just his horse and his dog. In service of Sisu's in-your-face pulpy violence and action, the movie is structured in chaptered sections that almost make it seem like an adaptation of a graphic novel.
The slim cast list and paired-back narrative of Sisu allow for a hyper-focus on Aatami's evidently immortal essence, placing the audience's perspective in the character's weather-worn shoes as he rebounds from one impossibly perilous situation after the next as his Nazi enemies attempt to kill him time and time again, to no avail. Just when it seems like Aatami is cornered, he summons the "sisu" in his soul to make his way out of any problem, even if it involves outlandish self-immolation or underwater assaults on his opponents. Regardless of Aatami's predicament, "he just refuses to die." Aatami's perseverance is portrayed in great contrast to the SS troops on his tail, whose cowardice, greed, and stupidity come through in every action they take, leading to nearly all of their downfalls. Aatami's only allies take shape as a group of young Finnish women imprisoned by the Nazi troops, depicting Helander's nod to the Nazisploitation genre. Fortunately, these ladies also get their moment of revenge as the dust settles in Sisu's closing moments.
Courtesy of Lionsgate.
The craft elements of Sisu come together to build a visually and audibly exciting movie, if not a bit uneven. Finland's ravishingly gorgeous and unforgiving natural landscapes do much of the heavy lifting, contributing a physical environment that services the movie's Western sensibilities and harrowing moments. Aatami's isolation in these wild surroundings heightens his dangerous situation against the Nazis, as the heaths of Lapland provide no place to hide. This elevated sense of place is skillfully captured by Finnish cinematographer Kjell Lagerroos. Sisu features an impressively bold score that evolves from a single melody, building in unison with the movie's rising tension. The score combines Sisu's reference points: Strumming guitars from Westerns, structured drum beats from War films, and howling chants à la the film's Nordic background create a suspenseful and dynamic arrangement in service of Sisu's genre-bending design. Arguably, the film shows weakness regarding its reliance on CGI action scenes during its latter sections. Compared to its naturalistic early chapters, Sisu's climactic moments are bogged down by the heavy-handedness of its CGI, which can be experienced by some as intentional with the film's confident blatancy.
All in all, Sisu is a riotous good time for any audience prepared for a movie about a man whose relentless will to live leads to a ton of outrageously comical Nazi deaths. With a simplistic plotline that makes no effort to reinvent the wheel, Sisu can be experienced as a good time, a solidly entertaining watch. Despite its Finnish setting and European cast, the film's dialogue is almost totally in English, contributing to its commercial viability across the globe, which is also boosted by its appeal to many different genre lovers. Sisu first premiered last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section before hitting theaters in Finland earlier this year. Lionsgate will release Sisu in the United States on Friday, April 28. To find a theater screening Sisu near you –– or to try your luck at a Sisu-themed version of Minesweeper –– visit the film's website.