Sisu (2023)
Director: Jamari Helander
Starring: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan
Synopsis:
A prospector in the Finnish hinterlands strikes gold and becomes the target of withdrawing German soldiers.
Impressions:
WWII hyperviolence is an easy sell for many audience members, but Finland is a front of the war that doesn't get as much attention in mainstream releases. Take that and the eponymous concept of "sisu" as the central theme and you get a nice little action story with a bit of a unique flavor. The fact that the German unit is on the back foot gives them a sort of desperation and broken discipline that plays well into the scenario. Personally, I don't care how much gold the protagonist has. I'd quickly abandon the pursuit instead of wasting all the fuel, ammunition and manpower that Helldorf does. The action is nicely brutal, with the protagonist taking tons of punishment along the way but keeps on coming back for more (that whole "sisu" thing). Jorma Tommila is quite good in the lead and Aksel Hennie is solid as Helldorf, as is Jack Doolan as his second Wolf. If you've seen the director's earlier film Big Game, you'll appreciate seeing Onni Tommila as the driver (and closest thing to a sympathetic character we have on the German side). If you're feeling a bit bloodthirsty, this is some good viewing. Give it a watch.
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