Täällä Pohjantähden alla (2009)

Täällä Pohjantähden alla: Directed by Timo Koivusalo. With Ilkka Koivula, Vera Kiiskinen, Risto Tuorila, Ritva Jalonen. A new film-adaptation of Väinö Linna’s famous book here Beneath the North Star.

“Itu0026#39;s a long film – too long some might say, including to some extent me – but Iu0026#39;ll be brief.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUnder the North Star, based on Väinö Linnau0026#39;s novels is the first of two films dealing with Finlandu0026#39;s civil war, contemporary with but not really a part of World War One. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe story begins way before that, however, as farmer Koskela gets permission to turn a marsh on the congregationu0026#39;s property into farmland, and succeeds through uncomplaining hard work. The years pass and his children grow up in a world where class struggle is starting to become a buzzword. All the farmers in this beautiful land of birch forests, lakes and fields may at short notice be evicted by the owners of the land, but the villageu0026#39;s local socialist Halme does his best to implement change in a peaceful manner. Others, including Koskelau0026#39;s oldest son Akseli, have no illusions about how to force change down the throats of the lucky few.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThereu0026#39;s war and lots of cruelty to be found in this film, but also the patience to thoroughly present the place and the characters before that. The cinematography and music suit the storyu0026#39;s slow, serious arc and itu0026#39;s apparent that a lot of effort and, for a Nordic production, money have been put in the film. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s worth seeing, though not exactly uplifting, especially for those interested in history and politics.”