Fegefeuer (2012)

Fegefeuer: Directed by Antti Jokinen. With Laura Birn, Liisi Tandefelt, Amanda Pilke, Peter Franzén. A tormented young woman is given a hiding place by an elderly lady and soon they are reminded of their mutual horrendous past.

“Puhdistus is a Finnish film directed by Antti J. Jokinen, based on a play and a book of the same name by Sofi Oksanen. It tells about Estonia and more specifically about two women joined by blood and the horrors that they both have had to go through in their respective timelines.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd that last word is really the key to this movie. Itu0026#39;s quite frankly two different stories, sharing screen time in a single movie. Sure, both stories are about the same family line and even feature characters that are present in both. But theyu0026#39;re still joined together more by theme and motive than by anything more substantial. Aliide (Liisi Tandefelt as an elder, and Laura Birn when she was younger) is the one character around whom these two stories revolve, but her elder self doesnu0026#39;t bear all that much resemblance to her past self. Which is kind of the point, admittedly, but it also means that the two stories feel rather separate.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt doesnu0026#39;t help that of the two stories I vastly preferred the one taking place in the 30s. Estonia is a new nation, but already it has come under heavy strain from its mighty neighbor to the east. The bells of war are tolling and itu0026#39;s impossible to remain neutral. And now itu0026#39;s up to two sisters to live their lives as best as they can.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eContrast this to the other story taking place in the 90s. And not just any 90s. The most vitriolically shaded 90s possible, where most everyone seems to abuse drugs, everything is either falling apart or already broken, all men hate and abuse women, and where the only thing of beauty is snow falling on a justly murdered adversary.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSofi Oksanen has opinions about the recent past, is all Iu0026#39;m saying. Iu0026#39;m sure from her point of view they are justified opinions, but I find her to be a bit much, honestly.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePuhdistus has its fans and the story has depth. Itu0026#39;s just not told overly well, at least in this form.”