- Release Date: – 28/04/2023
- Cast: – Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo
- Director: – Jalmari Helander
Sisu‘s trailer screamed, “I am special. Watch me in theatres and bask in the glorious insanity of my uproariously fun and satisfying action.” I heard the trailers right and I was only hoping for it to come out in theaters in Guwahati. Thankfully, we live in a time and place where the most obscure of films find at least one show. Sisu received a rather wide release than what I was expecting it to and after sitting through nearly 100 minutes of engaging action and thrills, I can see why.
The film doesn’t have much of a plot. It unfolds in the last days of World War II in Finland and revolves around war veteran, Aatami (Jorma Tommila) who has decided to put the war behind him after enduring horrific losses and delivering monstrous payback to his adversaries. He has recently unearthed a gold mine on his land. After digging up a substantial portion of the gold, Aatami sets off on his horse to deliver the gold to an undisclosed location. On his way, he comes face to face with retreating German forces who are burning and pillaging the country on their way back. These Germans quickly discover Aatami’s treasure and spend the rest of the film trying to kill him and rob his gold. The harder they try the more ferociously Aatami responds. As the film progresses, the Germans learn who he actually is and finally understand what they are up against.
The action and carnage of Sisu are glorious and relentless. Even though some portions of it may feel too over-the-top and unrealistic for a film that is this gritty and gives vibes of being ultra-realistic. The action starts early and with every chapter escalates to a higher level. There is hand-to-hand combat, there are mines thrown at people, there are people and animals blown up by mines, and there are portions where the protagonist is faced with certain death but somehow survives but not before he has endured some horrific ordeal. There is also some very satisfying gun violence and at least one undeniably thrilling action sequence on board an aircraft. None of these actions are something that you haven’t seen before but they are executed with such finesse and the underlying drama and narrative aid the action so much that it feels gratifying.
I have always enjoyed action when it is bundled with drama and unfolds as the end result of escalating conflict. That is exactly what we get here. Aatami is established as a man who doesn’t care for the war anymore but a look at his undraped body in the very beginning of the film tells us what hell he has been through. Thus, when the men try to take away the last bit of material possession that he has and holds dear, it becomes obvious that he will unleash his ultra-violence on them. For at least a third of the film’s runtime, the Germans remain unaware of Aatami’s past and that gives him an edge over them. When his past is finally revealed, the Germans are not so much in his awe but rather reconsider their respective positions and how best to subdue him.
This creates an interesting shift in the proceedings as from here on, Aatami takes a lot more hits than he delivers and yet keeps coming back and taking out the Germans in innovative ways. This aspect of the character and its inability to give up no matter what the circumstances, is proficiently tied to a folklore about the man in which this ability of his is what has earned him the name, “Sisu”— a word that cannot be translated verbatim in English but means someone who never gives up and who keeps getting up no matter how hard he is thrown down. While it might be too much to accept as an explanation for Aatami’s constant return from near-death situations, it felt believable when it was shown on screen and didn’t take me out of the experience or forced me to question the realism of the film.
Jorma Tommila plays Aatami with utmost sincerity. He has to do all this acting through his expressions as he doesn’t speak a single line of dialogue until the very last scene of the film. He has the looks and the physical appearance of a man who would have the ability to do what he was shown doing. The action is tailored to his abilities and a lot of it is choreographed in such a manner that it didn’t require him to do something overly physical. Interestingly, the action is designed in such a manner that it gives the notion of him pulling off something that required superhuman strength. As the film progresses, he is shown doing things more elaborately but these portions are also peppered with some sequences that push the limits of believability to the brink. Jorma is successful in making his character believable and ensuring that everything leading up to the action is rooted in realism.
The film’s proceedings are designed in an episodic manner and it races through its runtime. There is no character development. There is no depth in the drama. The horrific past of the protagonist is referenced only once and it is never reapproached even though that would have probably added some depth to the character. Why is he so hell-bent on getting gold somewhere is also never made clear. Who he wants to save the gold for is another unanswered question as he has no family left. The same issues plague the antagonists as well. The film doesn’t tell you why they are bad guys. It just shows them raping some hostages and from the get-go, they are shown tormenting the protagonist and everything else that come in their path. They are some of the most cliched and generic villains that you will find in modern films but they are effective enough to extract hatred and that is all that was required of them.
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A film of this nature is able to get away with not having many of the basic cinematic requisites because it relies on its action, retribution and the amount of satisfaction that it brings its viewer by giving them the sense of gratification of seeing evil men die most brutally in the hands of a lone wolf. The director spices things up with unpredictable set pieces, gorgeous cinematography, razor-sharp editing and noteworthy buildups. The background score complements the action beautifully and elevates key moments in the film.
Sisu is not the best action film that you will see this year. The notion of violence is a lot more pronounced than the actual action and violence in this film. The hero is an old and menacing monster who successfully sells the notion of unleashing unthinkable cruelty and violence with clinical ease and efficiency. The villains may be cannon fodder but they are the most despicable kind and ones that you will love to hate. For all this and more, Sisu is entertaining and fun to watch. But don’t expect an action masterpiece as many of the over-the-top reviews want you to believe.
Rating: – 3/5 (3 out of 5 Stars)
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position
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