Sisu movie review: Jalmari Helander's film is barbaric, brutal, and also very beautiful

Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo, and Onni Tommila

Director: Jalmari Helander

Language: English

What exactly is Sisu? What does the word mean? The opening credits of writer and director Jalmari Helander’s new films tells us it’s a word that cannot be clearly defined. It’s a Finnish word that signifies determination and courage. And the way the story unfolds, the unique title blends into the story. The year is 1944, Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) is a brooding, bruised and badass protagonist in search of gold. That also happens to be the name of the first chapter. ‘He’s one mean fucker you don’t want to mess with,’ this is how he has been described. He’s a ruthless commando who lost his home and family to the Russians. He’s known as the Koschei, the immortal. He’s a loner and the only two companions he’s left with are a horse and a dog.

Sisu revels in silences. The first dialogue of the film comes after 15 minutes from a ruthless Nazi officer Bruno Helldorf (Aksel Hennie, who looks a lot like WWE Superstar The Miz). The film is only 93 minutes long but every 15 minutes takes us to a new chapter. What catches your eye is the spectacular cinematography by Kjell Lagerroos. The film also enjoys being barbaric and brutal, it makes bloodshed looks beautiful. But it can’t escape from the clichés of cinema one is accustomed to, monologuing by the villain and his henchmen in particular, leading to nothing but their own defeat (and death), or their inability to shoot the hero despite multiple gunshot attacks and attempts.

‘Immortal or not, a man needs air,’ says Bruno in one scene, but our hero has other plans to survive this battle of barbaric scale. It’s not just about brawn but brains too, and this loner possesses both. Jalmari uses minimalism to convey our protagonist’s trauma and let his haunting aura do the talking. There are spurts of humor too. A scene shows a Nazi officer smoking a cigar and a disclaimer appears on the screen on how tobacco kills nearly 80 lac people every year. The disclaimer remains on the screen till the time he’s smoking that cigar before being attacked by the hero. Credit for this amusing moment goes more to the Indian censor more than the film’s writing. Yes, smoking and alcohol consumption does kill, so does war. And so does violence. No disclaimer for that yet. If there was, half of the films won’t exist.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

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