Kuningasjätkä

A-027824 / G / FI / 1998 / Pölönen, Markku / drama / comedy
Kuningasjätkä / A Summer By the River. © Fennada-Filmi. P: Kari Sara. D+SC: Markku Pölönen. DP: Kari Sohlberg. ”Yö kerran unhoa annoit” performed by Olavi Virta. CAST: Pertti Koivula, Simo Kontio, Esko Nikkari, Anu Palevaara, Peter Franzen, Sulevi Peltola, Vesa Mäkelä, Heikki Kujanpää. 85’. 1,85. DIST: Fennada-Filmi. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 3 February 1998. *** In the mid-1950s in Eastern Finland the logrollers drive a large raft of logs along the river. The recently widowed Tenho joins them with his ten year old son. He becomes everyone’s laughing stock. The comedy of the hopelessly clumsy logroller’s turning into the King of the River is in homage to the Buster Keaton formula, which is a good act to follow. The humour is completely original, though. I still prefer Onnen maa (Land of Love), but this is a first rate entertainment film, certain to become the blockbuster of the year in Finland in competition with Titanic.