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| Roland af Hällström: Ylijäämänainen (FI 1951). Asta Backman (Laura Kari) and Tauno Palo (Lennart Qvist). |
Stulen kärlek / [Surplus Woman]. FI 1951. PC: Fennada. P: Mauno Mäkelä. D: Roland af Hällström. SC: Jussi Talvi. DP: Esko Töyri. M: Tapio Ilomäki. "Otshi tshorni" is the theme song. Starring Asta Backman (Laura Kari), Tauno Palo (Lennart Qvist), Kyllikki Forssell (Ella Qvist), Harri Sinijärvi (department manager Harri Suvanne). 77 min. A 16 mm print viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 21 May 2008. – Ok for 16 mm. – A poignant, satirical drama of a single woman with relevance to feminism. – Laura Kari's suicide attempt opens the life-story seen in flashback. – Tauno Palo as a ladies' man, for Laura, the great love of her life; for him, she is just one of his lovers. – She works in the Stockmann department store, sexually harassed by her department manager. – The lonely woman sees the happiness of others' families. There is a biting Mother's Day scene with the mothers' anthem "Maan päällä paikka yksi on" ("There is but one place on earth"). – Strong cinematography by Esko Töyri. – The flashback within the flashback takes us to 1939 and a montage of the war years. – Kyllikki Forssell is the frustrated wife of Tauno Palo; she takes the knowing risk of getting pregnant, with fatal results. – "Dark Eyes" is the theme song sung by Tauno Palo with a voice of velvet. – The solidarity of women at the department store. – "Welcome, aunt Laura", a sunny smile at the end of the film. The acceptance of singlehood and childlessness.
My blog entries on Ylijäämänainen
10 April 2005 Ylijäämänainen (35 mm nitrate print at Turku Festival of Finnish Film, in person: Kyllikki Forssell)
21 May 2008 Ylijäämänainen (16 mm print at Orion)
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