Jüri Rumm (1929) (2023 Estonian Film Archive restoration in 4K)

John Loop, Boris Borissoff, Mihhail Lepper: Jüri Rumm (EE 1929) with Hans Suursööt (Jüri Rumm) and Ly Kerge (Madli).

EE 1929

D: John (Johannes) Loop, Boris Borissoff (Jaanikosk), Mihhail Lepper

SC: Mihhail Lepper, John (Johannes) Loop

Cast: Hans Suursööt, Ly Kerge, Boris Borissoff (Jaanikosk), Karl Laas, Mihhail Lepper, Benno Hansen, Salme Peetson, Meta Kelgo, Elsa Silber, Voldemar Toffer, Voldemar Päts, Olga Holts, Alfred Hindrea, Aleksander Mildeberg, A. Kaasik

Producer: Ida Jeršova

DoP: Konstantin Märska

Production: Konstantin Märska Filmiproduktsioon

From: Rahvusarhiivi filmiarhiiv

101 min

Languages: Estonian, German, Russian

Subtitles: English

27. Pimedate Ööde filmifestival (PÖFF) / 27th Black Nights Film Festival

Programm: Vana Kuld: klassika ärkab ellu / Golden Oldies: Classic Films Revived

Žanr: seiklusfilm, tummfilm / adventure, silent

Teema: seiklused / adventure

    22 fps
    Hosted by Eva Näripea.
    Stephen Horne at the grand piano.
    Frank Bockius alla batteria.

    Kino Sõprus, Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival (PÖFF) / Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn, 18 Nov 2023

Eva Näripea (PÖFF 2023): "“Jüri Rumm” is a satiric adventure film about a legendary Estonian thief from the second half of the 19th century, who became an archetypal folk hero, a sort of local Robin Hood – an outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In the early 20th century, his colourful character inspired an entire series of stage plays and stories. Based mainly on Hans Varessoo’s (pseudonym) 1908 novel and the first volume of Jaan Metua’s trilogy of plays, which appeared in 1921, the film’s screenplay was allegedly written by Mikhail Lepper, the first Estonian to study with Georg Wilhelm Pabst and work with Fritz Lang in the early 1920s, who later emigrated to Sweden to work as a photojournalist. The premise of the film draws on Jüri Rumm’s biography: as a nobleman’s servant, Jüri is punished for stealing food from the baron for his sick father. Vowing revenge, he leaves the manor on a stolen horse, slipping away from his pursuers again and again, wearing ever-new disguises. Jüri’s love affair with Madli, who also serves at the manor, adds spice to the adventurous storyline and ultimately proves fatal for the clever fugitive. "

" “Jüri Rumm” was digitised in 6K and restored in 4K in 2023 in the Film Archive of the National Archives of Estonia, using the original nitrate negative, three surviving reels of a nitrate print and a reel of a safety print. "

" The live music accompanying the film will be composed and performed by Stephen Horne (UK, piano) and Frank Bockius (Germany, drums). Horne and Bockius are internationally acclaimed silent film musicians who regularly perform at film heritage festivals around the world. " Eva Näripea

AA: Jüri Rumm is a movie about a legendary Estonian bandit and folk hero in the second half of the 1800s. Two days ago I saw Dovbush in the Ukrainian Film Days in Helsinki, and both belong to the same great international rebel trend with Robin Hood, Zorro and Captain Blood. During Jüri Rumm's lifetime, also Rinaldo Rinaldini and Fra Diavolo were evoked. The outlaw was also known as a Don Juan irresistible to women, but in today's movie, he is monogamous.

Since the Great Northern War, Estonia had belonged to the Russian Empire. German landlords remained powerful landowners.

The director triumvirate of John Loop, Boris Borissoff and Mihhail Lepper bring a multiple approach to the saga. The movie starts with images of appealing realism about harvest time on the Estonian countryside. 

It proceeds to a vision of an authoritarian and oppressive society. Serfdom has been abolished, but there is still a quasi-feudal rule in manors owned by German aristocrats who wield the whip liberally over Estonians, their servants. Maids are routinely harassed, and when the servant Jüri Rumm helps his sick father, he is brutally whipped.

Offended, Jüri gradually launches a career as a horsethief and robber. He is chased by the German owners of the manors and protected by his people. His is a thrilling saga of audacious feats and ingenious escapes. He becomes the leader of a robber gang.

This movie is also a love story of Jüri Rumm and the maid Madli, saved by Jüri from her tormentors. When Rumm is finally caught and banished into Siberian hard labour camps, the final images are of Madli's sorrow and longing.

Appealing features in the movie include Jüri Rumm as a master of disguises and escape artist. From this angle, the movie belongs to the grand tradition of the Fregolinade. 

There is an ample dose of humour in scenes where Jüri Rumm cheats arrogant landowners and a vain magistrate who fails to recognize Jüri Rumm sitting opposite him dressed as a German aristocrat.

Hans Suursööt has a great likeness in build and facial features to the mug shots of the real Jüri Rumm. He is believable as a strongman with a tender side, schooled in German aristocratic ways and language, facing a life of danger with a fearless, stoic and amused attitude. Like Dovbush, he has what Ukrainians call volia: an undying fighting spirit.

But most memorably, Jüri Rumm is a rebellious work of indignation about injustice. The scenes of violence of masters against servants have an inflammatory atavistic force. Repeated scenes of sexual violence likewise.

A very well done restoration with appealing grayscale and black levels. Based on the negative, with one reel missing. The restoration obeys the original trilingual intertitling in Estonian, German and Russian. There were English subtitles in the presentation.

The show was powered by two of the most experienced and acclaimed musical maestri on the scene of international film culture. Stephen Horne at the grand piano and Frank Bockius alla batteria contributed an electrifying and exhilarating drive, full of character, and a perfect uplift helping revive and connect a remarkable film with contemporary consciousness.