Die Augen der Mumie Mâ (FWMS print).

Ernst Lubitsch: Die Augen der Mumie Mâ (DE 1918). Emil Jannings (Radu), Pola Negri (Mâ).

[Muumion silmät] / Orientens dotter, DE 1918. PC: Union. P: Paul Davidson. D: Ernst Lubitsch. SC: Hanns Kräly, Emil Rameau. DP: Theodor Sparkuhl, Alfred Hansen. PD: Kurt Richter. LOC: Kalkberge Rüdersdorf, Freigelände Berlin-Tempelhof. Starring. Pola Negri (Mâ), Emil Jannings (Radu), Harry Liedtke (Alfred Wendland, painter), Max Laurence (Prince Hohenfels). 35 mm print: Transit Film / Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung /18 fps/ 57 min. E-subtitles in Finnish by AA. Viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 22 Jan 2008. Lubitsch's first attempt at great, exotic drama, has some nice touches, and it is interesting to see the familiar Lubitsch team working together here, especially Pola Negri in her first Lubitsch role, but this one is mostly for the completists.

...

PROGRAM NOTE (HERMAN G. WEINBERG, EDITED BY SAKARI TOIVIAINEN)

SUOMEN ELOKUVA-ARKISTO

finlands filmarkiv

Die Augen der Mumie Ma

[Muumion silmät] / Orientens dotter

Saksa 1918. Tuotantoyhtiö: Projektions-AG Union. Ohjaus: Ernst Lubitsch. Käsikirjoitus: Hanns Kräly, Emil Rameau. Kuvaus: Theodor Sparkuhl, Alfred Hansen. Lavastus: Kurt Richter. Kuvauspaikat: Kalkberge Rüdersdorf, Freigelände Berlin-Tempelhof. Pääosissa: Pola Negri (temppelitanssijatar Ma), Emil Jannings (Radu, egyptiläinen), Har-ry Liedtke (maalari Alfred Wendland), Max Laurence (ruhtinas Hohenfels), Margarethe Kupfer (kotiapulainen). Alkuperäispituus 1221 m /18 fps/ 59 min

Transit Film / Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung 2008: /18 fps/ 57 min

 

Ensimmäisen maailmansodan vuosina Berliinissä oli puolalainen näyttelijätär nimeltä Barbara Apolonia Chalupiec, joka oli mustalaisviulistin tytär. Max Reinhardt oli nähnyt hänen tanssivan Maly-teatterissa Varsovassa vuonna 1913, jolloin tytön temperamentti teki häneen vaikutuksen ja hän toi tämän Berliiniin esiintymään pantomiimissaan Sumurun vuonna 1917. Union-Filmin johtaja Paul Davidson näki hänet siinä, ihastui ja osoittautui että Barbara Apolonia Chalupiec oli jo esiintynyt yhdessä elokuvassa Liebe und Leidenschaft, jonka hän lisäksi oli 17-vuotiaana omaelämäkerrallisten kokemustensa pohjalta kirjoittanut ja ohjannut itse. Elokuva kuitenkin oli menestynyt niin huonosti että sen tuottaja oli tehnyt konkurssin. Davidsonin vaisto tiesi kuitenkin paremmin ja seuraavaksi hän lähestyi Lubitschia tarkoituksenaan että tämä tekisi vakavan elokuvan tytön kanssa. Ensi alkuun Lubitsch kieltäytyi, sillä hän piti tavaramerkkinään komediaa eikä uskonut yleisön sulattavan hänen siirtymistään vakavaan draamaan.

Tämä sittemmin Pola Negrinä tunnettu tähti (Pola oli johdettu Apoloniasta, ja Negri tuli hänen rakastamansa italialaisen runoilijan Ada Negrin mukaan) oli kuitenkin todella päättäväinen nainen. Reinhardt oli ollut oikeassa hänen temperamenttinsa suhteen. Kun hän halusi tehdä elokuvan Lubitschin kanssa, se myös onnistui. Ensimmäinen yhteistyö oli Vendetta, joka Curt Riessin mukaan ei ollut varsinainen taiteellinen voitto, mutta kaupallinen menestys kylläkin. Ennenkaikkea se merkitsi Negrille läpimurtoa saksalaisessa elokuvassa ja hän tiesi että se oli Lubitschin ansiota. Davidson näki että tässä Lubitschilla avautuisi ura myös vakavan draaman alueella ja hän päätti tehdä välittömästi jatkoa. Tuloksena tarina egyptiläisestä uskonnollisesta fanaatikosta, joka ihastuttuaan erääseen tyttöön ajaa häntä takaa maailman ääriin ja viimein tuhoaa hänet. Tuloksena oli tummanpuhuva, "egyptiläistä eksotiikkaa" uhkuva elokuva, mutta sen pakkomielteisen rakkauden teema sisälsi autenttisen murhenäytelmän aineksia. Jälleen kerran Lubitsch oli alkuun suunnitelmaa vastaan, mutta taipui sitten Davidsonin suostutteluihin. Emil Jannings esitti tummaihoista, palavasilmäistä egyptiläistä ja Negri hänen intohimonsa onnetonta kohdetta. Die Augen der Mumie Ma oli sitä paitsi ensimmäinen elokuvateos, johon saksalainen lehdistö suhtautui vakavasti.

– Sakari Toiviainen, Herman G. Weinbergin teoksesta The Lubitsch Touch,  A Critical Study (1968)

Forum Holocaust 2008 (Yad Vashem event)

Jean-Michel Frodon (ed.): Le Cinéma et la Shoah : Un art à l'épreuve de la tragédie du 20e siècle. Avec les contributions de : Jean-Louis Comolli, Hubert Damisch, Arnaud Desplechin, Jean-Michel Frodon, Bill Krohn, Claude Lanzmann, Stuart Liebman, Sylvie Lindeperg, Ronny Loewy, Jacques Mandelbaum, Marie-José Mondzain, Ariel Schweitzer, Annette Wieviorka. Une filmographie inédite, réalisée grâce à l’Institut Fritz Bauer, rassemble à la fin de l’ouvrage plus de 300 longs métrages, courts métrages et documents ayant trait à la Shoah, de 1945 à nos jours.

Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 21 Jan 2008. Organized by Yad Vashem Finland, chaired by Mr. Matti Myllykoski.

Irene Jelin spoke about anti-semitism before the Holocaust, and Michel Grünstein about modern anti-semitism.

My presentation on cinema and Holocaust was inspired by the new book edited by Jean-Michel Frodon: Le Cinéma et la Shoah: Un art à l'épreuve de la tragédie du 20e siècle (Paris: Editions Cahiers du cinéma / Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah, 2007). It has also a useful filmography in six categories:

    1) Documentary and compilation films,
    2) Fiction,
    3) Essays,
    4) Television,
    5) Original footage,
    6) Nazi propaganda.

The discussion was so lively that the event lasted much longer than planned. I find the theme the more profoundly disturbing the more I think about it, and I took the next day off for mental ventilation.

YRJÖ KUKKAPURO – DESIGNER (2008 exhibition at Design Museum)

Yrjö Kukkapuro: Fysio Office Chair, black fabric upholstery (FI 1976).

Design Museum, Helsinki, 20 Jan 2008.

From the official presentation: "The career of designer and interior architect Yrjö Kukkapuro from his early works designed in 1956 to his most recent ones from 2007. 

Kukkapuro's oeuvre is characterized by a strict command of form and the carefully considered use of details. Throughout the decades his ideal has been the human body and its lawlike regularities.

Kukkapuro has been the head designer of the Haimi, Lepokalusto and Avarte companies. He is known for his design of public spaces and as a collaborating partner with the architectural profession.

Born in 1933 a chimneyless cabin near Viipuri and having spent his youth in Imatra, Kukkapuro's first successful collection was Moderno, created in 1957 and still in production. 

Inspired by the ergonomics of the human body, he designed dozens of fiberglass chairs in the 1960s, for example Karuselli from 1965, his most widely known chair design on the international market. 

In 1973 Kukkapuro moved on to strict minimalist design, finally turning his back on plastic materials. His products of the 1970s include the Remmi chair, with a tubular frame. Birch plywood became Kukkapuro's main material, leading to countless chair versions, including the Fysio office chair, which has won international prizes and awards. 

The period of postmodernism in the 1980s reintroduced colours and decorative forms into Kukkapuro's designs. The ergonomic approach became increasingly prominent. Works of this period include the Experiment collection and the Sirkus office chair. 

The 1990s introduced ecological challenges and a new visual image. Kukkapuro began to employ prints and abstract designs on the plywood backrests and seats of his chairs. Well-known works of this period are the "tattooed" chairs and cross-disciplinary installations such as "Magic Room", a kinetic spatial work, of which reproduction will be on display in the exhibition at Design Museum. 

Kukkapuro's versatile career has led him around the world, most recently to China, where he lectures and serves as an expert on design. Collaboration with the Nanjing Forest University has introduced a new dimension in his work. 

As the design expert for a UNESCO bamboo project he has discovered fast-growing giant bamboo as a material. Glued bamboo laminate is a recyclable, environmentally friendly and extremely durable wooden material. Kukkapuro's bamboo furniture collection, designed in 2004 for the domestic Chinese market, will now be on show for the first time in Europe. 

Kukkapuro continues to work, his most recent achievement being the Element sofa and armchair collection from 2007. Produced with digitized methods, the items of the collection can be assembled from elements. 

Kukkapuro and his wife, graphic artist Irmeli Kukkapuro, live and work in the studio and home that they built at Kauniainen near Helsinki in the 1960s, a single space of 200 square metres. 

The Design Museum show presents a broad overview of Kukkapuro's work, featuring furniture and their prototypes, light fittings, spatial works, a compilation of video documents etc. Visitors may test some of the chairs on show. 

A richly illustrated catalogue of 200 pages is published in Finnish and English versions in connection with the exhibition."

AA: On a personal note: Kukkapuro's Fysio office chair is ideal for heavy duty dvd marathons!

http://www.designmuseum.fi/main.asp?sid=2&sivu=18&kpl=54&show=1

L'ultimo paradiso / The Last Paradise

Rakkauden laguuni / Kärlekens lagun. IT 1956. PC: Lux Film, Paneuropa Cinematographica. D: Folco Quilici. SD: Folco Quilici, Dario Cecchi, Ennio Flaiano. DP: Masino Manunza, Marco Scarpelli - Ferraniacolor - scope. M: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino. 89 min. A vintage 35 mm dupe print with Swedish commentary and Finnish subtitles.
    Viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 19 Jan 2008.

A beautiful colour semi-documentary from the French Polynesia; Bora Bora, Tahiti, the Easter Islands and the Pentecostal Island. This is cinema of attractions: the daredevil liane jumps (like benshi), the pearl diving, the bravery with sharks, the tiger shark, and the muraena.

The battle with fear is the theme of the first part, starring the boy Atemi and the girl Areva. The second part is the story of Maeva and Terei in the native paradise, where Terei dreams of the white man's world, gets a job on the phosphate mines and celebrates Quatorze Juillet in Papeete. The innocent nude charms of a Tahitian dancer girl are captured by an American photographer. Terei fights a storm trying to return to his small island. There is a midnight bonfire. There is a wedding celebration at Bora Bora. NB. the shark theme by Lavagnino.

A noble and innocent documentary before the trashy mondo films, a lament on the last paradise on Earth before the Western people corrupted it. I checked Yrjö Hirn's wonderful survey Valtameren saari (En ö i världshavet, 1928, "An Island in the World Ocean") for the deep roots of this fascination. Folco Quilici seems to be a talent in the league of Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

My Blueberry Nights

Wong Kar-wai: My Blueberry Nights (HK/CN/FR 2007). Jude Law (Jeremy) and Norah Jones (Elizabeth).

My Blueberry Nights / My Blueberry Nights. 

    HK/CN/FR 2007. PC: Block 2 Pictures, Jet Tone Production, Lou Yi Ltd., Studio Canal. 

    D: Wong Kar-wai. SC: Wong Kar-wai, Lawrence Block – based on the story by Wong Kar-wai. DP: Darius Khondji – 1:2,35. 

    Starring Norah Jones (Elizabeth), Jude Law (Jeremy), David Strathairn (Arnie), Natalie Portman (Leslie), Hector A. Leguillow (Cafe Cook), Rachel Weisz (Sue Lynne). 

    111 min

    Released by Cinema Mondo, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Minna Nuutinen / Ditte Kronström. 

    Viewed at Kinopalatsi 7, Helsinki, 19 Jan 2008. 

This film has not gotten the best reviews, but it is my favourite Wong Kar-wai film so far. Or maybe I just caught up with him only now. He is the poet of urban solitude, and it's his first film in America. There are the bright, warm, and lurid colours, fearlessly displaying complementary colours such as green vs. orange. There is the urban noise. There are the traditional romantic ballads. The slow motion. The glass panels, the merciless lights, the reflections. The shots are like paintings or art photographs. There is a fresh look at the familiar American pop images (the highways, the casinos). It starts at the Kljutsh (The Key) Café in New York. It's a multi-story film about broken hearts on the way from New York to Las Vegas. It's based on metaphors: keys without owners, blueberry pies without customers, sobriety chips that are not redeemed, chips on the gambling table. I like the mixture of the mellow and the bitter.

Charlize Theron Dior J'adore

In the Valley of Elah

Paul Haggis: In the Valley of Elah (US 2007). Tommy Lee Jones (Hank Deerfield), Charlize Theron (Det. Emily Sanders). 

In the Valley of Elah / In the Valley of Elah. 

    US 2007. PC: Blackfriars Bridge Films, NALA Films, Samuels Media, Summit Entertainment. P: Laurence Becsey, Darlene Caamano, Paul Haggis, Steve Samuels, Patrick Wachsberger. 

    D+SC: Paul Haggis – based on a story by Mark Boal, Paul Haggis. DP: Roger Deakins – negative: Super 35 – digital intermediate – 35 mm print 1:2,35. 

    Starring Tommy Lee Jones (Hank Deerfield), Charlize Theron (Det. Emily Sanders), Jason Patric (Lt. Kirklander), Susan Sarandon (Joan Deerfield), James Franco (Sgt. Dan Carnelli), Barry Corbin (Arnold Bickman), Josh Brolin (Chief Buchwald), Frances Fisher (Evie). 

    123 min

    Released by Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Topi Oksanen / Ditte Kronström.

    Viewed at Tennispalatsi 9, Helsinki, 19 Jan 2008. 

Paul Haggis, the top screenwriter for three recent Clint Eastwood films and the director of the multi-story Crash, keeps giving surprises with this tough detective story in the military milieu where a father investigates the disappearance of his son. It's a powerful and brave look into the mess that lurks in the circumstances of the Iraq situation. 

The name is a reference to the First Book of Samuel. In Finnish it should read: Tammilaaksossa. 

The cinematography is dirty, flat and ugly to look at. Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron are great. A few hours after seeing this film it felt odd to see the glamorous Charlize Theron in a Dior J'adore poster. In this film she is absolutely unglamorous and all tough determination as a cop who fights discrimination based on sex.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Andrew Dominik: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (US 2007) with Brad Pitt (Jesse James) and Casey Affleck (Robert Ford).

Jesse Jamesin salamurha pelkuri Robert Fordin toimesta / Mordet på Jesse James av ynkryggen Robert Ford.
    US © 2007 Warner Bros. / Virtual Studios LLC.
    D+SC: Andrew Dominik – based on the novel by Ron Hansen (1983). DP: Roger Deakins – negative: Super35 KodakVision 2 – via 2K digital intermediate – print: 35 mm anamorphic Fuji. 1:2,35. "The Ballad of Jesse James" performed by Nick Cave.
    Starring Brad Pitt (Jesse James), Casey Affleck (Robert Ford), Mary-Louise Parker (Zee James), Brooklynn Proulx (Mary James), Dustin Bollinger (Tim James), Sam Rockwell (Charley Ford), Jeremy Renner (Wood Hite), Garret Dillahunt (Ed Miller), Paul Schneider (Dick Liddil).
    162 min
    Released in Finland by Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Janne Staffans.
    Viewed at Kinopalatsi 9, Helsinki, 18 Jan 2008.

 An unglamorous look into the final stage of the life of Jesse James (1847–1882), who became a figure of folklore during his lifetime. Various episodes of the story have been told in films by Henry King, Fritz Lang, Samuel Fuller, Nicholas Ray, Philip Kaufman, and Walter Hill. This film has the same concept as Fuller's, but the story is different. Fuller's film is sharp and stark, this one is slow and meditative. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_james

Let There Be Light (1946 / 1980)

John Huston: Let There Be Light (US 1946 / 1980). "A veteran suffering from PTSD undergoes hypnosis therapy". Photo and caption from: Criss Kovac: National Archives: The Unwritten Record, 7 Nov 2013.

Tulkoon valkeus. US 1946. © 1948. PC: U.S. Army Pictorial Services. D+ED: John Huston. [SC: John Huston, Charles Kaufman n.c.] [M: Dimitri Tiomkin n.c.] [DP: Stanley Cortez, John Doran, Lloyd Fromm, Joseph Jackman, George Smith n.c. - 35 mm] [Narrator: Walter Huston n.c.] LOC: Edgewood State Hospital, Commack, Long Island, New York. 59 min. 16 mm print from Imperial War Museum. Viewed at the Finnish Film Archive, Orion, Helsinki, 17 Jan 2008. A documentary on neuropsychiatric war invalids. 20% of the invalids were neuropsychiatric. This film focuses on neuroses: aphasia, amnesia, conversion hysteria, etc. (Psychoses, schizophrenia, catatonia, and shock therapy are not included.) Treatments include hypnosis, narcosynthesis ("a shortcut into the unconscious"), occupational therapy, music therapy, arts, religion, and sports. "Every man has his breaking point", the narrator states. These men have suffered experiences beyond human endurance. They are casualties of the spirit. The film is so optimistic, it's strange it was shelved until 1980.

GUEST AT ORION: ARTO AF HÄLLSTRÖM

Arto af Hällström.

Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 16 Jan 2008. Mr. Arto af Hällström, director at the National Theatre, son of Roland af Hällström and Elvi Saarnio, was the guest of honour to open our Roland af Hällström retrospective, starring Elvi Saarnio in 12 films. Roland af Hällström (1905-1956) was a journalist, always fast and efficient. He had a sharp pen, and so in 1935 Väinö Mäkelä asked him "to do it better", and that's how he got started as a director. Simultaneously, Roland wrote the first Finnish-language history of the cinema (still interesting, with original ideas about the silent era). Roland worked mostly for the Mäkelä family (Väinän Filmi, Fenno-Filmi, Fennada), as they got along well. He was always a fluent writer, often his own screenwriter. But he also had a stark visual sense since his film critic days in the silent era (he wrote a fine eulogy on Mauritz Stiller), he worked with the flamboyant visualist Teuvo Tulio in two films, and got an excellent DP, Esko Töyri, who has considered difficult to work with, but Roland found a good partner in him. Roland preferred strong and interesting female characters and was a good actors' director, much better than Tulio. Filming Läpi usvan, he met Elvi Saarnio, his future wife, mother of Arto. He died with his boots on, in the arms of Töyri, on location, directing Lain mukaan. His brother Raoul af Hällström was a top theatre and ballet critic, who wrote Finland's first history of the ballet. It was great to welcome Arto af Hällström and hear his reminiscences of the talented family.

Putkinotko

Roland af Hällström: Putkinotko (FI 1954) with Matti Lehtelä (Juutas Käkriäinen) and Elvi Saarnio (Rosina Käkriäinen).

Ödemarkens barn. 

    FI (c) 1954 Fennada-Filmi. P: Mauno Mäkelä. 

    D+SC: Roland af Hällström - based on the novel by Joel Lehtonen (1920) and the play by Urpo Lauri (1953). DP: Esko Töyri. M: Elvi Saarnio. 

    Starring Elvi Saarnio (Rosina Käkriäinen), Matti Lehtelä (Juutas Käkriäinen), Lasse Pöysti (Malakias), Ritva Juhanto (Saara), Pentti Viljanen (Aapeli Muttinen), Hillevi Rautio (Lyygia), Leni Katajakoski (Sanelma). 

     A terribly worn vintage 35 mm print with Swedish subtitles. 

    Viewed at Cinema Orion (Roland af Hällström), 16 Jan 2008. 

One day in the countryside of dreamy Savo in the summer of 1917. Based on a masterpiece of Finnish literature, influenced by naturalism and impressionism, a doubly satirical look on a poor, lazy and fertile country family and a merchant spending his holiday in the country with his girlfriend. No plot, no main characters, a portrait of life, where each detail counts, avoiding drama, capturing the sense of life in the country without idealization and illusions, but also without cliches and sordidness. It's full of life! This film, which avoids the conventions of popular storytelling, was a hit and still is, just like the play is still a summer stock favourite. Vibrant cinematography by Esko Töyri.

Lumière d'été

Jean Grémillon: Lumière d'été (FR 1943).

Suudelma pimeässä / Bergtagen. FR 1943. PC: Discina. P: André Paulvé. D: Jean Grémillon. SC: Jacques Prévert, Pierre Laroche. DP: Louis Page, Roger Arrignon. PD: Alexandre Trauner, Léon Barsacq, Max Douy. Starring Madeleine Renaud (Cricri), Pierre Brasseur (Roland Maillard), Madeleine Robinson (Michèle Lagarde), Paul Bernard (Patrice Leverdier), Georges Marchal (Julien), Marcel Levesque (Monsieur Lerouge), Charles Blavette (Vincent). 110 min. Beautiful print from La Cinémathèque francaise. E-subtitles in Finnish by Lena Talvio. Viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 15 Jan 2008. Jean Grémillon's masterpiece is a strange continuation of the 1930s French cinema during the Occupation. It has aspects of romantic fatalism (love under threat), working-class milieu (complete with Charles Blavette, Renoir's Toni), the pension ensemble (like Renoir, Feyder), the château party (as in La Règle du jeu), and a hunter's gun, but there are surprising turns to all the familiar situations. In a bizarre role, there is even Marcel Levesque, the funniest member of the old Feuillade ensemble. In one of his earliest roles, there is Georges Marchal, the future Buñuel favourite. It's a rich web of relationships and stark juxtapositions between the idle castle and the construction site.

L'Ivresse du pouvoir / A Comedy of Power

Claude Chabrol: L'Ivresse du pouvoir / A Comedy of Power (FR/DE 2006) starring Isabelle Huppert (Jeanne Charmant-Killman) and François Berléand (Michel Humeau).

Vallasta juopuneet / Maktens rus / Geheime Staatsaffären.
    FR / DE 2006. PC: Alicéléo and four other companies. P: Patrick Godeau.
    D: Claude Chabrol. SC: Odile Barski, Claude Chabrol. DP: Eduardo Serra. M: Matthieu Chabrol.
    C: Isabelle Huppert (Jeanne Charmant-Killman), François Berléand (Michel Humeau), Patrick Bruel (Jacques Sibaud), Robin Renucci (Philippe Charmant-Killman), Thomas Chabrol (Félix).
    110 min.
    A print from Non Stop (Sweden), Swedish subtitles by Camilla Stjerneholt. E-subtitles by Lena Talvio.
    Viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 15 Jan 2008.

The seventh collaboration of Chabrol and Huppert. Huppert has usually played the killer, and in a way she does so now, too, complete with the symbolic name. This time, she is not the criminal but the judge determined to expose a web of big-time corruption. She is merciless and sacrifices even her private life to the crusade. There are interesting insights in the story, like the ploy to team two female judges, in the expectation that they will turn against each other, but those hopes are foiled. The material is top interesting, but this film is not Chabrol at his best.

Die Austernprinzessin

The Oyster Princess / Osteriprinsessa / Ostronprinsessan. DE (1919) Projektions-AG Union. P: Paul Davidson. D: Ernst Lubitsch. SC: Hanns Kräly, Lubitsch. DP: Theodor Sparkuhl. PD: Kurt Richter. Starring Victor Jansen (Mr. Quaker), Ossi Oswalda (Ossi Quaker), Harry Liedtke (Prince Nucki), Julius Falkenstein (Josef, friend of Nucki), Curt Bois (the conductor). Print of the restored version based on the original negative by Transit Film / FWMS, /18 fps/ 63 min. E-subtitles by AA. Viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 15 Jan 2008. The first really wonderful film by Lubitsch is rewarding to revisit from time to time. The current version is much better than the ones seen previously.

Als ich tot war / Wo ist mein Schatz / Where Is My Treasure?

Ernst Lubitsch: Als ich tot war / Wo ist mein Schatz / Where Is My Treasure? (DE 1916) starring Ernst Lubitsch (husband, pouring coffee).

[As I Was Dead / Kun olin kuollut / När jag var död].
    DE © 1916 Projektions-AG Union. P: Paul Davidson. D+SC: Ernst Lubitsch. Starring Ernst Lubitsch (husband), Luise Scheurich (wife), Helene Voss (mother-in-law), Julius Falkenstein (rival).
    Transit Film / FWMS print of the film preserved by Slovenski Gledaliski in Filmski Muzei (Ljubljana)
    760 m /18 fps/ 37 min.
    E-subtitles by AA.
   Viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 15 Jan 2008.

The earliest surviving film by Ernst Lubitsch is a charming farce where the chess-mad husband has to woo his wife back, repel the rival and scare off his mother-in-law disguised as a servant.

Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin – von der Schönhauser Allee nach Hollywood

Robert Fischer: Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin – von der Schönhauser Allee nach Hollywood (DE 2006). 

DE © 2006 Transit Film. D: Robert Fischer. M: Aljoschka Zimmermann. Featuring: Nicola Lubitsch, Tom Tykwer, Michael Hanisch, Hans Helmut Prinzler, Enno Patalas, Jan-Christopher Horak, Wolfgang Becker, Dani Levy, Amanda Goodpaster (granddaughter). Archive footage: Evy Bettelhelm-Bentley (niece), Jörg Jannings (voice), Henny Porten (voice), Ernst Lubitsch. 110 min. Dvd with English subtitles. Transit Film. Screened at Suomen elokuva-arkisto, Orion, 15 Jan 2008. A very nice biographical portrait of the first period of the life and work of Ernst Lubitsch.

IMAGE AND AFTER (Exhibition at Kiasma)

KUVAN JÄLKEEN / IMAGE AND AFTER. Exhibition at Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art, Collections, Helsinki, 11 Jan 2008 - 11 Jan 2009. Curators: Leevi Haapala, Marja Sakari. Featuring Carl Andre, Lauri Astala, John Baldessari, Luciano Bartolini, Jan Berdyszak, Matti Braun, Elina Brotherus, Jacob Dahlgren, Jan Dibbets, A.K. Dolven, Carolus Enckell, Anne-Karin Furunes, Boris Gerrets, Jerzy Grabowski, Kristján Gudmundsson, Hanna Haaslahti, Juha Huuskonen, Jan Håfström, Juha van Ingen, Joan Jonas, Yishai Jusidman, Tuukka Kaila, Ari Kakkinen, Hannu Karjalainen, Angelika Kaufmann, Helena Kive, Joseph Kosuth, Robert Lucander, Sami Lukkarinen, Niko Luoma, Petri Makkonen, Kirsi Mikkola, Jussi Niva, Matti Nurminen, Marjatta Oja, Eric H. Olson, Marjatta Palasto, Matti Peltokangas, Tarja Pitkänen-Walter, Vesa-Pekka Rannikko, Silja Rantanen, Tuomo Rainio, Gerhard Richter, Nina Roos, Vitantonio Russo, Eino Ruutsalo, Jan Schoonhoven, Hannu Siren, Richard Smith, Mika Taanila, Aimo Taleva, Anu Tuominen, Marianna Uutinen, Antonio Violetta, Sampsa Virkajärvi, Denise Ziegler. Viewed on 13 Jan 2008. There are four main themes in this 10th anniversary exhibition of Kiasma: 1) IMMINENT IMAGE, 2) SYNTAXES OF THE IMAGE, 3) WRITTEN IMAGE, PAINTED WORD, 4) ATTITUDE AS METHOD: SERIES, REPETITION, EVENT. Highly interesting from a cinematic viewpoint, with several movie presentations (Lauri Astala: A Small Spectacle About Lightness, 1986, Mika Taanila: A Physical Ring, 2001, Juha van Ingen: (Dis)integrator, 1992, etc.). Worth re-visiting, and the exhibition catalogue is worth reading. http://www.kiasma.fi/index.php?id=1443&FL=1&L=1

El orfanato

Orpokoti / Barnhemmet. MX/ ES (c) 2006 Rodar / Telecinco. P: Guillermo del Toro etc. D: J.A. Bayona. SC: Sergio G. Sánchez. DP: Oscar Faura - via digital intermediate Ifilm - 35 mm screening print 1:2,35. LOC: Llanes, Oviedo, Asturias; Barcelona, Spain. Starring: Belén Rueda (Laura), Fernando Cayo (Carlos), Roger Príncep (Simón), Mabel Rivera (Pilar), Montserrat Carulla (Benigna), Edgar Vivar (Balaban), Geraldine Chaplin (Aurora). 110 min. Decent digital intermediate. Released by Cinema Mondo, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Juho Lähde / [Maria Wilén-Malo?]. Viewed 12 Jan 2008 at Kinopalatsi 2. A good ghost story in the Henry James tradition of A Turn of the Screw. The authors are aware of previous quality efforts such as The Innocents, The Haunting, The Others, and The Ring. The old house, the curse of the children, and other elements are familiar, but on Spanish ground it all gets an original tone. The visual sense and the performances are first-rate. Clearly the horror had an impact, the young viewer next to me hid behind her coat. It all bodes well for the young director and screenwriter.
http://www.theorphanagemovie.com/

Tummien perhosten koti / The Home of Dark Butterflies

De mörka fjärilarnas hem.
    FI © 2008 Solar Films. P: Markus Selin.
    D: Dome Karukoski. SC: Marko Leino – based on the novel (1991) by Leena Lander. DP: Pini Hellstedt – negative: 35 mm and S16 mm (dream sequences) – via digital intermediate – 35 mm screening print – 1:2,35.
    C: Tommi Korpela (Harjula), Niilo Syväoja (Juhani), Eero Milonoff (Salmi), Niko Vakkuri (Hämäläinen), Iiro Panula (Sulkava), Ville Saksela (Rinne), Henri Huttunen (Simola), Roope Karisto (Sjöblom), Marjut Maristo (Vanamo), Kristiina Halttu (Irene), Kati Outinen (Tyyne), Pertti Sveholm (Erik), Matleena Kuusniemi (Maire).
    Released by Nordisk Film, Swedish subtitles by [Olle von Bonsdorff?]. Premiere 11 Jan. Viewed 12 Jan 2008 at Tennispalatsi 1, Helsinki.

The digital intermediate gives the film a flat and lifeless look.

Summarizing the producer's synopsis: "The principal character of the movie is 14-year-old Juhani, haunted by a traumatic childhood experience. After being bounced between foster homes and temporary families for six years, Juhani ends up in an isolated Boys’ Home, The Island. The place is run by the ruthless superintendent Harjula. Besides the seven boys and Harjula, the only other inhabitants of the Island are the superintendent’s wife Irene and their two daughters including the teenager Vanamo, along with Tyyne, in charge of livestock and catering."

It takes place in Finland in the age Kekkonen, probably the early 1970s. Authoritarian methods of education are already out, a period of indifference to the "lost boys" is dawning. It's in the tradition of Wild Boys of the Road, Passport to Life, Los olvidados, etc. It starts violently and proceeds to find new turns, layers and sensitivity in the characters. It packs a punch, and the story is directed by second-timer Dome Karukoski with a good eye on the the rhythm of the story. The character-driven approach is successful with strong performances all through the picture.

http://www.solarfilms.com/elokuvat/kaikki/tummatperhoset/en_GB/darkbutterfiles/

Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone / Gone Baby Gone. US (c) 2007 Miramax. D: Ben Affleck. SC: Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard - based on the novel (1998) by Dennis Lehane. DP: John Toll - negative 35mm Panavision - 2K digital intermediate - 35mm print 1:1,85. LOC: Boston, Massachusetts. Starring: Casey Affleck (Patrick Kenzie), Michelle Monaghan (Angie Gennaro), Morgan Freeman (Capt. Jack Doyle), Ed Harris (Det. Remy Bressant), John Ashton (Det. Nick Poole), Amy Ryan (Helene McCready), Amy Madigan (Beatrice McCready). Decent digital intermediate by Modern Videofilm. 114 min. Released by Buena Vista, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Marko Hietikko. Viewed on 11 Jan 2008 at Kinopalatsi 6, Helsinki. A strong directorial debut by Ben Affleck based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, whose Mystic River was previously filmed by Clint Eastwood. It's about child abuse again, a morality tale that gives a lot to think about, a detective story for a grown-up audience. As may be expected, the performances are strong. Casey Affleck is emerging as a leading actor with an original style, with strength beneath a gentle surface. Location shooting in Boston looks authentic, and there are other kinds of American faces on display.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Lehane

Marja pieni!

Eija-Elina Bergholm: Marja pieni! (FI 1972) with Liisamaija Laaksonen (Marja Maronen).

Marja liten! / Poor Little Maria!. FI © 1972 Jörn Donner Productions. D+SC: Eija-Elina Bergholm. DP: Kari Sohlberg, Pirjo Honkasalo. Starring: Liisamaija Laaksonen (Marja Maronen), Hannu Lauri (Jukka Nyholm), Elvi Saarnio (Irja Maronen), Leena Häkinen (Mrs. Talviainen), Irma Martinkauppi (Eila Mäkinen), Selma Miettinen (grandmother, Maija Takala). Vintage 35 mm print viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 9 Jan 2008. I hadn't seen this film since its run of first release, and I had a memory of a somewhat jarring and tendentious story curve. Eija-Elina Bergholm is a fine director of actors. I ignored the story and enjoyed the excellent performances, especially Liisamaija Laaksonen in the leading role as the narcissist young woman with dreams of upward mobility. She falls both emotionally and economically, having betted on superficial values. It's not really that she's been cheated, her rich and egoistic boyfriend (Hannu Lauri) having been honest with her, but she has not been listening. Liisamaija Laaksonen portrays the highs and the lows of her character with force. It's the story of three generations of women, Elvi Saarnio as the mother who has always been ignored, and Selma Miettinen as the grandmother with the heart of gold who is brutally institutionalized. Vibrant cinematography by Kari Sohlberg and Pirjo Honkasalo.

I'M NOT THERE (Soundtrack Album)

I'M NOT THERE. Original Soundtrack, a film by Todd Haynes. Produced by Randall Poster, Jim Dunbar, Todd Haynes. (c) 2007 Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

Disc: 1 1. All Along the Watchtower - Eddie Vedder & The Million Dollar Bashers 2. I'm Not There - Sonic Youth 3. Goin' To Acapulco - Jim James & Calexico 4. Tombstone Blues - Richie Havens 5. Ballad Of a Thin Man - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers 6. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again - Cat Power 7. Pressing On - John Doe 8. Fourth Time Around - Yo La Tengo 9. Dark Eyes - Iron & Wine & Calexico 10. Highway 61 Revisited - Karon O & the Million Dollar Bashers 11. One More Cup Of Coffee - Roger McGuinn & Calexico 12. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll - Mason Jennings 13. Billy 1 - Los Lobos 14. Simple Twist Of Fate - Jeff Tweedy 15. Man In the Long Black Coat - Mark Lanegan 16. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power) - Willie Nelson & Calexico

Disc: 2 1. As I Went Out One Morning - Mira Billotte 2. Can't Leave Her Behind - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers 3. Ring Them Bells - Sufjan Stevens 4. Just Like a Woman - Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico 5. Medley: Mama, You've Been On My Mind/A Fraction Of Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie - Jack Johnson 6. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Yo La Tengo 7. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova 8. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? - The Hold Steady 9. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - Ramblin' Jack Elliott 10. The Wicked Messenger - The Black Keys 11. Cold Irons Bound - Tom Verlaine & the Millions Dollar Bashers 12. The Times They Are a Changin' - Mason Jennings 13. Maggie's Farm - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers 14. When the Ship Comes In - Marcus Carl Franklin 15. Moonshiner - Bob Forrest 16. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine - John Doe 17. Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Antony & The Johnsons 18. I'm Not There - Bob Dylan with The Band
Excellent soundtrack album, an ideal companion to the film.

Katariina Lillqvist's Animated Films

Puppet animation films by Katariina Lillqvist (D, SC, ED):
Tyttö ja sotamies / Maiden and the Soldier. FI/CZ 1995. Based on: Bertolt Brecht: "The Legend of the Dead Soldier": AN: Ján Klos. 9 min
Hiilisangolla ratsastaja / Rider on a Bucket. FI/CZ 1992. Based on: Franz Kafka: "Der Kübelreiter". AN: Vlasta Pospíslová, Jiri Látal, Frantisek Vasa. 8 min
Kamarihaikara / The Chamber Stork. FI/CZ 1993. Based on: Franz Kafka: "Kun tulin illalla kotiin" / "As I Came Home in the Evening". AN: Ján Klos, Jiri Látal. 10 min
Maalaislääkäri / Country Doctor. FI/CZ 1996. Based on: Franz Kafka: "Country Doctor". AN: Ján Klos, Jiri Látal. 15 min
Ksenia Pietarilainen / Xenia of St. Petersburg. FI 1999. 29 min
    Beautiful 35 mm prints from Suomen Elokuvakontakti. Viewed 3 Jan 2008 at Cinema Orion, Helsinki.
    Katariina Lillqvist is a master of puppet animation, and in these films she reaches original dimensions with dark, surrealistic stories based on Kafka etc. An original talent with influences from Jiří Trnka and Jan Švankmajer and affinities also with Tim Burton.

Pilvilinna

[A Castle in the Air] / Luftslott. FI 1970. PC: FJ-Filmi. D: Sakari Rimminen. SC: Meri Kurenniemi, Sakari Rimminen - based on a story by Meri Kurenniemi. DP: Pirjo Honkasalo - 16mm > 35mm - b&w. M: Those Lovely Hula Hands. Starring: Meri Oravisto (Annika), Erik Uddström (Erik Saarinen). 89 min. Viewed in Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 2 January 2008. This film I had missed at the time of release, and it has been somewhat forgotten, but now it has a wonderful, relaxed, realistic, familiar quality, which I can almost witness personally, as I was some three years younger than the protagonists at the time of the shooting. It's about rebellious teenagers at high school, who dream about a better world in a chaotic and anarchistic way. They are active at the teinikunta (the high school student's association), they participate in demonstrations against the Vietnam war, and they provoke parents with leftism. It's also frank and warm about sexual awakening, the girl is the active one, and the film has fresh insight into female desire, based on a story by Meri Kurenniemi. Obviously influenced by Godard, but not imitatively. The cinematography by Pirjo Honkasalo is lovely, and the blowup from 16mm is successful.

Tali-Ihantala 1944

Åke Lindman & Sakari Kirjavainen: Tali-Ihantala 1944 (FI 2007).

FI © 2007 Åke Lindman Film-Production. D: Åke Lindman, Sakari Kirjavainen. SC: Stefan Forss, Benedict Zilliacus, Esko Salervo. DP: Pauli Sipiläinen. 

    A large cast, no protagonists. 

    Digital intermediate look with bleakened colour. 

    In Finnish, partly Swedish, a sequence in German, with Swedish or Finnish subtitles by Joanna Erkkilä. 

    Released by Buena Vista International. 

    Viewed in Cinema Bristol, Helsinki, 1 Jan 2008. 

The Tali-Ihantala battle of 25 June – 9 July, 1944 was the biggest in the history of the Nordic countries. There were 50.000 troops on the Finnish side (Finns and Germans) against 150.000 troops of the Red Army on the Karelian Isthmus. The Finns stroke back in Tali-Ihantala (and Vuosalmi and Viipurinlahti) with such a force that the Red Army interrupted its massive attack against Finland. These battles saved Finland from sharing the fate of the Baltic countries after WWII. This Finnish Thermopylae story is great, but unfortunately the film is just a collection of small episodes. It fails to build momentum.

...

Åke Lindman (1928–2009) had to interrupt his work in this film, which was honourably brought to a finish by Sakari Kirjavainen.

2007

Checklist: some of the films I saw theatrically in 2007

9.1.2007 17.00 Edwin S. Porter & Edison, Orion
10.1.2007 17.00 Pimeänpirtin hävitys, Orion
12.1.2007 11.30 Rock'n'roll Never Dies, Tennispalatsi 14
12.1.2007 15.45 Hetki lyö, Kinopalatsi 4
12.1.2007 Faunin labyrintti
13.1.2007 12.15 V2 jäätynyt enkeli, Kinopalatsi
13.1.2007 14.45 The Science of Sleep, Maxim 1
16.1.2007 17.00 Umberto D, Orion
16.1.2007 19.00 Musta Pekka, Orion
16.1.2007 21.00 Kotini on linnani, Orion
17.1.2007 17.00 Koskenkylän laulu, Orion
17.1.2007 18.45 Meri on kohtalomme, Orion
17.1.2007 21.00 Arkipäivän rohkeutta, Orion
18.1.2007 17.00 Divided We Fall, Orion
19.1.2007 15.15 Musta Dahlia, Tennispalatsi 10
19.1.2007 17.30 Parfyymi, Tennispalatsi 3
20.1.2007 11.15 Rocky Balboa, Tennispalatsi 6
20.1.2007 13.30 Aidosti outoa, Kinopalatsi 5
20.1.2007 16.15 Silmänkääntäjä, Tennispalatsi 7
23.1.2007 19.00 The Cremator, Orion
24.1.2007 17.00 Kilroy sen teki, Orion
25.1.2007 17.00 Väiski ja kumppanit 10, Orion
25.1.2007 18.15 The Button-Pinchers, Orion
26.1.2007 14.30 Apocalypto, Tennispalatsi 3
26.1.2007 17.30 The Queen Kuningatar, Kinopalatsi 2
26.1.2007 20.30 A Good Year, Kinopalatsi 3
27.1.2007 11.45 Charlie sanoo, Kinopalatsi 8
27.1.2007 15.00 The Prestige, Tennispalatsi 13
30.1.2007 Los Tarantos, Orion
30.1.2007 The Joke, Orion
30.1.2007 The Rebels, Orion
31.1.2007 Ruusu ja kulkuri, Orion
31.1.2007 Faust, Orion

1.2.2007 Raja 1918
2.2.2007 18.30 Suden vuosi, Tennispalatsi 1
2.2.2007 15.30 Bobby, Tennispalatsi 13
3.2.2007 11.45 Holiday, Kinopalatsi 5
3.2.2007 14.45 The Last King of Scotland, Tennispalatsi 10
6.2.2007 16.45 Camaron, Orion
6.2.2007 19.00 Focus Langlois 1 montaaseja, Orion
6.2.2007 20.00 Veteen piirretty viiva, Orion
7.2.2007 17.00 Kalle-Kustaa Korkin seikkailut, Orion
7.2.2007 19.00 Focus Langlois 2 pelastetut, Orion
7.2.2007 21.00 Duende y misterio del flamenco, Orion
9.2.2007 17.30 Blood Diamond - veritimantti, Tennispalatsi 1
10.2.2007 12.30 Onnen potkuja, Tennispalatsi 12
10.2.2007 14.30 Déjà vu, Tennispalatsi 11
13.2.2007 19.15 Focus Langlois 4 huviohjelmia, Orion
14.2.2007 18.45 Focus Langlois 5 harvinaisuuksia, Orion
15.2.2007 17.00 Vaihdokas, Orion
16.2.2007 17.45 Kirjeitä Iwo Jimalta, Tennispalatsi 13
17.2.2007 11.15 Night at the Museum, Tennispalatsi 1
17.2.2007 13.15 Murto ja varkaus, Tennispalatsi 9
17.2.2007 15.15 Uhka, Tennispalatsi 7
20.2.2007 19.15 Ultimes collectes 1, Orion
21.2.2007 19.00 Ultimes collectes 2, Orion
22.2.2007 17.00 Ultimes collectes 3 Miehet sodassa, Orion
23.2.2007 16.45 Good Shepherd, Tennispalatsi 9
24.2.2007 Dreamgirls
24.2.2007 Miehen työ
28.2.2007 17.00 Härmästä poikia kymmenen, Orion

1.3.2007 17.00 Hermot pinnalla, Orion
2.3.2007 16.45 Little Children, Kinopalatsi 4
2.3.2007 19.30 Yhden tähden hotelli, Kinopalatsi 2
3.3.2007 12.15 Paljastavat merkinnät, Kinopalatsi 3
3.3.2007 14.30 Lotta ystäväni (dub), Kinopalatsi 4
6.3.2007 16.15 Marseljeesi, Orion
6.3.2007 21.00 Rodeon miehet, Orion
7.3.2007 17.00 Sadan miekan mies, Orion
7.3.2007 19.00 Ihmispeto, Orion
8.3.2007 17.00 Silta, Orion
8.3.2007 21.00 Johnny Guitar, Orion
9.3.2007 16.45 Aavan meren tällä puolen, Kinopalatsi 2
9.3.2007 Vers le sud, Kino Engel 1
10.3.2007 11.15 Ghost Rider - aaveajaja, Tennispalatsi 2
10.3.2007 13.45 Arthur ja minimoit (dub), Tennispalatsi 2
14.3.2007 17.00 Dokumentin ytimessä 35: paljastava kamera, Orion
16.3.2007 16.30 Fur, Kinopalatsi 10
16.3.2007 20.15 Hollywoodland, Tennispalatsi 10
17.3.2007 13.00 Uusi ihminen, Tennispalatsi 1
17.3.2007 15.30 Tideland, Kinopalatsi 2
20.3.2007 16.45 Kotiapulaisen päiväkirja, Orion
20.3.2007 19.00 Nainen riisipellolta, Orion
21.3.2007 17.00 Kuisma ja Helinä, Orion
21.3.2007 21.00 Viikinkien kosto, Orion
22.3.2007 17.00 The Land of the Wandering Souls, Orion
22.3.2007 21.00 Joki, Orion
23.3.2007 17.45 Kirjava huntu, Kinopalatsi 1
24.3.2007 11.15 Numero 23, Tennispalatsi 2
24.3.2007 15.15 Sävel ja sanat, Tennispalatsi 1
28.3.2007 17.00 Dokumentin ytimessä 36 Elokuvaa elokuvasta, Orion
28.3.2007 19.15 Les Artistes du Théâtre Brûlé, Orion
29.3.2007 17.00 Väiski ja kumppanit 11, Orion
29.3.2007 19.00 Kultaiset vaunut, Orion
30.3.2007 12.45 Mr. Bean lomailee, Tennispalatsi 3

30.3.2007 17.30 Pariisin varpunen - Édith Piaf, Maxim 1
31.3.2007 11.30 Kikin lähettipalvelu, original version, Tennispalatsi 8
31.3.2007 17.00 kinokonsertti Maa, Koiton Laulu, Orion

18.4.2007 17.00 Rengasmatka eli peräkylän pikajuna, Orion
18.4.2007 19.00 Dust in the Wind, Orion
19.4.2007 19.00 Daughter of the Nile, Orion
19.4.2007 21.00 Katkera voitto, Orion
21.4.2007 11.30 Sunshine, Tennispalatsi 6
21.4.2007 13.30 Inland Empire, Kinopalatsi 1
25.4.2007 16.30 Sillankorven emäntä, Orion
27.4.2007 19.00 Suolla tuulee, Orion
28.4.2007 12.15 Goyan aaveet, Kinopalatsi 10
28.4.2007 15.15 300, Tennispalatsi 2
29.4.2007 20.30 Paholaisen hampaat, Orion

2.5.2007 17.00 Poikkiparru, Orion
2.5.2007 19.00 Eija-Liisa Ahtila I, Orion
4.5.2007 11.15 Spider-Man 3 - Hämähäkkimies 3, Tennispalatsi 1
4.5.2007 14.00 Häiden jälkeen, Kinopalatsi 8
4.5.2007 17.00 Syyskuinen sunnuntai, Orion
4.5.2007 19.00 Rakkaus on aarre + Lohdutusseremonia, Orion
5.5.2007 15.15 Alpha Dog, Tennispalatsi 12
8.5.2007 19.00 Helsingin Elokuvapaja esittää, Orion
9.5.2007 17.00 Rakastaa, Orion
10.5.2007 17.00 Tyttö ja laukku, Orion
11.5.2007 19.00 Sami van Ingen I, Orion
15.5.2007 18.45 Sami van Ingen II, Orion
22.5.2007 19.00 Veli Granö, Orion
25.5.2007 14.15 Zodiac, Kinopalatsi 9
25.5.2007 19.00 Ilppo Pohjola, Orion
29.5.2007 16.00 Suomalainen näytelmäelokuva, Bristol
29.5.2007 19.15 Sähkö The Movie, Orion
30.5.2007 17.00 Anna, Orion

1.6.2007 13.30 Grindhouse: Death Proof, Kinopalatsi 5
1.6.2007 The Fountain, Kino Engel 1
5.6.2007 17.00 Ingmar Bergmanin maailma, Orion
6.6.2007 17.00 Arkiston aarteita: Mannerheim 1, Orion
8.6.2007 19.00 Bergman-kansio, Orion
16.6.2007 Saalis
20.6.2007 17.00 Hellyys, Orion

7.8.2007 14.15 The Simpsons Movie (orig), Tennispalatsi 7
7.8.2007 16.30 Pariisin kytät, Orion
8.8.2007 14.00 Lady Chatterley, Maxim 1
9.8.2007 14.15 Silta salaiseen maahan, Tennispalatsi 8
10.8.2007 13.00 Harry Potter ja Feeniksin kilta, Tennispalatsi 9
11.8.2007 12.00 Pirates of the Caribbean, Tennispalatsi 14
15.8.2007 16.30 Dirty Story, Orion
21.8.2007 21.00 Traveller, Orion
22.8.2007 19.00 Homework, Orion
22.8.2007 Close Up, Orion
23.8.2007 17.00 Ja elämä jatkuu, Orion
28.8.2007 17.00 Oliivipuiden katveessa, Orion
30.8.2007 17.00 10, Orion
30.8.2007 19.00 Karl May, Orion
31.8.2007 13.30 Medusan sinetti, Kinopalatsi 2
31.8.2007 17.00 10 on Ten, Orion

1.9.2007 12.00 Tuntematon nainen, Tennispalatsi 13
4.9.2007 17.00 Close Up, Orion
4.9.2007 19.00 Joulupukki murhattu, Orion
4.9.2007 21.00 Time in the Sun / Bezhin lug, Orion
8.9.2007 12.00 Colorado Avenue, Tennispalatsi 3
8.9.2007 16.30 Yö, Orion
11.9.2007 17.00 Myrskyöitä, Orion
14.9.2007 16.45 Yksityisalue, Orion
14.9.2007 18.45 Lapualaismorsian, Orion
14.9.2007 21.00 Kreivi (restored), Orion
15.9.2007 16.45 Ruusujen aika, Orion
15.9.2007 21.00 Kuuma kissa, Orion
16.9.2007 16.00 Täällä alkaa seikkailu, Orion
16.9.2007 18.15 Vihreä leski, Orion
16.9.2007 20.00 Punahilkka, Orion
20.9.2007 18.30 Control, Helsinki Film Festival, Bio Rex
21.9.2007 16.45 Kirje kolmelle naiselle, Orion
22.9.2007 15.45 Lieksa!, Tennispalatsi 9
23.9.2007 18.00 Kummitus ja rouva Muir, Orion
25.9.2007 18.45 Kaikki tiet tukossa, Orion
26.9.2007 19.00 Elämän maantiellä, Orion
27.9.2007 17.00 Meistä juorutaan, Orion
28.9.2007 17.45 Sovitus, Bristol
29.9.2007 11.15 Ganes, Tennispalatsi 1
30.9.2007 16.00 Väiski ja kumppanit 13, Orion

2.10.2007 19.00 Animen synty, Orion
6.10.2007 20.30 film concert Orphans of the Storm, Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi, Pordenone
13.10.2007 20.30 film concert Lulù, Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi, Pordenone
18.10.2007 16.00 Pirullista peliä, Orion
19.10.2007 12.45 Rottatouille (dub), Tennispalatsi 1
19.10.2007 17.45 Musta jää, Tennispalatsi 3
26.10.2007 19.00 film concert Kaupungin valot, RSO, Finlandia-talo

2.11.2007 15.30 Sicko - aivan sairasta, Kinopalatsi 10
2.11.2007 18.15 Sinä elävä, Maxim 2
3.11.2007 15.15 Family Meeting, Kinopalatsi 8
4.11.2007 19.45 Ceux qui m'aiment prendront le train, Orion
7.11.2007 17.00 Dokumentin ytimessä 39, Orion
9.11.2007 XXX, SEOL lippu
14.11.2007 17.00 Narrien illat, Orion
14.11.2007 19.15 Majakanvartijat, Orion
16.11.2007 18.30 Michael Snown elokuvia, Orion
16.11.2007 20.30 Peter Kubelkan elokuvia, Orion
17.11.2007 15.30 La Région Centrale, Orion
17.11.2007 19.00 Nära ögat, Orion
17.11.2007 21.00 Peter Kubelkan elokuvia, Orion
18.11.2007 16.00 Peter Kubelka: The Edible Metaphor, Avanto / Kiasma-Teatteri
21.11.2007 16.30 Dokumentin ytimessä, Orion
27.11.2007 18.45 42. katu, Orion
29.11.2007 20.00 We the Living, Orion
30.11.2007 17.45 4 kuukautta, 3 viikkoa, 2 päivää, Maxim 2

1.12.2007 11.15 Joulutarina, Tennispalatsi 4
1.12.2007 15.15 Beowulf, Kinopalatsi 8
5.12.2007 16.15 Dokumentin ytimessä, Orion
11.12.2007 16.30 La Nuit fantastique, Orion
13.12.2007 20.30 Sa majesté la femme, La Cinémathèque francaise, Rue de Bercy, Salle Henri Langlois, Paris
14.12.2007 20.30 Rivalités, La Cinémathèque francaise, Rue de Bercy, Salle Jean Epstein, Paris
18.12.2007 17.00 Ilotyttö, Orion
19.12.2007 17.00 Vain neljä kertaa, Orion
25.12.2007 19.30 I'm Not There., Kinopalatsi 6
26.12.2007 18.XX Meidän poikamme merellä, Orion
27.12.2007 15.30 Klo 15:10 lähtö Yumaan, Kinopalatsi 8
30.12.2007 13.00 Sooloilua, Tennispalatsi 12
31.12.2007 10.15 Cassandra's Dream, Tennispalatsi 11

Röllin sydän / Quest for a Heart

Pekka Lehtosaari: Röllin sydän / Quest for a Heart (FI/DE/RU/GB 2007).

Röllis hjärta. FI / DE / RU /GB (c) 2007 Matila-Röhr Productions. P: Marko Röhr. D+SC: Pekka Lehtosaari – based on the characters created by Allu Tuppurainen. AD: Janne Kopu. Voice talent: Allu Tuppurainen (Rölli / Rolli), Saija Lentonen (Milli Menninkäinen /Millie), Aarre Karén (Lakeija), Jyrki Kovaleff (Riitasointu), Matti Ranin (Rupeltaja), Esa Saario (Kylänvanhin) . Animation. Released by Nordisk Film Theatrical Distribution. Viewed at Tennispalatsi 8, Helsinki, 31 Dec 2007. 

The Rölli troll was created by Allan Tuppurainen in the early 1980s. The profane hermit tries hard to be nasty but cannot help his good heart. Because of his anarchic spirit he has been compared with Pippi Långstrump. He never conforms. His signature call is "by my dirty toes!". Based on Rölli, Tuppurainen has written fairy-tales and songs (as composer and lyricist), made 14 records and audio cassettes, and played on tv and stage. There have been now three theatrical feature Rölli films: Rölli – hirmuisia kertomuksia (1991, D: Olli Soinio), Rölli ja metsänhenki (2001, D: Olli Saarela), and Röllin sydän (2007), all produced by Marko Röhr. Six years in the making, the animated feature is based on traditional analogue drawing and painting techniques, and besides, digital effects have been used. Hundreds of artists participated in the production in five studios. The final film print has been processed via a 2k digital intermediate. http://www.questforaheart.com/

Cassandra's Dream

Woody Allen: Cassandra's Dream (US/GB 2007). Ewan McGregor (Ian Blaine), Colin Farrell (Terry Blaine).

Cassandra's Dream / Cassandra's Dream. US / GB © 2007 Wolverine. P: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Gareth Wiley. D+SC: Woody Allen. DP: Vilmos Zsigmond. M: Philip Glass. Starring: Colin Farrell (Terry Blaine), Ewan McGregor (Ian Blaine), Tom Wilkinson (Uncle Howard), Hayley Atwell (Angela Stark, actress), Sally Hawkins (Kate). 108 min. Released by Scanbox, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Jaana Wiik / Janne Staffans. Viewed on 31 Dec 2007 at Tennispalatsi 11, Helsinki. Woody Allen has created a completely new style since moving to Britain. In Match Point and this, he creates original crime dramas which obey the laws of classical tragedy. His tales also share an affinity with Biblical parables. Born British critics do not find Woody Allen's Cockney accents and rhythms convincing, but from the viewpoint of a not-native speaker this is a strong, solid, and moving film. I admire Woody Allen's capability to surprise and explore new things. Certainly the audience was gripped in the sold-out screenings of Helsinki (it was hard to get a seat).

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

James Mangold: 3:10 to Yuma (US 2007) with Russell Crowe (Ben Wade) and Christian Bale (Dan Evans).

Kello 15.10 lähtö Yumaan / 3:10 to Yuma (Swedish title).

    US © 2007 Relativity Media. 

    D: James Mangold. SC: Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas – based on a short story by Elmore Leonard. 

    Starring Russell Crowe (Ben Wade), Christian Bale (Dan Evans), Logan Lerman (William Evans), Dallas Roberts (Grayson Butterfield), Ben Foster (Charlie Prince), Peter Fonda (Byron McElroy), Vinessa Shaw (Emmy Nelson), Alan Tudyk (Doc Potter), Luce Rains (Marshal Weathers), Gretchen Mol (Alice Evans).

    125 min

    Released in Finland by FS Film, Finnish /Swedish subtitles by ... and Joanna Erkkilä. 

    35 mm print from a digital intermediate, mediocre visual quality.

    Viewed 27 Dec 2007 at Kinopalatsi 8, Helsinki. 

High profile remake of the Delmer Daves 1957 western with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. A tough film, developing some of the oldest Western film themes that were already present in William S. Hart's "soul fights". The script is expanded with violent confrontations in Indian territory and on a railway construction site. It's carried by the actors, who are good, including the supporting parts. The impact is weakened by excessive killing.

Meidän poikamme merellä

Våra gossar till sjöss / [Our Boys at Sea]. FI 1933. PC: Suomi-Filmi. P+D+ED: Erkki Karu. SC: Erkki Karu, Georg Malmstén. DP: Theodor Luts. M: Georg Malmstén. Starring Georg Malmstén (Senior Sergeant Pekka Kuusisto), Kati Aspelin (Navy nurse Leila), Aku Käyhkö (Navy Doctor Väre), Jaakko Korhonen (Captain of the submarine). Centenary of Finnish Fiction Film Print, 35mm (Suomen elokuva-arkisto 2007). Viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, Boxing Day, 26 Dec 2007. 109 min. An early Finnish military farce and an early Finnish musical, a vehicle for Georg Malmstén (1902-1981), the heroic opera barytone who became a wonderful popular singer-songwriter and conductor-bandleader, and was also a trained marine. Erkki Karu, the greatest Finnish silent film director and the visionary chief of the Suomi-Filmi company, had lost his touch as a director. There is no sense of visual expression, montage, direction of actors or sense of humour in his work by now. In the Navy exercises, the singing marine Pekka tries to find any excuse to see the charming Navy nurse Leila. His rival is the navy doctor. Pekka's submarine sinks to the bottom, and he volunteers to swim to the surface, risking his life, this being before the era of professional scuba gear, but in Leila's hands he is cured, the cure seen as a montage superimposed on his fever chart. The soundtrack is technically not especially good. The only reason to see this is the warm, exuberant, vital, irresistible Georg Malmstén, excellent as singer, songwriter and bandleader:
"Meidän Maija" [Our Maija], dedicated to the navy canteen hostess
"Kuu hopeoitaan hohtaa" [The Moon's Silvery Glow], with a nocturnal montage of the sea
"Leila", theme tune of the film, one of the most beloved Finnish waltzes
"Sinitakkien marssi" [March of the Bluecoats], a merry Marine anthem
"Hyvästijättö Havaijille" [Farewell to Hawaii], a Pacific parody in drag
"Aallokko kutsuu" [The Call of the Waves], another evergreen
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Malmst%C3%A9n

I'm Not There

I'm Not There / I'm Not There. DE / US (c) 2007 VIP Medienfonds 4 GmbH. PC: Killer Films. D: Todd Haynes, CO-SC: Oren Moverman - "inspired by the music and many lives of Bob Dylan".
Starring as Dylan Not There: Marcus Carl Franklin (Woody Guthrie), Ben Whishaw (Arthur Rimbaud), Christian Bale (Jack Rollins / Pastor John), Heath Ledger (Robbie Clark), Cate Blanchett (Jude Quinn), Richard Gere (Billy the Kid). - Charlotte Gainsbourg (Claire). 35mm print in 1:2,35 KodakVision 2353, from 16mm and 35mm negatives, via disappointing digital intermediate (2K). 135 min. Released in Finland by Scanbox, Finnish / Swedish subtitles Jaana Wiik / Nina Ekholm. Viewed on Christmas Day 25 Dec 2007 at Kinopalatsi 6, Helsinki. - A labour of love, an anti-biopic of Bob Dylan, full of music and poetry in vintage and new interpretations by great artists. It's a poet's view of another poet. Impossible, yes, inspiring, yes, worth reseeing, yes!
Pressbook in English: http://www.filmikamari.fi/pressit/uploads/text/INT_press_bookFin.pdf

Beowulf

Beowulf /Beowulf USA (c) 2007 Shangri-La /Paramount. P: Steve Bing, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis. D: Robert Zemeckis. SC: Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary - based on the epic poem (ca 700-1010). DP: Robert Presley. 3-D digital animation based on the real-life models of Ray Winstone (Beowulf), Robin Wright Penn (Wealthlow), Anthony Hopkins (Hrothgar), Charlotte Salt (Estrith), Sebastian Roché (Wulfgar), John Malkovich (Unferth), Crispin Glover (Grendel), Brendan Gleeson (Wiglaf), Chris Coppola (Olaf), Angelina Jolie (Grendel's mother), Alison Lohman (Ursula). 113 min. In English and old English. Released in Finland by Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland, with Finnish /Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Janne Staffans. Viewed in 2-D (no 3-D release in Finland, there being no Real D cinemas or IMAX 3D cinemas in Finland) at Kinopalatsi 8, Helsinki, 1 December 2007. A photorealistic digital animation based on the old English-Nordic-Germanic saga, this is a new accomplishment in the trend of Final Fantasy, The Polar Express, and (parts of) 300. The technique is called motion capture. It is a Pagan, pre/Christian story about curses and dragons and Viking honour, set in what are now known as Denmark and southern Sweden. From a technical viewpoint it is state/of/the/art. The audience *especially the females( had a good laugh when views of the the nude Beowulf\s family jewels were blocked *in a tradition established in Mario Bava\s Diabolik, parodied in the Austin Powers films(. The nude Angelina Jolie\s natural beauty was stylized in classical sculpture fashion, abstracting her most intimate feminine details. The great film/philosophical question> no, this animation is no more humanly convincing than Final Fantasy and the rest. A stylized drawing and painting *say, Mowgli in The Jungle Book( can be more lively in animation than 3D photorealistic motion/capture. The visual look of the film is bleak and deathly.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

Raja 1918 / [The Border 1918]

Gränsen 1918. Finland / Russia (c) 2007 Border Productions / Studio 217. P: Jörn Donner, Jarkko Hentula. D: Lauri Törhönen. SC: Aleksi Bardy - based on the story by Jörn Donner - based on the diaries of Kaj Donner. DP: Esa Vuorinen. PD: Sergei Kokovkin. CO: Marjatta Nissinen. M: Sergei Jevtushenko. Starring Martin Bahne (Captain von Munck), Minna Haapkylä (teacher Maaria Lintu), Tommi Korpela (Kiljunen), Hannu-Pekka Björkman (sergeant major Muranen), Lauri Nurkse (lieutenant Suutari), Leonid Mozgovoy (major Gentsch). 117 min. In Finnish (main language), Swedish, German, and Russian, the print viewed with Finnish subtitles. Viewed at Kinopalatsi 1, 1 December 2007.

An exciting, new and bold approach at the tragic events on the Finnish-Russian border in 1918 after the Russian Revolution and the bloody Finnish civil war. The screenplay by Aleksi Bardy based on a story by Jörn Donner based on the diaries of Kaj Donner, his father, discards clichés and looks unflinchingly at the chaotic and messy reality in a turning-point of history. There is something Tolstoyan in Donner's sense of the interplay of history and the fates of individuals with their complex and divided interests. The film faces the brutality of the times both on the sides of the Reds and the Whites, the duplicity, the complicity of many, but also the nobility and the generosity whenever possible. The actors and the historical atmosphere are convincing. Lauri Törhönen's best film as a director. A film worth revisiting, one would welcome further historical films of such complexity. My favourite Finnish film of 2007. - The print viewed was from a digital intermediate with a denatured, lifeless look, which resembled weak Sovcolor prints of the 1970s.
www.raja1918.fi/

Joulutarina

[En julberättelse] / Christmas Story. Finland 2007 (c) Journalist Productions / Snapper Films. P+D: Juha Wuolijoki. SC: Marko Leino - based on the story by Marko Leino, Aku Louhimies, Juha Wuolijoki. DP: Mika Orasmaa - colour - 1:2,35. LOC: Levi, Utsjoki (Lapland), the old market square of Turku. Starring Hannu-Pekka Björkman (Nikolas), Kari Väänänen (Iisakki), Laura Birn (Aada), Minna Haapkylä (Kristiina), Mikko Leppilampi (Hannus), Mikko Kouki (Eemeli), Otto Gustavsson (young Nikolas), Antti Tuisku (Mikko). 80 min. Released by Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland, English subtitles by Janne Mökkönen. Viewed at Tennispalatsi 4, Helsinki, 1 December 2007. A fairy-tale of the childhood of Santa Claus hundreds of years ago in Lapland. Little Nikolas is orphaned at Christmas-time and taken care by the village. As a token of his gratitude Nikolas starts the habit of carving beautiful wooden toys as Christmas presents. As famine strikes, the grumpy and mean old carpenter Iisakki takes him as an apprentice. A fine modern fairy-tale without specific religious affiliations. The great and simple theme "It's better to give" is perhaps not at its most fashionable right now. - The print viewed was obviously struck from a digital intermediate, and the views of the Lapland did not look as ravishing as they could on a cinema screen.
www.joulutarina.fi/

4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile

4 kuukautta, 3 viikkoa, 2 päivää / 4 månader, 3 veckor och 2 dagar / 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days. RO 2007. PC: Mobra Films etc. D+SC: Cristian Mungiu. DP: Oleg Mutu - 1:2,35 - color [Super 35mm > digital intermediate, Kodak Cinelabs, Romania]. LOC: Bucharest. Starring Anamaria Marinca (Otilia), Laura Vasiliu (Gabita), Vlad Ivanov (Bebe). 113 min. Released in Finland by Cinema Mondo, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Arto Vartiainen / Ditte Kronström. Viewed at Maxim 2, Helsinki, 30 November 2007. - Cristian Mungiu's first entry to his proposed trilogy of "Tales from the Golden Age", bitterly ironically dealing with the 1980s in Ceausescu's Romania. It is a tale of abortion, illegal in Romania. The title refers to the stage of pregnancy of the protagonist Gabita. It is the story of the young student Gabita and her loyal friend Otilia, who experience extreme humiliation in the hands of the illegal abortionist called Bebe. Like Roy Andersson, Cristian Mungiu shoots his film in the early cinema style of long shots and long takes with minimal camera movement and cutting. It all rings true. The ultimate humiliation of Bebe's demands hits the girls hardest after the fact. The banquet scene at the home of Otilia's boyfriend conveys powerfully both the joy of others and the desolation of the young girl. The abortion seems to be an experience well-known to many. The performances are excellent. - The print from the digital intermediate is relentlessly bleak, ugly and dead, highlighting the melancholia and depression of the subject-matter. In Italian neo-realism the lively vibrancy of the cinematography was a counterforce to the depressing reality of the story.

Family Meeting

Family Meeting / Family Meeting. Finland (c) 2007 Mokul Filmi. A documentary on the 2oth anniversary concert of Wentus Blues Band. Video>35 mm. Locations: Kokkola; The Alexander Theatre, Helsinki. 83 min. In Swedish and English. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Janne Staffans. Released by FS Film. Viewed on Saturday, 3 November 2007, in Kinopalatsi 8, Helsinki.
WENTUS BLUES BAND:
Juho Kinaret (vocals, percussions)
Niko Riippa (guitar)
Robban Hagnäs (bass, background vocals)
Kim Vikman (guitar)
Pekka Gröhn (keyboards)
Mikael Axelqvist (drums)
SPECIAL GUEST STARS:
Eddie Kirkland
Louisiana Red
Lazy Lester
Mick Taylor
Kim Wilson
Sven Zetterberg
Clas Yngström
Barrence Whitfield
Omar Dykes
Eric Bibb
Documenting the blues experience that can transcend the borders of continents.

01: Intro Scoremusic: Going To The Sho
02: Moonshine
03: You Gonna Make Me Cry
04: Since I Been Loving You (feat. Sve Zetterberg)
05: I Got To Go (feat. Sven Zetterberg
06: Passenger Blues (feat. Kim Wilson)
07: Pick Up The Pieces (feat. Sven Zet Erberg)
08: Lonesome Fugitive

09: Angel Blues (feat. Omar Dykes)
10: Stop Twisting My Arm (feat. Barren E Whitfield)
11: Cyhmk (feat. Mick Taylor)
12: Intro Scormusic: Eddie Arrives
13: I Heard The Angels Singing (feat. Ric Bibb)
14: Down The Line
15: Looking For Trouble (feat. Kim Wil On)
16: Hold That Note (feat. Clas Yngströ )
17: Annie Lee (feat. Barrence Whitfiel & Eddie Kirkland)
18: Blind Willie Mctell (feat. Mick Ta Lor)
19: Backroom Delta
20: Ride On Red (feat. Louisiana Red)
21: Raining In My Heart (feat. Lazy Le Ter)
22: Biscuit Roller (feat. Clas Yngströ & Barrence Whitfield)
23: Outro Scoremusic: Great Final

Du levande / You, the Living

Roy Andersson: Du levande / You, the Living (2007).

Sinä elävä.
    SE © 2007 Roy Andersson Filmproduktion and six other companies.
    P+D+SC: Roy Andersson.
    92 min.
    Finnish subtitles by Anitra Paukkula.
    Released by Cinema Mondo.
    Viewed on Friday, 2 November 2007, at Maxim 2, Helsinki.

AA: Roy Andersson's fourth feature film in his 40-year career. His unique style has a resemblance to early cinema: long shots, long takes, no camera movement, depth of field, faces heavily made up. There is a strange pallid light in the film. Andersson's is a personal version of surrealism, with absurd things happening in mundane surroundings. One could compare his film with a collection of poems. This one has a motto from Goethe's Roman Elegies:

Therefore rejoice, oh thou living one,
blest in thy love-lighted homestead
Ere the dark Lethe's sad wave
wetteth thy fugitive foot

Andersson's observations are on the depressive side, yet permeated with humour. The audience laughed a lot, in the right places.

Sicko

Michael Moore: Sicko (US 2007).

Sicko – aivan sairasta / Sicko. USA © 2007 Dog Eat Dog Films. A documentary by Michael Moore. Video>35 mm. 123 min. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Janne Mökkönen / Ditte Kronström. Released by FS Film. Viewed on Friday, 2 November 2007, at Kinopalatsi 10. Heavy video look. There has been a backlash against Michael Moore during the last couple of years. He has been accused of fraud. As his issues are good, he should take care. I loved this film, it's a strong and provocative pamphlet on U.S. health care. For an European viewer, it's frightening. The film is so well made, one does not notice how long it is. Heavy video look I don't like on the screen, but the film is other ways very cinematic. In his sense of humour and provocation and as a character of his own films Michael Moore belongs to the great tradition of Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut. The audience reaction was strong as usually in Moore's films.

ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

During the two-year break of this diary I have seen more films than ever. Besides covering Cinema Orion, commercial premieres and various film festivals I started to take dvd seriously. In 2006 I checked some 500 dvd's, typically during long Saturday evenings, screening some two dvd's per week at the correct speed and the rest with fast-forward, paying attention to the extras. Recently I have been convinced that BluRay and HD-DVD are the perfect home-viewing formats and the first home video formats that I might consider collecting. I have no vhs or dvd collection, as I don't trust in their durability. The recent years have been those of full maturity of the dvd phenomenon with excellent transfers and editions. Comparing three different transfers of popular dvd titles the most recent ones are always evidently superior.
Yet the cinema experience is not threatened, it's something else to see a movie in the cinema. My favourite example is the Titanic: in the cinema, we are in the big ship, bigger than us; at home, at the remote control, we sink the little ship, smaller than us. In the cinema, there is a sense of space, of atmosphere, a sense of air. I was surprised recently to see some excellent chamber pieces by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and A Letter to Three Wives) in the cinema for the first time. I had seen them previously on video / tv only, and now they were different and much more intensive because of the sense of atmosphere on the big screen. There are also fine nuances that may get lost if the film is not seen on screen. And in many best films, the nuances are the point.
Unfortunately the visual standards of new cinema films are at their lowest ever because of the current practices for digital intermediates. There is a huge loss of information in current digitization. A digital image may look sharp, but it usually eliminates most of the detail that borders on the invisible. If one looks at a perfect 70mm print for instance, no single frame might be as ultra-sharp as a digital image, but instead there is a much stronger and fuller sense of life and atmosphere: air, breath, heat, dust, smoke, fog, small particles that may blur the contours. Real life is not ultra sharp and completely defined. The strength of the photochemical image is something bigger than sharpness: it can give a sensual feeling of life and infinity.