Sisu

I went to see the historical action movie Sisu yesterday because I thought the premise sounded very intriguing and I found it to be strangely satisfying (I don't know what that says about me!).  At the end of World War II the German army is retreating from Finland but they are leaving destruction in their wake by burning villages, hanging men, and taking women captive.  Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila), an old and grizzled prospector who has clearly suffered during the war, travels to the remote wilderness and, while panning for gold in a stream, discovers a large deposit.  He fills his bags with as many gold nuggets as he can carry and sets out to find the nearest town but he soon encounters a German patrol led by a ruthless commander named Bruno (Aksel Hennie) and his subordinate Wolf (Jack Doolan).  Because he knows that the war will soon be over, Bruno decides to disregard his orders and engage with Korpi in order to take his gold.  However, unbeknownst to him, Korpi is a skilled veteran who is determined to defend himself against all odds (the title refers to strength of will and determination in the face of adversity).  Carnage ensues!  This is unbelievably violent and brutal (a horse is literally blown to bits by a landmine and that is one of the tamer images) and some of the action sequences strain credulity but it is exciting and entertaining to see some thoroughly nasty Nazis get their due (the final showdown between Korpi and Bruno is awesome).  I also particularly enjoyed a subplot where Korpi helps the women who have been brutalized escape and get retribution.  The images on the screen show a desolate landscape ravaged by war but there is a stark beauty to the cinematography and the haunting score adds to that vibe.  Tommila gives a riveting performance despite the fact that there is almost no dialogue (he speaks for the first time in the final scene) because his physicality establishes the character brilliantly.  This is highly entertaining and I recommend it to those who can stomach the gore!