'Sisu' Movie Review: Bloody minded gory actioner served in Western style

Set in the 1944 ruins dotting the Finnish landscape during World War II, the film games up on brutality and violence, creating a deliriously exploitative, vicious fantasy set-up, painted in irreverence and bloody-mindedness

Film: Sisu

Cast: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Onni Tommila, Mimosa Willamo, Tatu Sinisalo, Wilhelm Enckell, Vincent Willestrand

Director: Jalmari Helander

Rating: 3/5

Runtime: 91 min

Aatami Kopri, a Finnish soldier who fought alone in World War II and single-handedly, brutally decimated more than 300 Russians(as legend would have it), subsequently abandoned the fighting to search for gold deep in the wilderness of Lapland. After finding a rich vein of nuggets he comes up against a formidable, marauding, retreating, Nazi battalion who think they can beat the legend and make history for themselves. But the Director, keeping Finnish Nationalistic pride in mind, obviously had other ideas.

The German company’s savage commander Bruno (Aksel Hennie) is wary of going back and coming face-to-face with the specter of war crimes - so when he sees gold in Kopri’s saddlebags he pounces on it as if it would ensure his safety from future punishment. Finnish women hostages, seized as sex slaves by the monstrous Nazis, are there to punctuate the legendary prophecy and seek out their own form of revenge.

Set in the 1944 ruins dotting the Finnish landscape during World War II, the film games up on brutality and violence, creating a deliriously exploitative, vicious fantasy set-up, painted in irreverence and bloody-mindedness. The body count mounts as Sisu draws the voyeuristic viewer into its designer carnage.

It’s clear from the opening credits itself, when the titular word is explained as an unbreakable determination - one that seems to even stave off death, that we are going to see a one-man army do his Rambo like surviving through impossible situations, in spite of lethal wounds and severe bodily harm, and almost-death experiences. But despite that expectation, the Director manages to throw up enough surprises to keep you glued and interested in Korpi’s legend. Writer/director Jalmari Helander plys his wares in horror genre fashion, pulling out all the stops in setting off a depraved set of action set-pieces that mainly draw it’s inspiration from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns and Sly Stallone’s Rambo series.  Tommila portrays Korpi similar to Eastwood and Stallone with barely a sound emanating from his lips.

It’s all an over-the-top genre mashup and Director Helander seems to be filling it up with episodes and interludes that valiantly cover up its thin narrative and short runtime. “Sisu” is entertaining because it keeps the narration simple by categorising it into short chapters which eschews the need for any major dialogue.  The film is outrageously nonsensical and dumb, yet supremely creative in its minimalistic dialogue and kills. Graphic gore serenades every action set-piece, high-lighting Korpi’s Houdini act from near-death scenarios. The extreme experience is accentuated by Kjell Lagerroos’ hardy, compelling cinematography, Juho Virolainen’s crafty editing, impressive stunt and FX work, and an original score from Juri Seppa and Tuomas Wainola, who evoke nostalgia from diverse influences without making it seem like a copy. This film is definitely a joyride for those who fail to cringe at any form of violence!

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