Kautokeino-opprøret

The Samis aren't often portrayed in films. Not even in the Nordic countries, although their history has some similarities with that of the Native Americans.

Here it's Norway in the early 1850s. The church and the tradesmen sell booze to the Sami men, but unofficial ways of Christianity saves them. This is a threat towards the destructive order and there are counterattacks, which leads to the rebellion.

The script is a little naive and Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt's overacting doesn't make it better. But the historical environment is well painted and conflicts like this one are very rare in movies.

Ever since Nils Gaup directed Veiviseren (Norwegian title. It is called "Ofelas" in samish, "Pathfinder" in English) one have awaited more of the ice cold and heart warming stuff from the filmmaker with samish (a Lappland people in Northern Scandinavia) relations.

Well, here he's back again many years after having his film Oscar-nominated. This is a different film. A true story of the Norwegian authorities suppressing the Samish minority in the most Northern part of Norway.

The film is beautifully and realistically filmed, and the acting is flawless. And Gaup has not fallen into any trap of making the story any other than it is.

It's got some of the very same feeling as "Ofelas", though set in another time. The Swedish and Danish stars playing the priests and bishops are just as you would expect them to be. Not at all understanding of the Samish peoples daily life in the hash and cold winter of Finnmark.

Nils Gaup has told that he has had plans on making this film for 20 years. Well, here it is. It'll be a price winning movie, surely. Finally another masterpiece from his hand. Enjoy the ever so sad true story! Another great Norwegian movie. There's been quite a movie revolution in Norway the latter years. What a dream come true!

"Kautokeino Rebellion" is a film that attempts to dramatize the historical events of the 1852 uprising in Norway. While the movie is visually stunning and features strong performances, it falls short in its portrayal of the actual events and characters involved.

The film presents a simplified and romanticized version of the rebellion, which can be misleading for viewers unfamiliar with the true history. The characters depicted as heroes in the movie were, in reality, deeply religious individuals whose actions were driven by their fanatic beliefs. This aspect is glossed over in the film, which instead focuses on a more palatable narrative of oppressed people rising against their oppressors.

The historical inaccuracies in "Kautokeino Rebellion" are significant. The film fails to capture the complexity of the socio-political and religious dynamics of the time. The rebellion was not a straightforward fight for justice but was influenced by intense religious fervor and conflicts within the community. By omitting these details, the film does a disservice to the true story and the people involved.

I am a relative to one of the main characters, Aslak Hætta, and it is interesting to see how he and the rest of the rebellions are depicted. The true story is far from the movie and I am a bit ashamed how positive the rebellions are described in the movie. The truth is that the rebellions belonged to a religious movement and were more or less crazy. Ruth, Bucht and Stockfleth was in real life decent people. Hæetta (my relative), Somby and the rest of the rebellions was in real life religious fanatics. I'm not very proud of being a relative to a religious fanatic who eventually became a murderer, but I still think that the story should somehow be a tad more truthful. The story is a complete falsification of a true event. It could have been a good movie showing how religious fanatics clashed with the society, but became a historical falsification instead.

In conclusion, while "Kautokeino Rebellion" is an engaging film with high production values, it should not be taken as a factual account of the events it portrays. Viewers interested in the true history of the Kautokeino uprising would do well to seek out more accurate sources to understand the full context and the real motivations behind the rebellion.

In 1852, Sami reindeer herders in the Arctic region of Norway were fed up with the Norwegian liquor industry exploiting their tendency to alcoholism, local government officials seizing parts of their herds, and a corrupt state church ignoring it all. They rioted, beating the local priest and killing a merchant and government official. The two men considered ringleaders, Aslak Haetta and Mons Somby, were tried and executed. This incidence is little-known in most of Europe, but in the history of the Sami people it is one of the few tales of resistance to pressure from their southern neighbors and has gained a sort of epic status. Nils Gaups' 2008 film KAUTOKEINO-OPPRORET (The Kautokeino Uprising) depicts this event. The main character of the film is Ellen Aslaksdatter Skum, who with her husband Mathis Haetta, was sentenced to long imprisonment. Ellen is played by Anni-Kristiina Juuso, a Sami actress best known for her role in Aleksandr Rogozhkin's 2001 film KUKUSHKA. The film is multilingual, with the Sami speaking their own language, Swedish used as a lingua franca, and Norwegian heard from a few outsiders. Mid-19th century Norway is depicted in absorbing detail, and watching the film I felt to some degree that I was sharing the challenges of the characters in the frozen north.

The film takes a few liberties with history (the whipping of the priest isn't portrayed, and the rioters are stopped by what seem to be Norwegians instead of their own other Sami neighbors. Still, it's generally factual and really inspires the viewer to go out and learn more about the event. What I really admire about the film is that it doesn't try to portray the murderers as bold defenders of national consciousness: their uprising was something of an act of blind rage and they were betraying their own Christian ideals. Other depictions of the riots, such as Launis' godawful opera "Aslak Hetta", give in to hyperbolic National Romantic feelings, but Gaups' film keeps it on the level.

What a great film! A simple story told in a powerful way. This IS what a film suppose to do. I don't know much about the Lapp/Sami people or their struggles in the past(I regret that) but you can substitute any ethnic/minority group and get a feel of the injustice that's being portrayed. Violence is almost always the product of social injustice. This is a universal stuggle between oppressed and opressor; be it a church, a state or corporation. Greed is a fire that burns all, at the end. Ars Gratia Artis "Art for the sake of Art" seems to be the motto of most films nowadays. Not this one. No offense to the artists involved in telling this story. Recommended. 10/10