Säädyllinen murhenäytelmä

In 1938, the threat of war appears to have receded, but another danger looms for Tauno and Elisabet, an upper middle-class Helsinki couple with an outwardly happy and secure marriage. With the summer coming on, Tauno falls prey to a rising tide of erotic obsession. At the family's holiday home, he is smitten by the virginal beauty of the neighbours' nanny, and pens no less than 60 pages full of decadent yearnings, which his conscience then forces him to hand over to his wife. Initially horrified, Elisabet returns to Helsinki to seek the advice of Tauno's sister Naimi, herself the victim of an unfaithful, sadistic husband. The women decide that since Tauno's writings are just that - a `literary product' without any `deed' as such - Elisabet should forgive him. But Tauno, in the meantime, has moved on from words to action, and has seduced the young girl. When she falls pregnant, his conscience again forces him to confess to Elisabet, who is adamant in her refusal to accept any apology. Naimi's attempts to effect a reconciliation with her ex-husband Artur also fail, undermined by his cruelty towards her and an insanely domineering mother-in-law. Tauno's sense of guilt leads him to provide the young mother-to-be with some money, but when she dies in childbirth the following April, it is Elisabet who steps in to take on the family responsibility of caring for the baby. The comfort she derives from this appears to restore some equilibrium to her marriage. But by now it is the summer of 1939, and war is only weeks away.

This movie has a somewhat strange atmosphere. Maybe it's the language or the type of families. Prosperous, highly educated people who try to look happier than they are. Finns can't avoid noticing the perfectly articulated language that makes the characters look somehow desperate. Sticking to the strict social code of the upper class, the people seem to be unable to really communicate.

The style of the movie is slightly melodramatic. It is actually quite rare to see a Finnish movie showing the life of 1930's from an upper class point of view. Although the movie concentrates on the love-hate relationships of two couples, including an old mother not willing to let her son live his own life with his wife. Passion is the key element. Passion between people who are not allowed to show it. I guess my mother would be familiar with these kind of issues, watching all those films based on Jane Austen's books.

This movie is partly based on reality. The book was a scandal in its time, as people couldn't help recognizing some of the characters. The story of this movie itself is supposed to be fictional anyway. How realistic it is, I can not say, but I was fascinated with it. I think the movie very well shows the effects of sexual energy hidden behind social code and the disasters caused by its bursts. All basic human emotions, like jealousy, are strictly kept inside, and at the time of revenge, you can see the bitter-sweetness of the situation.

Sounds like typical romantic trash? It is not, although the movie takes advantage of the clichés of the genre. The emotions created are strong but controversial, and personally I was surprised how much I liked the feeling. There is also something quite original in the movie.

But still, I can't quite see the point. Interesting, but somehow pointless. And very skilled indeed.

Hello.

My philosophy on film reviewing is basically: the reader naturally reviews the review, and the reviewer, as much as possible, in order to assess whether they may have a similar experience. Thus, I think it important to be somewhat "gonzo" or at least revealing of character in the review. Perhaps I have already done this, and you might think this is a film for over-thinkers.

As I recall, it is a serious and seriously beautiful film.

I saw this at the film festival in Montreal, 2000, lucky, alone and 19. I think it probably best to watch films alone with a theatre about half full of suitably excitable folk. I had had A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, FIGHT CLUB, 2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY and American BEAUTY in my quiver of mind expanding cinema at that point (as I remember) but I think also probably films like THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS still, which had blown my nascent mind at 15. (I'm not sure whether it still would be great but I do want to find out) I hadn't had the rewarding ordeal of Lars Von Trier yet, but I had seen Kubrick's LOLITA, which in terms of an older man's frustrated pining for perhaps someone just a little too young does have some resemblance to part of this films plot.

Anyway, at the end of the experience I pulled myself off the seat and walked slowly up the isle towards the screen. I knew it was a special moment to be absorbed - and glad I did as who'd have thought it but it seems to be nigh impossible to find now. I mean look at the IMDb page! Even using Finnish websites I haven't found a way of getting hold of what I suspect still to be a masterpiece.

The cinematography was so beautiful, every frame, that I just had to etch the quickly fading and incredibly painted visual pieces into my retina somehow. Thinking about it now, I was to have a similar experience at a Sigur Ros concert years later. Their extended live pieces would slowly fade away whilst a sublimely tortured Will tried to hold onto the qualia, but knowing that the song needed to end, knowing that the acoustics and the moment could never really be repeated, it was a strange tortuous ecstasy.

At one point I recall this film, English name A RESPECTABLE TRAGEDY almost got silly; characters would meet in one room with their clothing just happening to match the upholstery and the hue of the hallway of the manor house - and soon later would meet again, with new clothes to match another setting. For no apparent reason other than pure aesthetic indulgence. Perhaps akin to parts of THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER. Although again, how am I to really know, being a different me, now aged 32. The only reference I could use for the experience at the time was Kubrick.

It seemed Russian to me, in the sense of the stoic and sad nature of the story. I'd not had much contact with Finnish art before or since, except some Sibelius. Since then I've really enjoyed movies from Denmark, Norway and yea, pretty much a lot of Scandinavian stuff.

It probably also had a prominent and intense score as that is what I also like in film. Unless it was silent. Where is this movie.

I just saw TREE OF LIFE yesterday which is the main reason I came to review this. Yea. I cried like an idiot.

Is the film for melodramatic, emotional, nostalgic, philosophical thinkers who see beauty and tragedy in life and like to look into the abyss every now and then but have it supernovae back in one-point perspective before turning black again and making you wonder if it ever happened at all? Possibly.

WHERE IS THIS MOVIE?! Please release this film and email me.

whyisjames@gmail.com @frabjousdei on twitter