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IMDbPro

Ariel

  • 1988
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 12m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
9.3K
YOUR RATING
Ariel (1988)
Dark ComedyComedyCrimeDramaRomance

A Finnish man goes to the city to find a job after the mine where he worked is closed and his father commits suicide.A Finnish man goes to the city to find a job after the mine where he worked is closed and his father commits suicide.A Finnish man goes to the city to find a job after the mine where he worked is closed and his father commits suicide.

  • Director
    • Aki Kaurismäki
  • Writer
    • Aki Kaurismäki
  • Stars
    • Turo Pajala
    • Susanna Haavisto
    • Matti Pellonpää
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    9.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Aki Kaurismäki
    • Writer
      • Aki Kaurismäki
    • Stars
      • Turo Pajala
      • Susanna Haavisto
      • Matti Pellonpää
    • 29User reviews
    • 36Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination total

    Photos61

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    Top cast38

    Edit
    Turo Pajala
    Turo Pajala
    • Taisto Kasurinen
    Susanna Haavisto
    • Irmeli
    Matti Pellonpää
    Matti Pellonpää
    • Mikkonen
    Eetu Hilkamo
    • Riku
    Erkki Pajala
    • Miner
    Matti Jaaranen
    • Mugger
    Hannu Viholainen
    • Accomplice
    Jorma Markkula
    • Man at the Gate
    Tarja Keinänen
    • Woman in the Harbor
    Eino Kuusela
    • Man on the Beach
    Kauko Laalo
    • Dormitory Manager
    Jyrki Olsonen
    • Man in Dormitory
    Esko Nikkari
    Esko Nikkari
    • Car Dealer
    Marja Packalén
    • Judge
    • (as Marja Packalen)
    Mikko Remes
    • Prison Doctor
    Tomi Salmela
    Tomi Salmela
    • Guard
    Reijo Marin
    • Guard
    Heikki Salomaa
    • Guard
    • Director
      • Aki Kaurismäki
    • Writer
      • Aki Kaurismäki
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews29

    7.49.2K
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    Featured reviews

    chaos-rampant

    Everything Kaurismaki worked towards in his career up to that point

    There's something that seems deeply contradictory to the very nature of Kaurismaki's stuff - cinema which at the same time invites the viewer to pay closer attention while shunning him with his trademark apathy and deadpan humour. His characters appear hard, untearful and unselfpitying, their sentiments hermetically sealed behind glacial walls of Finnish unfeeling, yet behind the expressionless mask burn desire and pathos, the truly human stuff. It is not about negation, though it may seem so at first.

    Everything Kaurismaki worked towards in his career up to Ariel is brought to a glorious, brilliant blooming here. Composition, shot selection, framing and lighting, everything clicks together to form a cinematic language that threatens to burst at the seams with meaningful restraint. Restraint in which silence communicates. His mastering of the craft so much perfected that dialogue becomes largely irrelevant. There are few lines and they appear to be utilized as a stylistic manner, short and delivered with deadpan unaffection, more than exposition.

    Indeed Ariel is a movie mostly told in a visual manner, built upon scene by scene, in a steady and hypnotic succession not concerned with reaching emotionally draining highs and lows as much as with building an unbreakable rhythm of its own. And so it does, to the point that a 69 minute movie appears to last much longer, without outstaying its welcome.
    7emreyav3

    Detail matters

    This is the second Aki Kaurismäki film I have seen.The first one was 'The Man Without a Past. After enjoying that a lot, I decided to watch the other movies of Kaurismaki, because I believe he is very good in expressing the 'life' through the simple daily life events or talks. When I watched Ariel, the first thing I noticed was, as in the previous movie, the characters don't speak much, but when they speak they are concise and to the point. The relationships start very abruptly and different from what is normally expected, but all of them end up being loyal and caring. With the beginning of the journey of the miner (Kasurinen) to the south by a convertible car, the movie also starts to present its comedy, romance, action and drama. Kasurinen keeps his calmness through all that happens to him and in the end he achieves his goal. I can recommend this movie to those who like details .
    10crankduran-1

    "No, we'll be together forever." ...Taisto :-)))

    I saw my first Kaurismäki movie (Man Without a Past) a year ago and have seen and now own most of them. I love them all and watch them over and over, but Ariel is one of my favorites. The dark humor and irony is great, with all the usual elements of suicide, big, old American cars and cool music throughout, ending with the very appropriate "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in Finnish. All of Kaurismäki's movies demand every second of your attention or you will not "get it" and every time I watch one again, I notice something else. As to the gloom and doom, my Finnish friends tell me not to believe that Finland is truly as depicted here. :-))) I love the relationships: not gushy or fake, but faithful and just plain sweet. It seems much is understood without words and that's the way this movie is.
    9ozdavidson

    You Won't Be Harshed

    Something of a small masterpiece, Ariel is reminiscent of Robert Bresson's L'Argent and Werner Herzog's Stroszek in its restraint and progressively doleful turn of events. But cheer up! This is not your ordinary mellow harshing Euro fare. Yes, there is unemployment, yes there is suicide, yes there is great injustice and inhumanity. It would be dull to only speak of a film's pleasing, peaceful moments, and they are to be found here too. You get the whole symphony here, handled with a light touch and delivered in a neutral, understated fashion.

    This film won't assault your senses, but subtly it will begin to work its charm. This arises through the minimal dialogue, expression, and simplicity of the mis en scene. As with most minimalism, small details and moments accumulate at story's end, which creates a very rewarding effect. Kaurismaki understands the power of evenhandedness and understatement. I hope he charms you as he has charmed me.
    7mjneu59

    deadpan Finnish art-house humor

    This 1988 feature from Finland's answer to Jim Jarmusch is a deadpan shaggy dog comedy charting the downfall and redemption of an unemployed mine worker, over several tentative episodes constructed not unlike a series of false starts. It begins, initially, as something like a road film; begins again as a romance; then begins yet again as an underworld crime drama, before finally ending in what could be just another prologue (which would make the entire film one large, elaborate tease). Kaurismaki's wayward hero is, like the scenario itself, pleasantly reticent; there's something undeniably disarming about the way he simply drifts from one predicament to another, even if the total effect makes each scene difficult to recall in detail afterward. It may not amount to much, but after a summer full of over-hyped, mega-budget, wannabe blockbusters Kaurismaki's economical humor is hard to resist.

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Aki Kaurismäki wrote the script over a weekend. Kaurismäki has called Ariel his best movie.
    • Goofs
      Kasurinen lights a cigarette in an early cafe scene. When he enters the toilet eight seconds later, it is half consumed.
    • Quotes

      Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: [Taisto and Irmeli have just been on their first date] It's dark. Want to come up?

      Taisto Olavi Kasurinen: If its not too much trouble.

      Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: Coffee's all I've got.

      Taisto Olavi Kasurinen: Coffee's fine.

      Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: I'm divorced.

      Taisto Olavi Kasurinen: Don't let it get you down.

      Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: I've got a kid too.

      Taisto Olavi Kasurinen: Gives us a head start raising a family.

      Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: Are you always so confident?

      Taisto Olavi Kasurinen: No, this is my first time.

      Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: Just don't make any noise.

      Taisto Olavi Kasurinen: No one will even suspect.

      Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: Really? I hope I won't regret this.

    • Connections
      Featured in Selección TCM: Aki Kaurismaki (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Muistojeni tango
      Composed by Reino Markkula

      Written by Sauvo Puhtila

      Performed by Olavi Virta

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    FAQ

    • How long is Ariel?Powered by Alexa
    • Who is depicted in the portrait which Taisto steals and hangs by his bed?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 30, 1989 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • Finland
    • Language
      • Finnish
    • Also known as
      • Ariel - Abgebrannt in Helsinki
    • Filming locations
      • Helsinki, Finland(city)
    • Production companies
      • Villealfa Filmproductions
      • Finnish Film Foundation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 12 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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    Ariel (1988)
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