November 29, 2023
FILM: FALLEN LEAVES
DIRECTED BY: AKI KAURISMAKI
STARRING: JUSSI VATANEN, ALMA POYSTI
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
There’s an obvious connection between the title of this film, the Fall season, and the two characters that we follow. Fallen Leaves first introduces us to Ansa, a woman in Helsinki who works for a grocery store throwing out expired food. She lives alone in an almost empty apartment with nothing but a radio to distract her. Sadly, most of what she hears is news of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Simultaneously, Holappa is a hired metalworker who lives with a flat mate in a small workers’ room. Holappa prefers solitude and is a genuine rule breaker: he drinks and smokes on the job. Ansa is also a bit of a rebel taking home some of the expired food for an ultimately throw away dinner. Neither of these individuals gets away with their misdemeanors but they both do what they have to do to wake up something inside of them. They’re both lost souls but then writer/director Aki Kaurismaki seems to be suggesting that the whole country of Finland is stuck in some zombie-like dead zone. There are blank faces throughout the city. It’s curious that this is the perspective while nearby Russia and Ukraine go through a much more dangerous and deadly experience.
Holappa and Ansa eventually meet in the midst of this somber environment. Yet, there is a very deadpan and humorous tone throughout the film. As a matter of fact, I would have loved to see this film with a larger audience (I saw it via a screener at home…) Clearly, the subtle humor is intentional and at times quite hilarious. At one point, Holappa’s work and roommate looks at his downtrodden friend sitting in a bar and says, “You make me fall asleep.” Holappa responds by saying he drinks because he is depressed. In fact, so seems to be Ansa and all of Helsinki. (Although the roommate does optimistically boast about his own beautiful voice as he readies for a karaoke performance.) Most of the characters have relatively affectless expressions on their faces. It’s thus not a surprise that the film Holappa and Ansa see on their first date is the zombie comedy thriller, The Dead Don’t Die. Ironically, the movie theater they go to is called “Ritz” as if this is the fanciest place in an otherwise dying city.
In fact, movies and music are the only forms of entertainment these people have to brighten their dull lives. Even though the film takes place in 2022, no one seems to have their own internet service or television sets. When the Russian/Ukrainian War becomes too much for Ansa to bare, she quickly shuts off her radio. Throughout the film there are plenty of pop songs played that clearly represent the somber inner thoughts of the characters. At one point, a bunch of guys sit around a jukebox drinking beer without saying a word to each other as a sad song blares out from the machine.
There are plenty of other film references here too, especially the work of French New Wave directors Godard and Bresson which much of this film resembles. I’d argue that the flat tone of many of these characters also resembles those we might find in a David Lynch film, such as Eraserhead, while the deadpan humor recalls that which is found throughout his series Twin Peaks.
Does all of this make for a morose experience for viewers? Hardly. It’s a pretty raw character and cultural study that does provide for some hope. Throughout the film, there are subtle shifts in the expressions on the faces of Ansa and Holappa as if they may finally be coming out of their dark periods as a result of their meeting. Interestingly, Kaurismaki also spares us some pretty significant scenes involving what could be horrific events. All of these happen off-screen and between other quieter moments between the characters. Ultimately, like sad characters in a Chaplin film, these two find something in each other that keep them both alive.
Fallen Leaves won a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year along with a Silver Hugo award for Best Director at the Chicago International Film Festival. It is also Finland’s selection to represent the film as a possible Best International Film Oscar nominee. It opens Friday in limited release including the Music Box Theatre in Chicago.
FILM: FALLEN LEAVES
DIRECTED BY: AKI KAURISMAKI
STARRING: JUSSI VATANEN, ALMA POYSTI
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
There’s an obvious connection between the title of this film, the Fall season, and the two characters that we follow. Fallen Leaves first introduces us to Ansa, a woman in Helsinki who works for a grocery store throwing out expired food. She lives alone in an almost empty apartment with nothing but a radio to distract her. Sadly, most of what she hears is news of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Simultaneously, Holappa is a hired metalworker who lives with a flat mate in a small workers’ room. Holappa prefers solitude and is a genuine rule breaker: he drinks and smokes on the job. Ansa is also a bit of a rebel taking home some of the expired food for an ultimately throw away dinner. Neither of these individuals gets away with their misdemeanors but they both do what they have to do to wake up something inside of them. They’re both lost souls but then writer/director Aki Kaurismaki seems to be suggesting that the whole country of Finland is stuck in some zombie-like dead zone. There are blank faces throughout the city. It’s curious that this is the perspective while nearby Russia and Ukraine go through a much more dangerous and deadly experience.
Holappa and Ansa eventually meet in the midst of this somber environment. Yet, there is a very deadpan and humorous tone throughout the film. As a matter of fact, I would have loved to see this film with a larger audience (I saw it via a screener at home…) Clearly, the subtle humor is intentional and at times quite hilarious. At one point, Holappa’s work and roommate looks at his downtrodden friend sitting in a bar and says, “You make me fall asleep.” Holappa responds by saying he drinks because he is depressed. In fact, so seems to be Ansa and all of Helsinki. (Although the roommate does optimistically boast about his own beautiful voice as he readies for a karaoke performance.) Most of the characters have relatively affectless expressions on their faces. It’s thus not a surprise that the film Holappa and Ansa see on their first date is the zombie comedy thriller, The Dead Don’t Die. Ironically, the movie theater they go to is called “Ritz” as if this is the fanciest place in an otherwise dying city.
In fact, movies and music are the only forms of entertainment these people have to brighten their dull lives. Even though the film takes place in 2022, no one seems to have their own internet service or television sets. When the Russian/Ukrainian War becomes too much for Ansa to bare, she quickly shuts off her radio. Throughout the film there are plenty of pop songs played that clearly represent the somber inner thoughts of the characters. At one point, a bunch of guys sit around a jukebox drinking beer without saying a word to each other as a sad song blares out from the machine.
There are plenty of other film references here too, especially the work of French New Wave directors Godard and Bresson which much of this film resembles. I’d argue that the flat tone of many of these characters also resembles those we might find in a David Lynch film, such as Eraserhead, while the deadpan humor recalls that which is found throughout his series Twin Peaks.
Does all of this make for a morose experience for viewers? Hardly. It’s a pretty raw character and cultural study that does provide for some hope. Throughout the film, there are subtle shifts in the expressions on the faces of Ansa and Holappa as if they may finally be coming out of their dark periods as a result of their meeting. Interestingly, Kaurismaki also spares us some pretty significant scenes involving what could be horrific events. All of these happen off-screen and between other quieter moments between the characters. Ultimately, like sad characters in a Chaplin film, these two find something in each other that keep them both alive.
Fallen Leaves won a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year along with a Silver Hugo award for Best Director at the Chicago International Film Festival. It is also Finland’s selection to represent the film as a possible Best International Film Oscar nominee. It opens Friday in limited release including the Music Box Theatre in Chicago.