Sisu Review: Jorma Tommila’s film is a hard hitting account of Hitler era that nails the Nazis, quite literally

By Shachi Chaturvedi

Cast: Jorma Tommila, Mimosa Willamo & Aksel Hennie

Director: Jalmari Helander

Runtime: 93 mins

Ratings: 3/5

Synopsis

During the final days of the Second World War, a lone prospector meets Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the troops decide to seize his riches, they immediately realise they have encountered no ordinary miner.

Review

The film is divided into seven chapters, and it opens with a guy delving into the dirt in search of gold. Soon after, he discovers a plethora of objectives and chooses to take them someplace. Where? Go find out. Returning to the narrative, he comes across a Nazi soldier who decides to fool with him, unaware that he is none other than Koschei, the immortal.

A soldier who is said to have slain over 300 Russians on his alone. The murdering war begins from here. The tale of the Nazis vs the Koschei.

When it comes to the screenplay and plot, the well-written and executed script manages to offer goosebumps with high-octane action and a lot of dead bodies and blood. It is a touch over the top in places, but who doesn’t like watching Nazis killed?

In terms of standout performances, I have no words for this man Jorma Tommila. The way he looks, moves, and conducts himself completely convinces you that he is capable of performing some humanly unattainable tasks. The dude wins hearts with all that blood on his face and some real acting.

Mimosa Willamo plays one of the hostages held by Naziz. She excels in her job as she is able to retain her emotions and expressions throughout.

Aksel Hennie plays Naziz’s leader and he is the actual fun factor since he portrays himself as a tough guy but constantly pushes his squad members forward anytime he smells something fishy, which makes him a humorous aspect.

Take a bow, whoever did the VFX and make-up to depict the scars; everything looked so real and authentic that you were willing to take anything that was presented to you at one point.

Regarding the background score, as the film demands, there are no songs, but what a fantastic background sound effect. The complete silence and the unexpected explosion sounds send chills down your spine.

Aside from everything else, the presence of humour is admirable. Yes, you read that correctly. There are no words to describe how serious this picture is, yet how they have maintained the comic factor intact is pretty astonishing. During the most serious scenes, when you’re sulking in your chairs and hiding to avoid the blood, you get to take a breath and laugh at how something is presented to you.

Conclusion

Although there are some over-the-top instances, the film as a whole is exceptional and should be seen in cinemas.