By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Imagine transporting John Wick back in time to World War II, and that pretty much sums up this movie. “Sisu” is a product of Finland and translates as stoic determination, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness. Even though this is a Finnish film, it is English speaking for the most part with very few subtitles for those who don’t enjoy reading while watching a movie.
In 1944, WWII was winding down, but the Nazis employed a scorched-earth mentality as they retreated in northern Finland, destroying and killing anything and anyone in their path. Ex-commando Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) left the war after losing his house and family, opting for a solitary existence as a gold prospector with only a cute dog and horse as his companions. When he digs up a massive gold vein, he sets out on a journey back to civilization with his riches in tow.
Aatami was content to mind his own business until he crossed paths with ruthless SS Officer Bruno (Aksel Hennie) and his company, who steal the gold and leaves Aatami for dead. Bruno fails to comprehend that this former Finnish soldier is not that easy to kill. Aatami becomes a one-man army with one objective, kill every single Nazi who stands between him and his gold, even if it means dying in the process.
“Sisu” is a straightforward action film with an extremely basic plot, broken up over roughly 15-minute chapters, with very little dialogue. In fact, Finnish born writer/director Jalmari Helander only gives his lead two lines to speak throughout the entirety of the film. Helander doesn’t disguise his motivation, which is to get to the action as quickly and frequently as possible. What ensues is a barbaric fantasy of epic proportions as he comes up with creatively brutal ways to kill Nazis that would make Quentin Tarantino blush.
Helander noted his inspiration for the film to be “First Blood,” which is obvious enough to see minus the fact that John Rambo never directly killed anyone in that movie, unlike the Aatami character. The problem is he makes this character too invincible, having him survive being shot, stabbed, exploded, hung, drowned, and dropped from severe elevations. This goes beyond a suspension of reality into the realm of a comic book hero that has honestly become tiresome. In addition, he incorporates a scene too similar to “Mad Max: Fury Road” into the climax that fizzles the ending’s impact. That being said, Helander complements the film with quality cinematography and a memorable score that makes the mind-numbing violence an enjoyable spectacle.
While the rest of the cast could only meek out lackluster, one-dimensional performances, Jorma Tommila excels in a silent role where he doesn’t say a word until the end of the movie. He reveals the nature of his character through mannerisms, subtle facial expressions, and a stare that would curl milk. Jorma puts conscious thought into every movement of his character, including how he walks, indicating old injuries and scars from his days as a soldier. He enables his character with stoic bravado that makes facing down seemingly insurmountable odds somewhat believable.
Take “Sisu” for what it is, a brainless action flick with over-the-top violence to satisfy anyone’s bloodlust craving. Like “Cocaine Bear,” this is a film best enjoyed amongst a group of friends with a beer in hand.
This movie earns:
