Sisu is a 2022 historical action film written and directed by Jalmari Helander. Set in Finnish Lapland during World War II, the film follows a gold prospector who attempts to secure his stolen gold and defend himself from a Nazi death squad led by a brutal Schutzstaffel officer. The film stars Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan and Mimosa Willamo. (Wikipedia)
S P O I L E R S
At the beginning of the movie, we are told that while there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu”, the main character will embody what sisu means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. Which seems obvious that when you break it all down, every main character needs to have determination as a key personality trait, right? It’s just that in the case of the nameless ex-commando (Tommila), this determination is taken to extremes, even to an absurd degree.
Sisu operates on the same level as visceral action movies like John Wick and Nobody, where ultra-violence is the order of the day. In these examples, which is also true here as well, the action sequences are gory and graphic but laced with a black humour that borders on absurdity, Perhaps this is the genre’s saving grace – the viewer, no matter how disturbing or repulsive the depictions of violence are, is able to laugh it all off!
Especially in the third act, the suspension of disbelief is blown out of the sky numerous times but as a satire, even the most critical viewer would be able to forgive the absurdity of our protagonist surviving a hanging, several expositions from landmine and dynamite, not to mention an actual plane crash in order to win the day! Insane!
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