TIFF 2022: Sisu Review

Sisu is a word that cannot be translated into English. Sisu tells audiences that it is a white-knuckled form of courage, and it manifests itself when all hope is lost. The film promises carnage, and it most certainly delivers on that promise. Set in the Lapland region of Finland, a far north, barren and cold region of the country, it begins with the image of a weathered soldier named Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila). Having left the war, he now mines for gold in the Lapland’s. The mood is directly set by a gorgeous yet ominously shot skyline which sees several fighter planes soar over his head The brooding look he gives the planes merely sets the tone for what’s to come.

A rather simple film, Sisu throws our protagonist into danger right away as the peril begins for Korpi as he comes directly in contact with a group of Nazi soldiers on his travel through the Lapland’s. They tease and they taunt, but little do they know who they are up against. The film operates on a very structured level featuring a series of chapters as each built towards the next one, each with a signifier indicating the escalation of violence and mayhem. Despite reaching the point of comic book absurdity, the film’s build up makes it feel genuinely earnest. The overstylized renditions of violence harken back to the ways in which other filmmakers who dabble in the same sort of carnage operate.

Where does director Jalmari Helander fit into this family of filmmakers? Sisu allows him to find his comfort zone. Tapping into the 1940s and the surrounding mechanics behind what is available and not available to use at that time weapons wise is key to set pieces. It’s all about what is at the disposal of Korpi as he takes on the Nazis in incredibly creative ways.

Sisu ultimately lives or dies on the strength of its lead. While Tommila doesn’t have much to show off in terms of ranging emotions or dialogue, it is his posture, stare, intensity, and of course the beard, that makes Korpi compelling. There isn’t much here for audiences to go on in terms of character progression or understanding but when there is a character whose sole purpose is to get his gold back from a bunch of Nazis and take it where he needs to get it to, one tends to not be thinking too much about his history. 

In the end, Sisu offers audiences a gory, fun, and absurd piece of popcorn entertainment that will definitely find an audience. Helander plays to the strengths of his lead star and the creativity in the carnage allow it to truly reach its highest highs.

*still courtesy of TIFF*

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Brennan Dubé

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