Film Review: Sisu

As we’ve established before, I will be one of the first ones in line for a new modern action film. I love experiencing these new breeds of films and how the genre is pushed with every new production. My excitement for Sisu, written and directed by Jalmari Helander, was almost as powerful as my desire to see the new John Wick movie. From watching the trailer once, I knew I was in for a ride. That trailer excitement was nothing compared to what I witnessed. There is a nuance in the story and when you combine that with no-holds-barred action, you’ve got one hell of a movie in Sisu.

The film takes place in Finland in 1944 when Nazi Germany was on the brink of losing not only WWII but also the Lapland War, and German, Russian, and Finnish soldiers are trying to survive through what is left of the war. Sisu centers on one Finnish ex-soldier Atom Korpi (Jorma Tommila) who escaped the traumas and casualties of war to the wilderness in search of a fortune in gold. That’s when three things happened; 1 The Good: Atom found his gold, 2 The Bad: He has to find his way to civilization through the last remnants of The Lapland War with German, and 3 The Ugly, a battalion of Nazi soldiers and their vile commander Helldorf (Ansel Hennie) wants the gold for themselves. And just like that, Sisu sets off to be one hell of an adventure with multiple desperate motivations that constantly conflict begins.

It’s not an elaborate film, there aren’t many twists or turns to complicate the story. However, this does not mean that Sisu is anything less than engaging. From the beginning, you understand there is more at stake than just a man on his way to the bank. The heaviness that surrounds the Axis army, the anguish of a country fighting against two nations of power, and a man who has lost it all and who is only trying to survive out of spite saturates the film. You understand the motivation of each group, and you feel their weariness throughout. The simple-minded motivation behind Sisu is anything but simple because you also understand the consequences if either of them fails at their goal. 

This is why the choice for limited dialogue throughout Sisu is a beautiful touch. We don’t have to have monologues of exposition or complications explained. Instead, because of a minimal script we are blessed with expressive eyes filled with beaten-down spirits and understood desires through fervent body language. The words spoken were intentional, and powerful in what they represented and in what we were privileged to know. Those spoken words, which I found fascinating, were the majority in English. I believe it was more intentional than just presenting freedom from reading subtitles while watching an action war film because even in that choice, subtitles within Sisu were purposely used when Finnish was spoken at key parts. 

Dare I say the switch in the primary language of a Finnish film is due to the denoted inclusion and exclusion respectfully for all the countries involved? Scandinavians are trilingual, speaking their native tongue, English, and German. So, in my eyes, having the limited dialogue spoken be English was to show the Finnish Atom being able to communicate with the Nazis to show their understanding of each other’s predicament. I also don’t believe the English were supposed to be English, but instead German. This isn’t the first time that subtitles and languages were used in an interesting way, for The Woman King did something similar. I love how the representation of the English language has bled into the idea of a one-world nation, yet at the same time denotes the subject’s power when a foreign language is used. What’s left is the overwhelmingly poignant story that unfolds in front of our eyes. 

Mixed within that intense story is some of the most provocative action I’ve seen in a while. Sisu does not shy away from the time period and all the methods of carnage that were employed during the wars of 1944. It’s a striking blend of realistic consequences of said warfare, but also the audible gasping of exuberant gore. It’s not as poetic as some other stunt-focused genre films, but it’s also more meaningful than the action-for-action sake films. Sisu, instead, is the love child born from both of these entertaining and enjoyable film genres. When you add the spice of war, what you have is a unique take on a genre that we’ve been waiting for. The horrors of WWII have been engrained in our psyche for most of our lives, from the atrocities to the heroism, but we have not spent much time focusing on the outlying European countries and their conflicts that spurred and grew post-1944. In a way, it was refreshing to see a Scandinavian country fight through brutality to find its fearlessness. It’s also an uncomfortable reminder that this war was widespread and what caused its combat is something we should be actively avoiding not leaning into. 

Sisu is a very specific type of film. It doesn’t shy away from realistic and fantastical action sequences, yet it also doesn’t exploits those elements for fame. It’s a grounded film set in a time of historically horrific violence. It’s a fun mix of modern action with European film subtly. It may not be for the faint of heart, but its audience will love every moment of it. 

I also highly recommend seeing this film in the theater. There is nothing like experiencing this type of film with an equally enthusiastic audience. Sisu is a journey you’d want to experience with others. 

Sisu opens in theaters on April 28, 2023.

Written by Lisa M Mejia
Images provided by Lionsgate