Movies
The Violence Of “Sisu” Is Giggle Inducing
Do you love action? Do you love over-the-top violence? Do you hate Nazis?
May I introduce you to a little movie called Sisu (2023).
“When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, Nazi soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.”
Director: Jalmari Helander
Writer: Jalmari Helander
Staring: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo
Release Date: April 28, 2023
IMDB
Do you love action? Do you love over-the-top violence? Do you hate Nazis?
May I introduce you to a little movie called Sisu (2023).
Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is a very quiet lone wolf mining in Northern Finland. One day he strikes gold, in a literal sense. The gruesome looking bearded man man is on his way to cash in his valuable ore when he runs into some no good nasty Nazis. The down-on-their luck German soldiers are in retreat, knowing they have lost the war. They need something to fight for, and when they discover that Aatami is hoarding gold, their ire-filled eyes focus on his treasure.
Little do these Nazis know that they have picked a fight with a legendary and thought-to-be immortal soldier. There is no direct translation, but the Finnish call him Sisu, which means a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds.
So in a nutshell, Aatami is an all class killing machine with a personal vendetta against Nazis. What an outstanding premise for a movie.
Sisu is incredibly violent. It is incredibly bloody. It is incredibly confident in its graphic-novel style of storytelling. Sisu draws inspiration from over-the-top action like Rambo (2008) and blends its abrasiveness with quiet confidence of a John Wick-esq lead.
The stunts get more absurd as Sisu progresses along its very unimportant plot. The leader of the Nazi brigade, a man by the name of Bruno (Aksel Hennie), constantly sends his cronies into absurd situations where Aatami is waiting with whatever weapon he can find. There are minefields, underwater knife fights, motorcycle chase scenes and airplane shenanigans. Sisu is the The Expedanbles (2010), but it’s a one man army who gives nothing but evil stares.
Oh, have I not mentioned it yet? Aatami doesn’t talk. He literally says his only line of dialogue in the final moments of the movie. Jorma Tommila does a phenomenal job of depositing dread with eye movement and predatory body language. The calm that Aatami has is matched by the nerves of the Nazis who are trying to kill him. With each chapter, the see-saw of power tilts. The mental games become palpable and pulsating.
An awesome example of this Nazi terror is when Aatami basically becomes the shark from Jaws. Nazis are looking down into murky water that is becoming bloodier by the minute, and their only hints to their enemy’s whereabouts are misleading air bubbles and dead bodies rising from the water. It is just outstanding stuff.
My admiration for Sisu is vaulted because I got to watch it with my dad. My father came up for a weekend while Emma was in Australia and we capped off his three days in Connecticut watching this movie. He told me to “pick a movie Mom wouldn’t want to watch.” Well dad, mission accomplished. Sisu is not for everyone. I would say it is not for most people. You need to be able to suspend all senses of disbelief and accept that a pick ax is just as strong as an airplane.
Embrace Sisu. Embrace the warrior mentality. Sisu is not one of the better movies of 2023, but it is near the top in terms of entertainment. This is in the realm of immensely rewatchable. Thank you Sisu for fitting perfectly into my personal preference bucket. Action. Confidence. Story-telling through visuals alone. *chef’s kiss*
Before we wrap it up, it does need to be said that Sisu is not a perfect movie. It is not getting into the five star, A+ rarified air. But that is okay. The movie is still very good.
Watch Sisu!
STANKO RATING: B
Stanko Excel Lists | Movies, Books, Podcasts. TV Shows
Stanko Letterdbox Account
Ranking The Mission: Impossible Films: #7 – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023)
There is a lot happening in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. One could argue that there is too much going on.
Ranking The Mission: Impossible Films: #8 – Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Much maligned as the worst of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible II doesn’t do itself any favors upon rewatch.
Four Shorty Reactions: “MaXXXine” (2024), “Monkey Man” (2024), “Raising Arizona” (1987), “Scoop” (2024)
MaXXXine (2024) “In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.” Director: Ti WestWriter: Ti WestCast: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Halsey, Lily Collins, Kevin Bacon, Bob Cannavale, Michelle…
Stanko's Stance 
29 Comments »