Calamari Union
| Calamari Union | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Aki Kaurismäki |
| Written by | Aki Kaurismäki |
| Produced by | Aki Kaurismäki |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Timo Salminen |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by |
|
Production company | Villealfa Filmproductions |
| Distributed by | Finnkino |
Release date |
|
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | Finland |
| Language | Finnish |
Calamari Union is a 1985 Finnish surreal comedy film[1] written, directed, produced, co-edited, and co-scored by Aki Kaurismäki. It stars numerous well-known Finnish actors and rock musicians.
Plot
[edit]15 desperate men, all named Frank, band together to escape the repressive Kallio district of Helsinki for the city's upscale seaside borough of Eira. Joined by an English-speaking man named Pekka, they sneak through dark alleys and the tunnels of the Helsinki metro, all the while avoiding the use of surnames to outsmart obstructing forces.
Cast
[edit]- Timo Eränkö (Lapinlahden Linnut)
- Kari Heiskanen
- Asmo Hurula
- Sakke Järvenpää (Sleepy Sleepers, Leningrad Cowboys)
- Sakari Kuosmanen (Juice Leskinen Grand Slam)
- Dave Lindholm
- Mikko Mattila
- Pate Mustajärvi (Popeda)
- Tuomari Nurmio
- Pirkka-Pekka Petelius
- Matti Pellonpää
- Pertti Sveholm
- Martti Syrjä (Eppu Normaali)
- Pantse Syrjä (Eppu Normaali)
- Markku Toikka
- Mato Valtonen (Sleepy Sleepers, Leningrad Cowboys)
- Puntti Valtonen (Juice Leskinen Grand Slam)
- Kari Väänänen
Reception
[edit]The film is considered to be a satirical cult classic.[2][3] Caryn James of The New York Times described the film as "gleefully absurdist", adding that Kaurismäki "takes over the American gangster film and flavors it with his improbable humor".[4] Others have drawn connections between The Saimaa Gesture and Calamari Union and the Finnish punk movement.[5]
Film references
[edit]One scene features the characters watching the 1918 film Father Sergius in a movie theater.
References
[edit]- ^ Kääpä, Pietari (January 2010). The National and Beyond: The Globalisation of Finnish Cinema in the Films of Aki and Mika Kaurismäki. Peter Lang. p. 76. ISBN 978-3-03911-966-0.
- ^ Fotheringham, Richard; Jansohn, Christa; White, R. S. (2008). Shakespeare's World/world Shakespeares: The Selected Proceedings of the International Shakespeare Association World Congress Brisbane, 2006. Associated University Presse. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-87413-989-1.
- ^ Thorsen, Isak; Andersson, Lars Gustaf (31 August 2012). Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Cinema. Scarecrow Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-8108-5524-3.
- ^ James, Caryn (23 August 1990). "Calamari Union (1985) – From Tragedy to Absurdity With Finland's Prolific Upstart". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ The Cinema of Aki Kaurismaki: Contrarian Stories. Columbia University Press. 20 August 2013. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-231-85041-4.
External links
[edit]- Calamari Union at IMDb
- Calamari Union at the British Board of Film Classification
- Calamari Union at the British Film Institute[better source needed]
- Calamari Union at Elonet (in Finnish)
- Calamari Union at Rotten Tomatoes
- Calamari Union at the Swedish Film Institute Database
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