Primarily known for his theatrical achievements, the Finnish-Swedish Ralf Långbacka dove deep into Finnish and especially regional Tavastian essentialities in his only feature film. Based on the collaborative play of Bertolt Brecht and Hella Wuolijoki, the story follows alcohol-prone landowner Johannes Puntila (Lasse Pöysti) as he attempts to manage his duties with the aid of his socialist chauffeur Matti (Pekka Laiho). At the same time, he’s trying to get his daughter Eeva (Arja Saijonmaa) married to attaché fop Eino Silakka (Martin Kurtén), though Puntila’s attitude towards the groom-to-be fluctuates according to his state of intoxication.
As an ode to the Finnish summer, the film’s mood perfectly suits Sodankylä. Beginning at the church of Hollola, a montage and an ironic narrator introduce the history of the Puntila estate and its inhabitants in the Prohibition era of the 1930s, before transitioning into a more theatrical style. The film follows Puntila’s destructive drinking binges and womanizing and the burgeoning relationship between Matti and Eeva. Pöysti was awarded the Jussi prize for his phenomenal performance as the archetypal Finnish man: jovial when drunk but mean when sober. The boozy folk comedy also addresses the Brechtian class divide between the plight of the workers and their relationship with the landowners. Ultimately, man becomes his own master!
Tuomo Marttila