MovieChat Forums > Mies vailla menneisyyttä (2002) Discussion > Weird acting

Weird acting

posted 19 years ago by necronomicon80
26 replies | jump to latest

I was just wondering if anyone besides me feels it disturbing to watch Kaurismäki's movies because he directs his cast in a very unusual way. It seems that actors are not allowed to express any emotions at all. Besides they speak really slowly and in a funnu way. Nobody speaks like that in Finland.

I am not saying that his movies are not good, the scripts are always magnificent, but I still dislike his directing methods. It may well be that you won't notice how weird these people are behaving because you do not know the language that well, but as a native speaker of finnish I can't help noticing it.

[–] macblack 19 years ago

i´m a finn too and i disagree.I think you are a young person from your post and don´t understand kaurismäki´s directing at all.

[–] hanhimak 19 years ago

3 points why the actors don't express themselves non-verbally neither via intonation.
1. It shows how big the importance of non-verbal communication is.
2. It allows the viewer to insert his own emotions there where he feels like it, therefore viewer does relate much more to the acting than if it was just like usual. The viewer has to ask, what is the emotion the actor isn't showing compared to the scene and what he is saying. This depends on the viewer, who therefore can relate to every character in the film, because no one is forcing just one interpretation of the character's feelings. Besides it creates a lot of humor.
3. It's a satiric exaguration of the blank-faced nature of Finns.

[–] PensasJack 19 years ago

Hanhimak is right, especially in the third one. Two words about weird acting in this movie: Literary Language.

[–] luxringer 19 years ago

this film is superb!

and the slow AND quiet acting is an important part of it! never seen such a humour before ... :)

BUT: What's sure, is that finns aren't like this in reality! (at least not the ones I've known so far)

------
Swedenfans come together!

[–] baadibo 19 years ago

The lack of expression, the darkness and quietness under builds an old conception of the Finnish people that we have Norwegians have. Personally a have meet people for Finland that confirms this impression and I’ve meet Finns that totally brake this. Point being that this quiet, dark personality is a part of the Finnish cultural "self-conception". For the record the Finnish people have the largest consumption at alcohol in Europe (at least one of the largest). And this movie is set some time ago, the 50's?, people wasn't that extrovert as we are today.

Besides one of the main themes of the movie is poverty, they can't really be happy then they only goal is to get food.

[–] i_stab_people 19 years ago

Actually Finns are 4th on the booze drinking scale in Europe.
First price goes to the Irish (respect)
Then come the French and the Brits are 3rd.
This is according to stats of the year 2000.

[–] vervex 19 years ago

I guess there are many reasons why Aki Kaurismäki's movies are so different from most of other movies. To start with Kaurismäki likes to simplify things very much, which i think he does very well. Also he doesn't let the actors to rehearse their roles and script, and of course they have to make their acting parts with one take. The crew are familiar with Kaurismäki's way of making movies, because Kaurismäki likes to work with people he knows.
Kaurismäki goes his own way, like it or not. I think he's very able filmmaker who's got his own identity.

[–] squelcho 19 years ago

The humour seems to be written between the lines.
The dialogue between M and Anttila is terser than any shorthand, but somehow the sublime absurdity shines through.
I've seen Brandaeur, Noiret, and Depardieu perform in a similarly lugubrious manner in a few of their more obscure movies. It takes real acting skill to express a rounded personality so fully with so few lines.
A portrayal of dignity requires little verbal explanation. Words are largely superfluous when emotions are being so beautifully expressed.
Kaurismaki plays with time and space like a vintage jazzman, and his actors allow his films to exist as he imagines them. Warm and dry.
Even Hannibal the dog seems to have read the script.

[–] lyimn 18 years ago

I'm not Finnish and I also noticed that the acting was unusual.
It wasn't something I found unpleasant though.

[–] Bubblekid 17 years ago

I am stunned and amazed by this film.

Very strange indeed but so far there have been other Finnish film that I have rated highly but offer a bleak realism.

Noi Albinoi and 101 Reykjavik

These 3 film seem to give the impression that the Finns have a very different sense of humour and outlook to here in England.

The fact that I was convinced this was made in Eastern Europe several decades ago is proof that this film is very clever.

The oddest thing is when they shake hands (his solicitor and the new boyfriend) - they just shake and walk away square to each other which is just odd.

Great film!

[–] mikainen 17 years ago

Noi Albinoi is Icelandic and so is 101 Reykjavik.

[–] Bubblekid 17 years ago

Du er en lort

[–] mikainen 17 years ago

"Du er en lort"

Well, come and get me then.

[–] dreadpirate2 17 years ago

I saw part of this movie earlier today. The person I borrowed it from said it was a serious drama, so I guess that's why I found the tone a bit confusing (to say the least). I'll have to start the movie over.

I did accidentally kill her father when I went to pick her up for the first date. AWKWARD!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dreadpirate2 17 years ago

Well if you were waiting with bated breath to find out whether I "got" the movie, I'm happy to say that I did. A lot of the humor consists of borderline-nonsensical exchanges (like, "I thought you couldn't talk." "I can. I just didn't feel like it," or something to that effect). So 10 minutes in, I was pretty confused, and went to ask the internet for help. Once it was confirmed that this is a comedy (I realize that it says so on the DVD cover, but I didn't see that until later), I was able to get into all the irony and Brechtishness.

So, new viewers, take note: Irony (lots and lots). Self-conscious movie-ness (such as pat resolutions and improbable subplots). Distancing the audience (dialogue is overly enunciated, for instance). Deadpan delivery of ridiculous lines. I hope that doesn't make this sound boring, because it's a very funny and enjoyable movie.

Oh, and thanks for the background info, although it sounds like the recent Turner Classic Movies ads :) I finished watching the movie before I read it, but I do think your post would be a helpful place to start for people interested in watching this movie.

I did accidentally kill her father when I went to pick her up for the first date. AWKWARD!

[–] cantfoolmedennis 17 years ago

I only know 1 Finn, and the people in this film aren't like her. Watching it just now, my mum thinks the acting is just crap, but I just find this film so strangely funny, and the acting emphasises it.

[–] mac_alain 15 years ago

Watching it just now, my mum thinks the acting is just crap...

The acting is anything but crap. Watch the actors faces - especially Kati Outinen's - and keep watching their faces.