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Sisu is a historical action film that is set in 1944, nearing the end of World War II. Taking place in Lapland, Finland, it revolves around Finnish Winter War veteran Aatami Korpi, and his quest to retrieve the gold he dug up from the Nazis.
And so he does. He kills an incredible amount of Nazis and does so in some increasingly violent set pieces. It’s glorious. This movie is getting compared to John Wick but in World War II and that is pretty apt but even Wick never quite quite revealed the pure cartoon-like violence of Sisu. It’s a film that knows exactly what it wants to be and if everything I’ve told you so far sounds fun, you’ll gonna give a good time.
Getting The Gold
The film starts with Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) discovering gold in a mine near a river. Realizing he just found a literal jackpot, he loads up the loot, gets on his horse, and begins his journey to the city to trade the gold in for money. Unfortunately, on the way to the city, he’s stopped by a Nazi platoon. They try to take the gold and shove a knife through one of their skulls and thus the film truly begins.
When the rest of the platoon find their squadmates dead, they begin their hunt on Aatami Korpi, vowing the acquire the gold they now know he has. The entire plot of the film from here on can best be summarised into a sentence: Nazis hunt Korpi, and Korpi kills the Nazis.
At this point, I think “John Wicke clones” can be considered their own subgenre of action movies. Like Wick, Sisu is about a legendary war veteran with a dead family and a dog that’s famous for being essentially a one-man army to the point that those in the know tremble at hearing his name. Korpi even has a Russian nickname called Koschei based on an immortal in Russian Folklore. I honestly almost thought they’d outright say Baba Yaga when they first brought the nickname up. It’s definitely derivative but it’s also good at being a John Wick-style film.
There are no big twists, character developments, or even really a main villain so it can feel a little monotonous at times but it makes up for it through our artistic carnage. The straightforward nature of the movie allows it to set up some truly spectacular set pieces and revel in the chaos on the screen.
The Wild West of World War II
A really fresh idea the movie does take it’s with the presentation. Despite being set in World War II, the film is very much modeled after old Westerns. It’s even complete with Western-style chapter intros but it all fits into the film’s aesthetic. It’s explained that the Nazis used scorched Earth tactics to deprive enemies’ forces of crops turning the European countryside into a desolate wilderness, not unlike the American desert. This applies to the action as well. Scenes have the same minimalist style of the Western, all quiet until the cowboys draw their weapons and all hell is unleashed.
The violent action scenes were a heavy part of the marketing and they are really extreme. Body parts are quick to eject from bodies and the movie has no problems showing various stabbings, gunshots, and puncture wounds in incredible detail as the fights rage on. The is backed by stunning cinematography that makes each scene truly pop and highlights the gore to an even further extent.
Mr. Korpi
If I’m being honest there’s not a lot of character development throughout the movie. Korpi himself is an almost silent protagonist, barely speaking beyond a few words here or there. That being said his actor Jorma Tommila does a great job of conveying his thoughts through body language. He can tell this guy is so done with these Nazis and won’t be taking their crap any longer. He’s old but strong and gives off an imposing figure that sells the idea that he’s less of a man and more of a living legend.
The other notable characters are the Nazi platoon leader Bruno Helldorf (Aksel Hennie) and his right-hand man Wolf (Jack Doolan). The two make for solid villain runes running after Korpi trying to get back at him for the men he’s killed. They do kinda exist to get their asses handed to them but they do a good job of showing just how strong the guy is exhausting so many attempts to kill him to little avail.
Sisu
Sisu is about as direct as a film can get. It gives you a simple plot to get you to the next violent set piece, one after the other and it’s very good at it. Like I said at the beginning of the review, this is a movie with a very clear intention: the gruesomely energic action flick about a man killing his way through a hoard of nazis. It may not be the most complex or original of writing but the high-quality execution is really what matters.
The Western-style setting makes for a unique minimalist tone that complements to violence put on screen. The action is likewise well choreographed, with the carnage dialed up to one hundred. It’s another movie that shows you just how many creative ways you can cause pain and it’s satisfying to watch. This is the simplest form of a violent action movie, and it’s overall very enjoyable.
Sisu is now screening in cinemas across Malaysia.
The Review
PROS
- Western World War II setting is unique
- Extremely gory scenes that are very satisfying to watch
- Well-choreographed action scenes
CONS
- The minimalist plot and writing won't be for everyone
