(Aki
Kaurismaki/1990/Finland)
The final
part of Kaurismakis Proletariat trilogy sees him redeploy the
brilliant Kati Outinen as lead actress in what is his most
unremittingly miserable movie. The match factory girl in question,
Iiris, moves through the film passively experiencing the drudgery of
her daily grind and a series of unfortunate humiliations. Unlike his
previous movies there is very little humour thrown at the situations
so the despair is relentless but also entrancing. Having waxed
lyrical about the salvation from despair found in love and kindness
in the earlier parts of the trilogy this final chapter examines the
consequences of unrequited love and the devastating effect on the
soul. That devastation is illustrated through Iiris’ actions in the
latter stages of the movie. There is no let up to the bitter end but
as bludgeoning bleak as it is it still grips you with a kind of
mesmeric existential horror.
(4/5)
No comments:
Post a Comment