SISU: A Modern Western Disguised As An Action Film

The trailer for Sisu sets it up to be a John Wick-style action film in the middle of World War II. I was curious, especially with the marketing promising blood by the gallons, violence, and a man and his dog who just want to be left alone. It was very intriguing to me, but I worried that (as so often happens) the hype train was already leaving the station and what we would be left with were empty promises. This isn’t the case. The movie tells us exactly what it’s going to be, and then it delivers.

Sisu begins in the middle of northern Finland with Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila), our hero and main player, hanging out with his dog as he quietly digs through the desert looking for what we can only assume is gold. Assuming is never a good thing to do, but in this case, he fairly quickly discovers a very large vein of the shiny stuff and begins to break it up and bag as much as he can. The German military is riding through the countryside, and Korpi doesn’t want to share. Of course, a group of Nazis approaches Korpi as he is planning his leave, and they pick on the wrong man. Korpi disposes of them very quickly and efficiently in a shower of blood and body parts. It’s quite beautiful.

The Good, The Bad, And The Beautiful

First of all, this isn’t an action movie. It’s okay that they told us that to get us into the theater, but what it really is, is a Western. A very over-the-top and violent, action-oriented Western, but a Western just the same. We have the lone protagonist in Korpi, who lets his actions do his speaking, always and against all odds. He might as well have been called The Stranger because he would have been right at home in A Fistful of Dollars. This film was written and directed by Jalmari Helander who did an amazing job of capturing the landscape in some very deep wide shots. Even with all the blood and gore the movie is absolutely beautiful to look at.

Not only is this film a Western but it’s also a Western novel. The movie is broken up into chapters much like a book or a Tarantino picture, each chapter title letting us know what we are in store for. Because of this style of editing and breaking the film up, there are really only seven scenes, and the way this is pulled off forces us to pay attention. It isn’t a very long movie to begin with, sitting at the current lower-budget sweet spot of 90 minutes, so getting the information to us quickly is important, and Helander succeeds.

Korpi receives the standard action movie backstory, however — he lost his home and his family to the war, so he became a force of violence who took out all his pain and torment on the Russian army who stole his life. They even gave him an action movie nickname, dubbing him “The Immortal.” One of the best lines from the movie comes when Mimosa Willamo’s character, Aino, is telling this story to a Nazi soldier, and he asks, “Do you really think he’s immortal?” To which she replies, “No, he just refuses to die.” That’s classic right there.

And Now… The Rest Of The Story

Not only are the Nazis, Nazis, but they’re also participating in some light human trafficking, having in tow a truckload of women bound for parts unknown. Led by Aino (who doesn’t seem too worried at all, if I’m being honest), the girls remain calm, all of them expecting Korpi to save the day. Of course, he does, first taking out the two guards in the back of the truck before arming the women and moving on. This leads to one of my favorite scenes in Sisu, with the women uniting and breaking bad. All they needed was a chance, and Korpi gave that to them. They prove to be more than capable of taking care of themselves, getting rid of quite a few Nazis on their own.

We learn that the Nazi commander (Aksel Hennie) is well aware that the Germans are losing the war and that it will be over soon, giving them a good reason to want Korpi’s gold so badly: so they have something to live off when things go back to some level of normal. Not everyone likes this plan, so there is a little dissent in the Nazi ranks, but not enough to make a difference. They all try their best to kill Korpi, but he’s written as being far too smart and indestructible. There isn’t anything wrong with that — he does take damage, and almost everything that happens could really happen to one degree or another (okay, maybe not the bit with the plane).

Eventually, though, Korpi and his little dog make it to the bank by way of a motorcycle and sidecar. This final scene is the entire last chapter, and it’s good to hear Korpi speak. He spends the entire movie letting his actions do the talking. I was secretly hoping he wouldn’t utter a word, but when the time comes, it really feels like the right place for him to break his silence.

Conclusion

Sisu is the thrill ride that we were all promised. It doesn’t pull any punches. It’s bloody and gory but it still manages to keep us interested and wanting to know more about the characters. It’s a popcorn movie. It doesn’t have to be Citizen Kane — it’s a Western action adventure with beautiful visuals, a cast that understands the assignment, and a director that sets out to entertain.

In today’s world of trying to turn everything into a franchise, Sisu works as a standalone film. As I say that, though, I can think of at least seven ways this could be turned into an explosive series of Western action films. Korpi is a great character, and Tommila plays him so well that I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see him popping up again. One thing I know for sure is that if he does, I’m going to be needing tickets.

Sisu is currently playing in theaters.

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