Ariel (1988)

Directed by

Aki Kaurismäki

Genre

drama film, comedy film, romance film, art film

Country

Finland

Runtime

1h 13m

Rated

NR

Rating

7.1 of 10 from 375 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A Finnish miner loses his job when the mine closes. He travels to the city to start over, but faces a series of bad luck and crime. The film follows his quiet struggle to survive and find connection.

deadpanbleakstoicmelancholicdryly comicunderstatedquirkyslowresigned

What happens

Ariel is a 1988 Finnish drama film directed and written by Aki Kaurismäki. The film tells the story of Taisto Kasurinen (Turo Pajala), a Finnish miner who must find a way to live in the big city after the mine closes. Taisto's friend is played by Matti Pellonpää, an actor who appeared in many of Kaurismäki's early films, before his death in 1995. This is the second film in Kaurismäki's Proletariat Trilogy (Shadows in Paradise, Ariel, and The Match Factory Girl). The trilogy has been released on Region One DVD by Criterion in its Eclipse box-sets. The film is included in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list. The film was entered into the 16th Moscow International Film Festival, where Turo Pajala won the Bronze St. George for Best Actor. Kaurismäki has called Ariel his best film in his career. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

• Shadows in Paradise (1986)
• The Glory and Misery of Human Life (1988)
• The Wedding Waltz (1988)
• The Match Factory Girl (1990)
• Laura's Room (1988)
• Plainlands (1988)
• The Man Without a Past (2002)
• Night Work (1988)