Rosso (1985)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Mika Kaurismäki

Writers:

Dante Alighieri (monologue)
Aki Kaurismäki (monologue)

Release Date:

11 October 1985 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Plot:

Giancarlo Rosso, a Sicilian hit man, gets a job to kill someone in Finland. His new target is Maria...

Plot Keywords:

Finland | Sicilian | Road Movie | Lost Love | 1980s

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kari Väänänen	...	Rosso
Martti Syrjä	...	Martti
Leena Harjupatana	...	Maria
Mirja Oksanen	...	La Raggazza
Maija-Liisa Majanlahti	...	La cassiera di banca
Orazio Anelli	...	Il capo
Arli Fiila	...	Il padre
Liisa Kalliomaa	...	La madre
Leean Langri Jr.	...	Il commerciante di armi (as Langri Jr.)
Giuseppe Leocata
Antonio Rosalio
Giuseppe Rosario
Tauno Pollari
Matti Ahonen
Pertti Halkonen

Runtime:

76 min | Argentina:86 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Italian | Finnish | Swedish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company:

Jörn Donner Productions

Trivia:

The only line spoken by Marja is a single "Ciao" at the end.

Soundtrack:

La Traviata

A Sicilian assassin travels to Finland in search of his lost love.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Rosso is the story of a Sicilian assassin named Rosso who is paid a million Lira to kill a person in Finland. Upon arriving in the far away country, this Italian assassin finds out it is his lost love, a woman named Maria.

Rosso spends the movie, which could have been cut even from its 75 minutes, searching for Maria throughout the desolate country of Finland, running into all kinds trouble and mischief such as robbing a store, and eventually robbing a bank, during which he is shot. It is only moments before his death that Rosso winds up in a restaurant named Rosso and meets up with his lost love. He can only get out the words "Ciao Bambino" before dying.

Rosso is a melodramatic and corny movie which leaves much to be desired. There are a few movie-making scenes such as a scene in which Rosso scratches his back and his cigarette falls into his shirt. but it's not enough, and with only one plotline the movie falls short.

The direction has the Kaurismaki signature and if you are a Mika Kaurismaki fan, you may enjoy it. For the rest of you, thank heavens its only 70+ minutes long.

cheers, Timo