Ariel (1988)

A Finnish man goes to the city to find a job after the mine where he worked is closed and his father commits suicide.

Director:

Aki Kaurismäki

Writer:

Aki Kaurismäki

Stars:

Turo Pajala, Susanna Haavisto, Matti Pellonpää

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Turo Pajala	...	Taisto Kasurinen
Susanna Haavisto	...	Irmeli
Matti Pellonpää	...	Mikkonen
Eetu Hilkamo	...	Riku
Erkki Pajala	...	Kaivosmies
Matti Jaaranen	...	Pahoinpitelijä
Hannu Viholainen	...	Apuri
Jorma Markkula	...	Prikkamies
Tarja Keinänen	...	Nainen satamassa
Eino Kuusela	...	Mies rannalla
Kauko Laalo	...	Asuntolanhoitaja
Jyrki Olsonen	...	Mies Asuntolassa
Esko Nikkari	...	Autokauppias
Marja Packalén	...	Tuomari (as Marja Packalen)
Mikko Remes	...	Vankilalääkäri

Storyline

The movie tells the story of Taisto Kasurinen, a finnish coal miner whose father has just committed suicide and who is framed for a crime he did not commit. In jail, he starts to dream about leaving the country and starting a new life. He escapes from prison but things don't go as planned...

---

Plot Keywords:

shooting oneself | miner | suicide | single mother | prison | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Aki Kaurismäki wrote the script over a weekend.

---

Goofs

Kasurinen lights a cigarette in an early cafe scene. When he enters the toilet eight seconds later, it is half consumed.

---

Quotes

Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: Will you disappear in the morning?
Taisto Olavi Kasurinen: No, we'll be together forever.
Irmeli Katariina Pihlaja: Good. I start work early. Good night.

---

Connections

Features High Sierra (1941)

---

Soundtracks

Muistojeni tango
Composed by Reino Markkula
Written by Sauvo Puhtila
Performed by Olavi Virta

User Reviews

Detail matters

This is the second Aki Kaurismäki film I have seen.The first one was 'The Man Without a Past. After enjoying that a lot, I decided to watch the other movies of Kaurismaki, because I believe he is very good in expressing the 'life' through the simple daily life events or talks. When I watched Ariel, the first thing I noticed was, as in the previous movie, the characters don't speak much, but when they speak they are concise and to the point. The relationships start very abruptly and different from what is normally expected, but all of them end up being loyal and caring. With the beginning of the journey of the miner (Kasurinen) to the south by a convertible car, the movie also starts to present its comedy, romance, action and drama. Kasurinen keeps his calmness through all that happens to him and in the end he achieves his goal. I can recommend this movie to those who like details .

Details

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Release Date:

October 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ariel

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Villealfa Filmproductions, Finnish Film Foundation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1