The euphoric feeling one derives from the simplest of life's pleasures assuredly would always be either ethereal or bestial in origin. And for most people who do not give much thought to such notions, including the titular character as seen in the film itself, it abruptly comes, and the awareness lands like a sucker punch, especially when one realizes it much later rather than sooner.
A candid but earnest early 1960s period piece about a Finnish prizefighter Olli Mäki is a straightforward retelling of his venture to challenge the then-current world featherweight champion, the legendary American Davey Moore. The unembellished details laid out all from his drudging routine in getting himself match-fit to dealing with the media publicity that follows him to placating fight promoters and sponsors too excited in hosting the world championship title fight in Helsinki. The pressure mounts, but that impertinent Cupid always has other plans that benefit an unorthodox sporting narrative.
In the pantheon of great boxing films, this Kuosmanen film debut deserves its place alongside the Scorsese masterpiece. Overall, it is like a buoyant but never cloying folksy ballad to Raging Bull's rueful and tempestuous classical. Quite an excellent contrast.
The interplay between the acting trifecta is just as comparable. The LaMotta biopic showcases the boisterous performances of Moriarty and Pesci that balances that of De Niro's unbridled magnificence in his scorching depiction of the Italian brawler. The reservedness portrayed by an astounding Lahti as the reluctant sporting national hero, on the other hand, exudes an aloofness that subtly draws a perceptive viewer to him instead of being repelled. Inspired performances from Airola and Milonoff as his girlfriend and his coach, respectively, both serve as the bedrock of his existence, complements him with their support that has that refreshing hint of insouciance.
Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, the operatic theme that figures predominantly as the main anthem in the Scorsese biopic, intensifies the melancholy and effectively softens the dire but sporadically turbulent narrative non-diegetically. The Finnish film, though, has an upbeat jazzy-brassy tune in its opening and closing credits by the Ykspihlaja Cinema Orchestra, a group to which the romantic female lead Airola also belongs.
Even though for a boxing film that only tangentially deals with the historical sporting bout in its pivotal center, it is in the things that sidetrack the athlete's focus that the film delves in, seeing the beauty and wisdom in the banality and the constant turmoil of obligations versus scruples. The scenes logically transition from one to the next despite a somewhat bumpy start that goes more smoothly as the story progresses. The director's logical use of that marvelously crisp black-and-white photography makes sure the audience concentrates on the character's contemplation and gaze. An artistic decision that serves Raging Bull as well, but that one is to accomplish the opposite as far as the gaze is concerned.
And quite befitting for the film to end by having the real-life couple whose story has just unfolded walk past their cinematic counterparts. It is quite a sumptuous dessert, especially for those already numbed by a constant diet of world-weary content despite its seeming prosaicness. It is a very much welcome antidote to cynicism seasoned with that intrinsically Finnish dry humor.
In rating this beta guy boxing film, this deservedly gets an alpha.
