I watched this as tribute to the main actress - Ritva Vepsä - having just died (this year, 2016); but, unfortunately it didn't do her much justice from a film that presumably is a critique of daft oppressive Finn pornography laws of the time - e.g. as in closing scene, she (Ritva) lets unwind a spool of a porn film into the ocean from the deck of their ferry taken by its 'director' (the film's real director, Jorn Donner himself) to escape the law pursuing him to prosecute for making such likely offensive smut! Albeit only of a couple merely mostly canoodling, although, true, at the filming of it on an island retreat, much is made of the filmmakers - so, including director Donner himself, OK? - uncertain whether if, in a spontaneous no doubt 70's shocking '69' maneuver, anything of the chap's, ah, 'excitement' can be seen! (Of which, we'll return to this aspect of uplifting pornographic 'portrayal' again, later
.)
Anyway, she - Ritva - is one woman ("naiset") 'portrayed' as an initially uptight, won't put out, frigid misery e.g. initially singularly (literally and rightly so) unimpressed by Donner the director, even having to resist his taxi backseat drunken gropings, yet eventually, soon so smitten by him (somehow) after he does bed her, that she instantly now sees him as her ideal marriage partner; And that is just after he's already 'conquered' another 'nainen' = woman 'portrayed', now the married woman, his best mate (Jussi)'s wife (the gorgeous dark eyed Kirsti Wallasvaara) - and mind, that after they have offered him a place to stay - (no less) .. and just as it goes, of whom after confiding that they (his best mate and his wife) no longer get it on, yet she still she seems quite unfazed when she instantly falls pregnant! And what's more, this accommodating best mate also still seems rather more impressed by his mate's (=Donner) stud reputation ...
So to me (as a foreigner to Finn peccadilloes) this seemed more of an ego project for director Donner directing his own Lothario character and on his character's mysterious directorship charm as from (admittedly English subtitled) I could only discern that he's directed - and presumably likewise to the ladies - 'portrayed' himself (as also screenwriter) as a bumbling, inchoate dunderhead, loser, yet still mysteriously charmingly all conquering of Finn 70's females so, er, 'portrayed' - by him! Even latterly, being he's a 'porn' director, in another female 'portrayal', now the 'porn' (although seemed read rather 'canoodling') actress, is - well, you could guess it, of course, au naturel (to the 'business' being filmed) - also, routinely, (over)taken by his 'director's charm.
Ah, but soft (or rather 'hard!) for soon, the 'unbelievable' (uskomatonta'!) reason as to perhaps why all these women would be 'portrayed' to be so bowled over by this apparent otherwise out and out dimwit, pops, er, 'up' in one astonishingly (for early 70's mainstream films) with an amusingly egocentric long shot of his naked embrace with the late Ritva, presumably to, ah, 'reveal' no doubt to audience appreciation, the answer to why all these women are 'portrayed' as so suddenly so enamoured of his bedding prowess, with a 'look at me (er, 'mine'!) his own manhood pertly 'portrayed' prepared for the ladies, up erect - and for several seconds at that, too!
Mmm; yes, wow, impressive 'portrayal' Jorn unlike this film.
Which is not: but rather 'dick' like total bollox:
even more so if supposedly 'portraits' ("kuviat") of Finn women, then a sorry impression on their integrity so 'portrayed' in it!
Although, it was the 70's and, of course, since I've not grown up with Finnish culture awareness, so perhaps it's all rather that clever Finnish irony (à la the fellow Finn compatriot director Kaurismaki style).
Otherwise: quite, quite, tawdry.
Made me think Ritva had the right idea in that ferry scene and wish that the law had caught up with him and had this mess adjudged condemned for destruction, too.
Anyway, she - Ritva - is one woman ("naiset") 'portrayed' as an initially uptight, won't put out, frigid misery e.g. initially singularly (literally and rightly so) unimpressed by Donner the director, even having to resist his taxi backseat drunken gropings, yet eventually, soon so smitten by him (somehow) after he does bed her, that she instantly now sees him as her ideal marriage partner; And that is just after he's already 'conquered' another 'nainen' = woman 'portrayed', now the married woman, his best mate (Jussi)'s wife (the gorgeous dark eyed Kirsti Wallasvaara) - and mind, that after they have offered him a place to stay - (no less) .. and just as it goes, of whom after confiding that they (his best mate and his wife) no longer get it on, yet she still she seems quite unfazed when she instantly falls pregnant! And what's more, this accommodating best mate also still seems rather more impressed by his mate's (=Donner) stud reputation ...
So to me (as a foreigner to Finn peccadilloes) this seemed more of an ego project for director Donner directing his own Lothario character and on his character's mysterious directorship charm as from (admittedly English subtitled) I could only discern that he's directed - and presumably likewise to the ladies - 'portrayed' himself (as also screenwriter) as a bumbling, inchoate dunderhead, loser, yet still mysteriously charmingly all conquering of Finn 70's females so, er, 'portrayed' - by him! Even latterly, being he's a 'porn' director, in another female 'portrayal', now the 'porn' (although seemed read rather 'canoodling') actress, is - well, you could guess it, of course, au naturel (to the 'business' being filmed) - also, routinely, (over)taken by his 'director's charm.
Ah, but soft (or rather 'hard!) for soon, the 'unbelievable' (uskomatonta'!) reason as to perhaps why all these women would be 'portrayed' to be so bowled over by this apparent otherwise out and out dimwit, pops, er, 'up' in one astonishingly (for early 70's mainstream films) with an amusingly egocentric long shot of his naked embrace with the late Ritva, presumably to, ah, 'reveal' no doubt to audience appreciation, the answer to why all these women are 'portrayed' as so suddenly so enamoured of his bedding prowess, with a 'look at me (er, 'mine'!) his own manhood pertly 'portrayed' prepared for the ladies, up erect - and for several seconds at that, too!
Mmm; yes, wow, impressive 'portrayal' Jorn unlike this film.
Which is not: but rather 'dick' like total bollox:
even more so if supposedly 'portraits' ("kuviat") of Finn women, then a sorry impression on their integrity so 'portrayed' in it!
Although, it was the 70's and, of course, since I've not grown up with Finnish culture awareness, so perhaps it's all rather that clever Finnish irony (à la the fellow Finn compatriot director Kaurismaki style).
Otherwise: quite, quite, tawdry.
Made me think Ritva had the right idea in that ferry scene and wish that the law had caught up with him and had this mess adjudged condemned for destruction, too.
