Back to the USSR

Last updated
Back to the USSR
Back to the USSR.jpg
Original Finnish film poster
Finnish: Takaisin Ryssiin
Directed by Jari Halonen
Written byJari Halonen
Jorma Tommila
Based onVampyyri eli miten Wilhelm Kojac kuoli kovat kaulassa by Jarkko Laine
Produced byJari Halonen
StarringJorma Tommila
Taisto Reimaluoto
Production
company
Mondo Furioso Filmproductions
Release date
  • 27 March 1992 (1992-03-27)(Finland)
Running time
94 minutes
Country Finland
LanguageFinnish
Budget FIM 900,000 [1]

Back to the USSR (Finnish : Takaisin Ryssiin) is a 1992 Finnish comedy drama film directed by Jari Halonen and co-written with Jorma Tommila. It is an absurd comedy about Finland's last communist (played by Tommila) and his friendship with a vampire (played by Taisto Reimaluoto) who looks like Vladimir Lenin. [1] The film is loosely based on 1971 novel Vampyyri eli miten Wilhelm Kojac kuoli kovat kaulassa by Jarkko Laine. [1]

Contents

Plot

Reima Elo, the last local communist with a reputation as a village madman, lives in a constant cycle of failure. One evening, when Reima is about to commit suicide by hanging, a man mistakenly resembling Lenin, who introduces himself as Vladimir, arrives at his house as a tenant. The guest has only a coffin with him as luggage. Reima begins to believe that Vladimir has indeed come back to life as Lenin, but only in the form of a vampire. This gives Reima a new lease of life and he decides to join Vladimir in a desperate fight against capitalism to spread the glory of communism.

Cast

Reception

The film received a mixed reception from critics. Helena Ylänen from Helsingin Sanomat describes in her review Back to the USSR as "an amazing Finnish film," continuing that "even if the film's mishmash threatens to turn into a farce only for a few moments, the film deals with big and serious issues in an animated and heartfelt way." [2] Olli Manninen from Iltalehti criticized the film, saying that "Back to the USSR is like a joke of a few sketches, the stretching of which into a feature film shows a shocking underestimation of the audience." [1] Hannu Massinen from Etelä-Suomen Sanomat thinks the film is "pointless", saying "the work is full of rubbish, which may fortunately make it a welcome target for so-called trash film worshippers." [1]

Kimmo Ahonen from Film-O-Holic gives the film a full five stars, saying in his review that "the film's farce and tragedy meet in it with a naturalness and an attitude whose uncompromisingness is still admirable and inspiring." In his review, Ahonen also praises the acting of Reimaluoto and Tommila. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarja Halonen</span> President of Finland from 2000 to 2012

Tarja Kaarina Halonen is a Finnish politician who served as the 11th president of Finland, and the first and to date only woman to hold the position, from 2000 to 2012. She first rose to prominence as a lawyer with the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), and as the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary (1974–1975) and a member of the City Council of Helsinki (1977–1996). Halonen was a Social Democratic Party member of parliament from 1979 until her election to the presidency in 2000. She also served as a minister at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health from 1987 to 1990, as Minister of Justice from 1990 to 1991, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 2000.

Ulla Koivuranta is a Finnish actress.

<i>The Boys</i> (1962 Finnish film) 1962 film

The Boys is a 1962 Finnish war drama film directed by Mikko Niskanen. It is based on a 1958 novel of the same name by Paavo Rintala. It was entered into the 3rd Moscow International Film Festival. The second lead role, Jake, was played by 17-year-old Vesa-Matti Loiri, who received the Jussi Awards certificate of honor for his role as a young actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Finnish presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Finland in January and February 2012. The first round took place on 22 January 2012 with advance voting between 11 and 17 January. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote, a second round was held on 5 February, with advance voting between 25 and 31 January. Sauli Niinistö was elected the President of Finland for a term from 1 March 2012 until 1 March 2018.

<i>Bad Luck Love</i> 2000 Finnish film

Bad Luck Love is a 2000 Finnish crime drama film directed by Olli Saarela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Toronto International Film Festival</span>

The 17th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 10 and September 19, 1992. Léolo was selected as the opening film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jari Halonen</span> Finnish director and actor

Jari Juhani Halonen is a Finnish film and theatre director, writer and occasional actor. Known as a controversial and outspoken person, his films, such as Back to the USSR (1992), Lipton Cockton in the Shadows of Sodoma (1995) and The Christmas Party (1996), have garnered a cult following while also having been met with mixed reception by critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takeover of Vanha</span> 1968 political protest at the University of Helsinki, Finland

The takeover of Vanha was an uprising by a number of students on November 25, 1968, at the Old Student House of the University of Helsinki in Finland. It occurred on the night of the 100th birthday of the university's student union. The rioters took over Vanha during the celebrations, demanding changes to the university's administration and the curriculum.

The Finnish Reform Movement, previously known as Blue Reform, was a Finnish conservative political party.

Events in the year 2022 in Finland.

<i>Eight Deadly Shots</i> 1972 Finnish film by Mikko Niskanen

Eight Deadly Shots is a Finnish drama film directed, written, produced by and starring Mikko Niskanen. Originally released as a four-part, five-hour miniseries in spring 1972, it was edited into a 145-minute movie by Jörn Donner. The film has generally been called Niskanen's "magnum opus".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorma Tommila</span> Finnish actor

Jorma Tommila is a Finnish actor. He won the Jussi Award for Best Actor in 1997 and played Aatami Korpi in the film Sisu (2022).

<i>The Christmas Party</i> (film) 1996 Finnish film

The Christmas Party is a 1996 Finnish crime comedy film directed by Jari Halonen. It tells the story of a group of four men who have previously committed a failed robbery that landed one of them in prison, and when he is released, the other members of the foursome decide to throw the biggest Christmas party ever in his honor.

<i>The Life of Aleksis Kivi</i> 2002 Finnish film

The Life of Aleksis Kivi is a 2002 Finnish biographical drama film directed by Jari Halonen, telling the story of Aleksis Kivi (1834–1872), the national writer of Finland.

<i>Lipton Cockton in the Shadows of Sodoma</i> 1995 Finnish film

Lipton Cockton in the Shadows of Sodoma is a 1995 Finnish dystopian crime film written and directed by Jari Halonen. It tells the story of a private investigator living in a near-future federal state who begins to investigate unexplained explosion deaths. The film stars Jorma Tommila.

Jumalan teatteri was a Finnish avant-garde, radicalist group of student actors from the Helsinki Theatre Academy. The group was composed of Esa Kirkkopelto and Jari Halonen, now directors, and Jorma Tommila and Jari Hietanen, now actors. Jumalan teatteri is best remembered for their experimental act at the Oulu City Theatre in 1987, where the group used fire extinguishers, raw eggs, whips, excrement, and fireworks to drive out all but one member of the audience. Police arrested the performers, and it became an internationally known scandal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Back to the USSR - Takaisin Ryssiin". Elonet (in Finnish). Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Ylänen, Helena (28 March 1992). "Peräkylän Tsekevara ja näkymätön messias" . Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Ahonen, Kimmo (15 November 2013). "Back to the USSR − takaisin Ryssiin". Film-O-Holic.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 10 September 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.