The Boys (1962 Finnish film)

The Boys
Original Finnish film poster
Finnish	Pojat
Directed by	Mikko Niskanen
Written by	Mikko Niskanen, Paavo Rintala
Based on	Pojat by Paavo Rintala
Produced by	T.J. Särkkä
Starring	Pentti Tarkiainen  [ fi ], Vesa-Matti Loiri, Liisa Nevalainen, Kauko Helovirta
Music by	Einar Englund
Distributed by	Suomen Filmiteollisuus
Release date	30 November 1962 (1962-11-30)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	Finland
Language	Finnish

The Boys (Finnish : Pojat) 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. ^[1] 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. ^[2]

The story conveys the life of school boys in the turbulent period of World War II in Oulu in northern Finland. Set during the Continuation War (1941–1944) and the Lapland War (1944–1945), the young men, in the absence of their fathers who have gone to war, are fascinated by war and the German Army soldiers and dream of heroic deeds. ^[3]

Cast

• Pentti Tarkiainen  [ fi ] as Ilmari Kaarela, "Immu"
• Vesa-Matti Loiri as Jaakko Hoikka, "Jake" (as Matti Loiri)
• Uti Saurio as Paavo Harju, "Pate"
• Hannu Vironmäki as Matti Korpi
• Markku Söderström  [ fi ] as Urkki
• Heikki Rissanen as Kaaleppi (from Tuira)
• Ilkka Liikanen  [ fi ] as Martti (from Tuira)
• Martti Isosalo as Topi (from Tuira)
• Reima Eskelinen as A boy from Tuira
• Jorma Valtanen as A boy from Tuira
• Liisa Nevalainen as Jake's mother
• Kauko Helovirta as Capt. Fritz Mayer ("Uncle Fritz")
• Olavi Ahonen as Priest Pisa

References

1. "3rd Moscow International Film Festival (1963)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
2. Arto Pajukallio: Elokuvat, page D 7. Helsingin Sanomat , 2 February 2012. (in Finnish)
3. Moilanen, Harri-Ilmari (2 February 2012). "Sodan varjostama Oulu elokuvassa Pojat" [Oulu shadowed by war in the film The Boys]. Kansan Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 August 2025.

External links

• The Boys at IMDb
• The Boys at the Elonet film database (in Finnish) – includes the full film, available to stream for free