It's a long film - too long some might say, including to some extent me - but I'll be brief.
Under the North Star, based on Väinö Linna's novels is the first of two films dealing with Finland's civil war, contemporary with but not really a part of World War One.
The story begins way before that, however, as farmer Koskela gets permission to turn a marsh on the congregation's property into farmland, and succeeds through uncomplaining hard work. The years pass and his children grow up in a world where class struggle is starting to become a buzzword. All the farmers in this beautiful land of birch forests, lakes and fields may at short notice be evicted by the owners of the land, but the village's local socialist Halme does his best to implement change in a peaceful manner. Others, including Koskela's oldest son Akseli, have no illusions about how to force change down the throats of the lucky few.
There's war and lots of cruelty to be found in this film, but also the patience to thoroughly present the place and the characters before that. The cinematography and music suit the story's slow, serious arc and it's apparent that a lot of effort and, for a Nordic production, money have been put in the film.
It's worth seeing, though not exactly uplifting, especially for those interested in history and politics.
