Täällä Pohjantähden alla (1968)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Edvin Laine

Writers:

Matti Kassila (writer)
Edvin Laine (writer)

Release Date:

September 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Plot:

Täällä Pohjantähden alla is based on the book with the same title. It is a story of the little village...

Plot Keywords:

Civil War | Tenant Farmer | Finnish | Finland 1918 | Sequel

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Aarno Sulkanen	...	Akseli Koskela
Titta Karakorpi	...	Elina Koskela
Risto Taulo	...	Jussi Koskela
Anja Pohjola	...	Alma Koskela
Kalevi Kahra	...	Adolf Halme
Rose-Marie Precht	...	Ellen Salpakari
Matti Ranin	...	Lauri Salpakari
Mirjam Novero	...	Anna Kivivuori
Kauko Helovirta	...	Otto Kivivuori
Maija-Leena Soinne	...	Aune Leppänen
Paavo Pentikäinen	...	Aku Koskela
Tuula Nyman	...	Elma Laurila
Pekka Autiovuori	...	Oskari Kivivuori
Kaisu Leppänen	...	Töyryn emäntä
Martti Järvinen	...	Ilmari Salpakari

Also Known As:

Here Under the Northern Star (International: English title) (informal literal title)

Runtime:

Finland:182 min (TV version)

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Finland

Company:

Fennada-Filmi

Movie Connections:

Version of Täällä Pohjantähden alla (2009)

Soundtrack:

Akselin ja Elinan häävalssi

Finnish history in a moving picture

Täällä Pohjantähden alla (1968) tells the history as it happened.The story starts from the 1890's and later it moves to the year 1918.That was the year of the civil war in Finland.The Red Guard and The White Guard are the two sides and they start brutally killing each other.The movie concentrates on the side that lost, The Reds.It shows us The Koskela family with the hardworking tenant farmer Jussi (Risto Taulo) as the head of the family.His wife is Alma (Anja Pohjola).Paavo Pentikäinen is August and Eero Keskitalo is Aleksis.The main part has been given to Akseli Koskela, who's brilliantly played by Aarno Sulkanen.The movie is based on the first two books of the novel trilogy written by Väinö Linna.It was directed by Edvin Laine just like other Linna novel Tuntematon sotilas.There are also some actors who were in both of those movies.There are Matti Ranin (Lauri Salpakari), Veikko Sinisalo (Anton Kustaa Laurila), Kaarlo Halttunen (Preeti Leppänen), Olavi Ahonen (Lauri Kivioja), Kosti Klemelä (Rural police chief), Mikko Niskanen (Military judge) and Tapio Hämäläinen (E.Hellberg).Other names in the movie include Titta Karakorpi (Elina Koskela), Kalevi Kahra (Tailor Adolf Halme), Rose-Marie Precht (Ellen Salpakari), Kauko Helovirta (Otto Kivivuori), Elsa Turakainen (Henna Leppänen), Juhani Kumpulainen (A.Mellola), Asta Backman (Emma Halme), Heikki Kinnunen (Valenti Leppänen), Helge Herala (Vihtori Kivioja), Jyrki Kovaleff (Aadolf Heino), Ville Salminen (Granlund), Arvo Lehesmaa (Jalmari Kolu) and in smaller parts Katriina and Marjatta Rinne and Eila Roine.Matti Kassila is the narrator and he was also writing this movie.Each and every one of the actors does a great job.The movie is in many parts touching.It hurts to watch all that brutal killing, the executions.But then there's also the beautiful love story of Akseli and Elina.The beautiful tunes of 'Akselin ja Elinan häävalssi' can be heard in some parts.Täällä Pohjantähden alla is an important movie.It shows us the phase of history that should not be forgotten.