REVIEW: The Woodcutter Story – A Bizarre Finnish Film
Image: The Woodcutter Story
The Finnish production of The Woodcutter Story is one of the cinematic offerings at this year’s Scandinavian Film Festival.
Pepe is a woodcutter living in a small Finnish town. His life is perfectly happy until he becomes unemployed owing to the closure of the lumber mill. Within days his life has changed drastically but he decides to keep positive and ponders, “Who are we, what’s our purpose in life?”
And so, commences his surreal journey as he attempts to discover the true meaning of life. Murder and suicide blend in with other elements in this dark comedy that can best be described as idiosyncratic owing to the bizarre nature of the storytelling.
“This would be such a beautiful and wonderful place – we don’t understand it yet,” he confides in friends, but is he destined to learn whether there is more to life or whether he must be content with life as he knows it? Is life horrible and meaningless?
Unsuspecting movie goers who have never watched a Scandinavian dark comedy may be somewhat dumbfounded at what unfolds on the screen. As the film progresses the nonsensical and convolutedness of the story multiplies.
The peculiarity doesn’t stem from the dialogue but from the unique style of characterization and irrelevance in storytelling. One of the most notable elements that can be categorised as nonconventional is the seemingly robotic and expressionless delivery of dialogue after long pauses where all the characters in the scene collectively stare into space.
This movie is definitely not for mainstream audiences. It’s perfect alternative viewing for audiences who’d like to experience something completely different and attempt to unravel the twisted plots and underlying meanings.
★★★
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