Drifting Clouds (Finnish; 1998)
Written and Directed: Aki Kaurismaki
This modern world is only for the young, the well-heeled and the spendthrift. It is not interested in the older population who are less productive and tend to be miserly in their spending habits. The world revolves around generating economies, increasing debts and squeezing everyone out of their hard-earned money with the promise of giving them that elusive thing called happiness. Sure, there are avenues for one to make a living. It is hampered, however, by enslaving people to the bondage of their jobs. There is no leisure and no time to savour the fruit of their labour. At the same, people have to fulfil their biological purpose of existence and to bear the baggage that it brings, sweat, blood, tears, death and much more.
Big corporate firms are only interested in the big players with big capitals. Little people with only determination and tenacity as their collateral do not excite them. At the end of the day, it is only human relationships that save the day when the state fails.
This minimalist film is a melancholic one with its own quirky moments. It tells the story of a couple aged around the late thirties/early forties who had both lost their job. The economy is slow, and retrenchment is the order of the day. With a background sadness of losing their toddler (we are not told when and how), they battle unemployment, disappointment with securing jobs, humiliation and helplessness as they are denied finances and are told off to be old.
Even though the movie was made in the late 90s, the film has a retro mood setting with its jazzy and 60s rock-and-roll musical score. The cold Scandinavian climate set the perfect mood for the melancholia that hung throughout the film.
I was told most of Kaurismaki's takes are single takes, and the actors had to give their one and only best shot at the camera. The acting appears robotic at times, but apparently, that is the director's signature which augments his own sense of humour.
Credit: https://www.facebook.com/cinephilia.my/
Written and Directed: Aki Kaurismaki
This modern world is only for the young, the well-heeled and the spendthrift. It is not interested in the older population who are less productive and tend to be miserly in their spending habits. The world revolves around generating economies, increasing debts and squeezing everyone out of their hard-earned money with the promise of giving them that elusive thing called happiness. Sure, there are avenues for one to make a living. It is hampered, however, by enslaving people to the bondage of their jobs. There is no leisure and no time to savour the fruit of their labour. At the same, people have to fulfil their biological purpose of existence and to bear the baggage that it brings, sweat, blood, tears, death and much more.Big corporate firms are only interested in the big players with big capitals. Little people with only determination and tenacity as their collateral do not excite them. At the end of the day, it is only human relationships that save the day when the state fails.
This minimalist film is a melancholic one with its own quirky moments. It tells the story of a couple aged around the late thirties/early forties who had both lost their job. The economy is slow, and retrenchment is the order of the day. With a background sadness of losing their toddler (we are not told when and how), they battle unemployment, disappointment with securing jobs, humiliation and helplessness as they are denied finances and are told off to be old.
Even though the movie was made in the late 90s, the film has a retro mood setting with its jazzy and 60s rock-and-roll musical score. The cold Scandinavian climate set the perfect mood for the melancholia that hung throughout the film.
I was told most of Kaurismaki's takes are single takes, and the actors had to give their one and only best shot at the camera. The acting appears robotic at times, but apparently, that is the director's signature which augments his own sense of humour.
Credit: https://www.facebook.com/cinephilia.my/
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