MAN WITHOUT A PAST

Finland, 2002, 97 minutes, Colour.
Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen, Juhani Niemela.
Directed by Aki Kaurismaki.

Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki is probably the most celebrated of directors from Finland. He began making films in the early 1980s and showed a wry sense of humour with such films as Leningrad Cowboys Go America. However, he also had a very serious side, I Hired a Contract Killer, La Boheme. In 1996 he made the very moving Drifting Clouds, films about ordinary people and their plight in Helsinki. It was considered of a trilogy with Man Without a Past being the second and Lights in the Dusk (2006) being the third.

The film actually is about the title – an ordinary man coming to Helsinki, being bashed, losing his memory, meeting a social worker and having to reconstruct his life. The film is very strong in humanitarian values. Kati Outinen won the award for best actress in Cannes and the film won the jury prize as well as the ecumenical award.

The film has both pessimistic overtones but is also a film with great hope and an appreciation of humanity.

1. The reputation of the film? Its awards? Religious interpretations of the film?

2. Kaurismaki's work? Comedy? Satiric observation on life in Finland? More tender appreciation of middle-aged and older people? These aspects coming together successfully here?

3. The Helsinki locations, the port, the location for the marginalised? The Salvation Army? Musical score? Classics, contemporary music? Salvation Army hymns? Rock and roll? Contemporary religious songs?

4. The title and the focus on the man without his memory? The opening: the man on a train, the mystery of his journey, his leaving the train, sitting in the park, the brutality of his being bashed? His documents taken? To hospital, his failing?

5. His seeming death? His suddenly sitting up alive? Leaving the hospital, collapsing by the water? Being found?

6. The beginning of his new life? The care of the caretaker, his wife, the children finding him? Giving him clothes, food, caring for him? The discussions - his non-personality, yet his qualities? The response of the family?

7. The outing, the soup kitchen, the Salvation Army? The singing of the hymns? His attractions towards Irma? Going back to see her, her sardonic comments? Her comments about his clothes, the address of the shop? Going to the shop, fitting him out in a suit and shirt? His beginning jobs, transferring goods into the shop?

8. Irma, her work with the Salvation Army, middle-aged, plain? Her going home, change of clothes? The different music? The signs of discontent in her life? The attraction towards the man?

9. The supervisor on the wharves, his attitude towards the man, friendly yet letter-of-the-law, allowing him to come in, the shed? The demands for money? The man cleaning it out, making it presentable? Going with his friends and getting the jukebox, the new bed? The help of the family? His looking after the dog - the irony of its name being Hannibal and its turning out to be female? Liking the man? Liking Irma?

10. Inviting Irma to his home, the preparation of the meal? His stealing a kiss? Listening to the music? The growing bond between them, the dog? Borrowing the car, collecting the mushrooms?

11. The going to the welding, discovering that he was a welder, being offered the job, the bureaucracy of the company and getting a bank account - and the comparison with the bureaucracy at the employment office and the demands that he have a name? The bank, the hold-up? Being interrogated by the police, ringing Irma, the letter of the law, the bandying of the law between the police officer and the lawyer? His being able to get out? Encountering the hold-up man, his story of justice and injustice about the bank, his funds frozen, paying his employees? The man delivering the money?

12. The police and the information about him, his photo, his wife coming forward, finding out his identity? The decision to go to visit his home, the farewell to the family, to Irma?

13. Meeting his wife, being a stranger, discovering the story of their brittle marriage, the divorce? Her new boyfriend, his wanting to fight - but glad that he did not have to? The civilised farewell?

14. His return to Helsinki, the concert being on? His previous comments to the Salvation Army people to change their repertoire, the more modern songs, the marginalised people dancing to the music? The points being made about God and religious spirit touching people where they needed it, at the soup kitchen, with the music? Going back to the concert?

15. The future for him - his work, friends, relationship with Irma? The possibility of some kind of redemption for him and beginning a new life?