7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, Nazi soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.
Starring: Jorma Tommila, Jack Doolan, Aksel Hennie, Onni Tommila, Mimosa WillamoAction | 100% |
Foreign | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When a film's very title is a reportedly untranslatable Finnish term indicating unstoppable grit, and when the film is set during the waning days of World War II, when the Nazis had employed a scorched earth policy in their retreat from Finland, you probably don't need any kind of map to chart the general course the story is going to take. Sisu actually begins with a brief text card alerting the audience to the fact that the film's title has no direct analog in English, but there's no confusion at all that this often graphically violent tale is going to offer its focal Finnish character Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) rampant opportunities to kick some major Nazi butt, and that's exactly what Sisu offers after an equally brief setup. That opening sequence documents the fact that Aatami has pretty much removed himself from the war torn world and gone off the grid, indulging in some spectacularly successful prospecting for gold. With a rather heavy supply of the precious mineral in his rucksack, Aatami sets off for Rovaniemi, only to encounter some vicious Germans who are probably not that happy that they're "backing up" rather than advancing, and who wouldn't mind absconding with Aatami's fortune themselves.
Sisu is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Those interested can do a little Googling on cinematographer Kjell Lagerroos and find some informative comments he's made on the shoot, including his use of Sony Venice cameras in lieu of what Lagerroos kind of refers to as the omnipresent Arri Alexas. Evidently the source capture resolution was 6K, with a 4K DI, and the results are pretty astonishing looking, albeit with the glut of visual effects, just slightly unreal in appearance at times. That said, detail levels on things like practical props and costumes, not to mention actual human beings, are often superb, especially in close-ups. As alluded to above, the film is graded rather coolly, to the point of approaching a desaturated appearance at times, but that only reinforces the rugged, near barren terrain that Aatami has to pass through on his way to freedom. To my eyes, that coolness is even more apparent in the 1080 version than Lionsgate's simultaneous 4K UHD release, which has just an ever so slightly warmer look courtesy of hints of orange and red in things like flames or sun, which have some interesting highlights courtesy of HDR and/or Dolby Vision. Those elements are certainly apparent in this 1080 version, but aren't quite as lush looking. There are some very minor issues with deficits in shadow detail in a couple of extremely brief interior scenes (most of the film takes place outside), but they're not very significant in my estimation.
Perhaps just a little disappointingly, Sisu does not have a Dolby Atmos track, and instead offers a robust and immersive Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option. Virtually the entire film takes place outside, and so there is a wealth of ambient environmental effects wafting through the side and rear channels with near nonstop activity. Large swaths of the films can pass without a lot of dialogue, and so the sound design can rely on the constant rush of environmental effects, which are typically very effectively handled. An interesting score by Juri Seppä and Tuomas Wäinölä also helps to establish spatial awareness. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
Sisu doesn't really waste any time on trying to develop characters or offer an overly complex plot, but that's probably part of its visceral appeal. If Quentin Tarantino offered a somewhat hyperbolic denouement for some notable Nazis in Inglourious Basterds, you can almost imagine this film's writer and director Jalmari Helander saying, "Hold my Sahti ale" as the film documents Aatami and some other supposedly "underdog" Finns delivering some significant comeuppance. Technical merits are solid and the supplements enjoyable. With certain caveats noted, Sisu comes Recommended.
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