biographical

1

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (Finland)

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

“It’s nice that you’re modest, but we want a national champion”

Olli Maki is a Finish baker who happens to be a very talented boxer. He is training for the biggest boxing match of his career, a day that will be the ‘happiest day in his life’. But, a few weeks before the match, he falls in love. For an alternative to the typical macho boxing film watch this gorgeously shot film which won awards at Cannes!

Why Watch this Film?
  • It’s a feel good film – it will put a smile on your face 🙂
  • To learn what makes a successful sportsman and a happy person
  • If you’re tired of macho boxing films
  • Experience a Finnish wedding!
  • For some beautiful black and white cinematography. There’s one pretty epic shot of Olli Maki wading naked into a pristine lake like Hercules.
The Breakdown

The first thing you notice is the grainy black and white footage as Olli Maki walks down a train and takes a seat in an empty carriage. He sits alone and looks out of the window in the carriage door, his brow furrowed. Is he concerned? Nervous? Or just shy and introverted?

It turns out that he’s just a modest man from a humble background. He is the Finnish baker battling for the boxing world title. You can tell he’s a humble guy from the first 10 minutes of the film. His creaky car breaks down, so he cycles to the wedding he is in town for. He plays with the kids at the wedding instead of chatting with the adults. But most of all, his modesty is shown in his facial expressions. His furrowed brow, his wide eyed look, and his smiles make it easy for us to sympathise with him. And the actor pulls of the face perfectly throughout the film!

Also pay attention to the beautiful cinematography. The filmmakers use grainy black and white footage with a lot of hand held shots to make it look like a 60s home movie. This style heightens the film’s happy moments as we associate home movie footage with happy nostalgia (think kids playing, funny faces, and days out). The style also takes nothing away from Olli Maki’s modesty. In contrast to the vivid colours and strong lighting of a Rocky film, Olli Maki is not brought out of the film artificially.

Conclusion

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki is a welcome alternative to the many macho boxing films, such as Raging Bull and Rocky. Olli Maki will help you find what is important in your life. As a bonus, the film also explores class and patriotism in Finland whilst remaining an easy to watch feel-good film.

2

Scarred Hearts (Romania) – How to Live Life Lying Down

Scarred Hearts Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

“Life is a serious game for which we’ve even invented nickel plating. To live we must believe in their importance. But let us remember that it is all just a game”

You can tell Scarred Hearts was adapted from a novel. Philosophical musings are scattered throughout the film just like the stream-of-consciousness narrative I presume carries Max Blecher’s novel (correct me if my assumption is wrong!). Amazingly, it works! If you’re a big reader and want to convert to the big screen for a few hours without missing out on some philosophy, this one is for you!

Why Watch Scarred Hearts?
  • To understand the importance of humour in life (and in sickness, much like Diving Bell and the Butterfly)
  • Feel the political zeitgeist in Romania just before the Second World War
  • For some great quotes (e.g. “each moment, each pain, each thought, each event I consider important is but an atom in the vast ocean of world events”)
  • So many beautiful colours (just like a Wes Anderson movie)
The Breakdown

Scarred Hearts starts with the sound of a church choir singing. All we see is a sketched portrait of a man and then a load of old pictures of people lying down. The old pictures are of patients with Pott’s disease, a sort of tuberculosis of the spine. All of them must lie down whilst they are being cured.

But let’s talk about the film. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful colour palettes. There’s the pale blue and cream coloured hallways that match the nurses dress.

There’s the warm pinks and pale reds of the x-ray room.  

And, there’s the pale, washed out blues and whites that make up the main hospital ward.

All these colour grades are carefully worked just like you might have noticed if you’ve seen a Wes Anderson film. Beautiful!

I also loved the many quotes that are either written across the screen like in the old silent films or read out by the characters. They question eternal life, religion, and the meaning of life. But while doing so they are also aware of their own fate. Here’s a couple of the quotes which I noted down:

  • “Life is a serious game for which we’ve even invented nickel plating. To live we must believe in their importance. But let us remember that it is all just a game”
  • “Fortunate is he who keeps the hour of his death ever present and lives every day as if it was his last”
Conclusion

There isn’t really any driving narrative plot in Scarred Hearts. However, this adaptation (of a Max Blecher novel) works incredibly well. It carries the stream-of-consciousness musings of the author through the character’s and a number of title cards which outline the film. Well worth a watch for anyone who loves literature and philosophical ramblings.