People in the Summer Night (1948)
1h 6m | PG-13
A story set over one night in a small rural community we watch various relationships and actions among local people; these include birth, death, and conflicts fuelled by alcohol. The fates of various characters become interlaced over a long and light-filled summer night in the Finnish countryside. Lumberjacks, a deer-eyed young man Nokia, a family of poor farmers, a young girl and her lover. New life is born, old life dies, man is slain in his prime, and his widow continues her life.
Director: Valentin Vaala
Studio: Suomi-Filmi
Genre: Drama
Video: 720p
Cast
Eila Pehkonen
as Helka
Martti Katajisto
as Nokia
Emma Väänänen
as Hilja Syrjämäki
Eero Roine
as Jalmari Syrjämäki
Matti Oravisto
as Arvid
Toivo Hämeranta
as Teliranta
Reviews
There seems to be a implicit gay character. The cinematography by Eino Heino is excellent. The film offers a ‘warm-hearted and sensitive’ evocation of the ordinary but compressed for dramatic purposes.