150 Word Review: 'Sisu' (2022)
Heart of gold
“Sisu” is a Finnish word that roughly translates to "grit" or "resilience" in English. To have “sisu” is to possess extraordinary courage during dire circumstances. The hero of the gory Finnish action movie Sisu embodies the title virtue. His name is Aatami, a former commando who has turned his back on fragging invaders and embraced panning for gold in the barren Lapland wilderness during the waning days of the Second World War. He strikes it rich, but runs into a platoon of Nazis retreating to safety with a transport truck full of seething Finnish women prisoners-of-war, each of whom is all full of "sisu."
Here's what Aatami loves: dogs, horses, and gold. And what he hates: Nazis. Sisu barely has dialogue. Jorma Tommila doesn't need witty one-liners as our soldier-turned-prospector-turned-spirit of vengeance. He has an expressive, silent movie star's face. He's old, yes, but he kills like a younger man.