The Harvest Month
Elokuu
Release: 1956-10-05
·Runtime: 94m
·★ 6.7
Drama
The title of the Finnish film Elokuu translates to August. Directed by Matti Kassila, one of Finland's premiere filmmakers, Elokuu was adapted from a novel by Nobel prize winning finnish author F.E. Sillanpää. Simply put, the story concerns the decline and fall of a once-proud family, thanks to the alcoholism of its paterfamilias. Toivo Makela delivers a powerfully effective performance as the inebriated protagonist, avoiding the usual "drunken" cliches. The overlong running time, coupled with the downbeat nature of the subject, limited the film's worldwide appeal.
Production Countries
Finland
Production Companies
Fennada-Filmi
Cast
Senni Nieminen
as Hanna Nieminen
Matti Kassila
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Toivo Mäkelä
as Viktor Sundvall
Rauni Luoma
as Maija Länsilehto
Olavi Ahonen
as Mies saunalla
Emma Väänänen
as Saima Sundvall
Aino-Maija Tikkanen
as Tyyne Sundvall
Rauni Ikäheimo
as Iita
Heikki Savolainen
as Mauno Viljanen
Tommi Rinne
as Juhlija (uncredited)
Leo Lastumäki
as Saarinen (uncredited)
Pentti Irjala
as Mies saunalla
Leo Jokela
as Juhlija (uncredited)