Richard Virga
when you watch Sauna you have no sensation of watching a movie, rather the screen becomes a window and you are observing reality. this is an engine running on all strong cylinders: the score matches the mood, it accents and reinforces the dialog and action. the acting is superb, by everyone. there is no sense of acting. the older Spore is a dynamo of revealing restraint. the cinematography is flawless, there's not a weak shot from start to 'finnish'. every shot is lit like a work of art. the editing is sharp and crisp. the pacing is deliberate and inexorable, though slow, you cannot drift because of the quality of the work. now, obviously, all this could not have been done without one Hell of a director! i've watched it three times so that i can internalize the subtitles and concentrate on the rest of the movie. i could watch this thing at 1/2 speed and still love it!
swearm_x
...missing the target after all.Great in terms of stylish clear cinematography, look and details of costumes, effects, make-up, sets, the acting, lights, character-building and the main idea/plot.Not so great is several. On the one hand, horror arises only for thin-skinned people in my opinion, but this is OK. Though it may have been achieved by giving the certain scenes time to unfold and also more depth in that(=>longer film). On the other hand, despite the foreboding symbols and events and the over all somehow conclusive story are some "mysteries" not quite fitting into the puzzle, especially not the ending. May it be because of a need for a controversial, "thoughtful" end or because of lack of better ideas or lack of movie-time. Anyhow, it doesn't fit for me. In the end it is another missed chance, despite very good ideas, resources(sets, costumes, filming,...) and acting caused by either bad producing (pressure, constraining) or simply bad writing/directing in terms of bringing all together for the masterpiece. And if it has to be longer for that - be it! Don't be shy!
CinPhan
Sauna (Finnish w/Eng. SUB) is a subtle but chilling horror film set in 1595, tells the tale of the 25 year war against Sweden and Russia
and the men who survived and the ghosts that haunt them as they head home. This movie is a rare treat!
it gave me nightmares
and that says volumes considering I watch hundreds of horror films a month and my collection is in the excess or 2200 horror films alone. I loved the movie 'Let the Right One in', as well as 'Cold Prey' and 'Dead Snow'
all excellent examples or Nordic horror (Vampires, Serial Killer and Zombies)
but Sauna actually made me think about the fear of the facing one's own demons (in the dark); the story being presented may be too subtle for some to get into, but believe me, well worth the time and effort. It was NOT an in your face with knives and blood type of scary movie; it brought about the horror through mysteries, shadows of the past and an unknowable horror. The best kind of fear is from things you do not understand and cannot explain
siderite
The movie is beautifully done, with dark wet imagery and good acting. However, you either have to be Finnish to understand or I was too tired to get the message. All I could get was that for the Finns the sauna is a cultural heirloom, dating way before their christianizing, a place where they believed to wash their sins. Finns and their sins. Sorry, couldn't help it :) However, left long enough to rot, those sins become unattonable and even if you face them, it is pointless. I guess this is one of those life lessons that the Christian religion is desperately trying to hide from us.Anyway, as I said, great imagery and the feeling of desolation and burden of sin is almost palpable. I liked the characters as well, deep and sharp. However, it was a slow thing and never in the movie there was any "aha!" moment. One has to make an effort to watch the film and to understand it. Being Finnish probably helps, too.
AD
