Review of Täällä Pohjantähden alla

Täällä Pohjantähden alla (1968) tells the history as it happened.The story starts from the 1890's and later it moves to the year 1918.That was the year of the civil war in Finland.The Red Guard and The White Guard are the two sides and they start brutally killing each other.The movie concentrates on the side that lost, The Reds.It shows us The Koskela family with the hardworking tenant farmer Jussi (Risto Taulo) as the head of the family.His wife is Alma (Anja Pohjola).Paavo Pentikäinen is August and Eero Keskitalo is Aleksis.The main part has been given to Akseli Koskela, who's brilliantly played by Aarno Sulkanen.The movie is based on the first two books of the novel trilogy written by Väinö Linna.It was directed by Edvin Laine just like other Linna novel Tuntematon sotilas.There are also some actors who were in both of those movies.There are Matti Ranin (Lauri Salpakari), Veikko Sinisalo (Anton Kustaa Laurila), Kaarlo Halttunen (Preeti Leppänen), Olavi Ahonen (Lauri Kivioja), Kosti Klemelä (Rural police chief), Mikko Niskanen (Military judge) and Tapio Hämäläinen (E.Hellberg).Other names in the movie include Titta Karakorpi (Elina Koskela), Kalevi Kahra (Tailor Adolf Halme), Rose-Marie Precht (Ellen Salpakari), Kauko Helovirta (Otto Kivivuori), Elsa Turakainen (Henna Leppänen), Juhani Kumpulainen (A.Mellola), Asta Backman (Emma Halme), Heikki Kinnunen (Valenti Leppänen), Helge Herala (Vihtori Kivioja), Jyrki Kovaleff (Aadolf Heino), Ville Salminen (Granlund), Arvo Lehesmaa (Jalmari Kolu) and in smaller parts Katriina and Marjatta Rinne and Eila Roine.Matti Kassila is the narrator and he was also writing this movie.Each and every one of the actors does a great job.The movie is in many parts touching.It hurts to watch all that brutal killing, the executions.But then there's also the beautiful love story of Akseli and Elina.The beautiful tunes of 'Akselin ja Elinan häävalssi' can be heard in some parts.Täällä Pohjantähden alla is an important movie.It shows us the phase of history that should not be forgotten.