MAN WITHOUT A PAST, THE

A nameless worker (played by Markku Peltola) arrives in Helsinki and is nearly beaten to death by a gang of thugs. Without money or memory he leaves the hospital to start a new life. A friendly family by the docks takes him in and he begins to reconstruct an existence. The Salvation Army provides food, clothes, friends and even the start of a relationship with Irma (Kati Outinen). But his past eventually catches up with him, with vastly changing circumstances. “My social, economical and political views of the state of society, morality and love can hopefully be found from the film itself,” writes Kaurism?ki. THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST follows the equally delicious DRIFTING CLOUDS in his humanist romantic “worker” cycle. Not much is ever said in an Aki Kaurism?ki film, but rich feelings are expressed in this film in heightened colors resonant of old Technicolor movies, deep-contrast tones and dramatic, Northern-light skies. His ineffable combination of poker-faced acting, no-nonsense pacing, strikingly composed visuals, B-movie genre touches and hot music tracks make this one of the most pleasurable film experiences of the year. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress Award for Kati Outinen at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. (In Finnish with English subtitles)