Juha: it is a bit ironic that the characters in Aki Kaurismäki’s silent film are more loquacious and emotionally demonstrative than in most of his other films. The film tells the story of a farmer’s wife who is seduced by a stranger. In many ways, it follows his usual themes, as the protagonist tries to escape her (perceived) empty life in search of happiness. Tightly paced, the film wastes nothing (it was edited by Kaurismäki); cinematographer Timo Salminen’s lustrous black-and-white images are great-looking. The musical score, by Anssi Tikanmäki, accentuates the action, helps project the emotions perfectly, and is beautiful to boot. In any case, the film would not work so well without the excellent performances of the trio of protagonists: Sakari Kuosmanen plays the title character, a gentle giant of a man; Kati Outinen, as his wife, plays a woman simple enough to be seduced and goes through quite the emotional journey; and André Wilms, who plays the sophisticated man with a sinister smile.