Compartment No. 6
In Juho Kuosmanen’s wonderfully individual Grand Prix winner at Cannes, two strangers find themselves sharing a sleeping compartment on an Arctic-bound train.
This is only the second full-length feature from the Finnish filmmaker Juho Kuosmanen although he was born as long ago as 1979. However, both 2016’s The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki and Compartment No. 6 have won awards. These two works on which Kuosmanen was a co-writer as well as director may be very different in subject-matter and setting but they are not so far apart in character. The combination of the serious and of the quirkily comic led me to compare the earlier film with the work of Aki Kaurismäki and, while the comic aspect is less emphasised this time, it is still present just under the surface and emerges at intervals. More crucially though both pieces feel off-beat and personal, miles away from any consideration of what is commercial and what is trendy. Consequently, one is eager to praise Kuosmanen and in the case of Compartment No. 6 it is all the easier to do so because of the perfect casting of Seidi Haaria in the leading role. As against that, however, the last section of this film seems seriously misjudged.
The story starts in Moscow where a young Finnish woman named Laura (Haaria’s role) is studying at the university. She has developed an interest in archaeology and in less than ten minutes the film finds her on a train undertaking the long journey to Murmansk in order to see the ancient rock carvings there. She finds that she is sharing a compartment with a Russian skinhead named Lyokha (Yuriy Borisov, also well cast) whose manner, whether or not influenced by drink, could not be more unpleasant (his crude sexual comments go well beyond mere banter). His bad behaviour may be extreme but even so, other things being equal, the viewer might well anticipate that Compartment No. 6 would develop in ways related to Hollywood rom-coms in which the two central figures antagonise one another on sight but end up in each other's arms. Kuosmanen, however, has quite other aims in mind and lets us know up front that Laura is a lesbian who has established a relationship in Moscow with Irina (Dinara Drukarova), a professor.
What is being offered instead is not immediately apparent since Kuosmanen’s approach is unhurried and for a while he seems intent on building up the sense that we are sharing the train journey and simply going along with Laura. Haaria is an actress who brings to her role a great gift for arousing empathy. Consequently, we relish the moments when she verbally puts down her unwelcome travelling companion. Furthermore, we feel concern for Laura when her phone messages to Irina, who had originally been expected to share this journey with her, suggest that Irina is tiring of their relationship. What follows may exclude any sexual bond between Laura and Lyokha but gradually a closeness does develop and the film becomes a study of the human need for contact and friendship in a platonic context.
For all his sincerity and individuality, Kuosmanen’s work can seem somewhat on the slight side but, when as well done as this, it is undoubtedly appealing and the absence of any sentimentality is a bonus. However, the film’s title encourages the expectation that it will come to a close when the train reaches Murmansk. It is a surprise when it continues for another twenty minutes or so and it's far from being a welcome surprise because there is far too little further development in this last section. As a result, it feels drawn out and, indeed, unnecessary. It's a shame because in view of the genuine pleasure offered up to that point it’s all the more disappointing that the film should fall away to such an extent. But, in spite of that failing, the last touch of all is a neat one, perfectly judged and perfectly timed.
Original title: Hytti nro 6.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Cast: Seidi Haaria, Yuriy Borisov, Dinara Drukarova, Yuliya Aug, Tomi Alatalo, Lidia Kostina, Nadezhda Kulakova, Sergey Agafonov, Stanislav Sergeev.
Dir Juho Kuosmanen, Pro Emilia Haukka and Jussi Rantamaki, Screenplay Andris Feldmanis, Livia Ulman and Juho Kuosmanen from the novel by Rosa Liksom, Ph Jani-Petteri Passi, Pro Des Kari Kankaanpää, Ed Jussi Rautaniemi, Costumes Jaanus Vahtra.
Elokuvayhtiö Öy Aamu/Amrion/Achtung Panda!Media/CTB Company/SR-Curzon.
107 mins. Finland/Germany/Estonia/Russia/Norway. 2021. US Rel: 26 January 2022. UK Rel: 8 April 2022. Cert. 15.
