'Harvest Month'
Elokuu (Skördemånad, Augusti)
Le temps de moissons (French title)
Erntemonat (German title)

Finland 1956 B/W 92min Fennada-Filmi Oy

**½

cast: Toivo Mäkelä (Viktor Sundvall), Rauni Luoma (Maija), Emma Väänänen (Saima Sundvall), Aino-Maija Tikkanen (Tyyne), Rauni Ikäheimo (Iita), Heikki Savolainen (Mauno), Sylvi Salonen, Pentti Irjala, Olavi Ahonen, Tommi Rinne, Leo Jokela, Leo Lastumäki (Saarinen)
credits: dir. and script Matti Kassila, based on a story by F. E. Sillanpää, music Ahti Sonninen, DOP Esko Nevalainen

An old drunken man dies a bit by bit mentally, hurts his family and in finally he dies also physically.

It's a strange decision to tell the story as a long flashback. Cast does its best and the story is not weak, but it just has too big 'tail'. However, in 1957 the film won many prizes (for example from directing, shooting and music). The film was also shown in Cannes but that version was cut differently.

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