"A Wonderful Adventure"
Ihana seikkailu ()
La belle adventure (French title)
Das Schöne Abenteuer (German title)

Finland 1962 colour 96min Suomen Filmiteollisuus Oy

**

Romance

cast: Pirkko Mannola (Helena Ehrenheim), Stig Fransman (Paul), Esko Mannermaa (Mr. Pedanzius), Siiri Angerkoski (Loviisa), Kauko Helovirta (Anders), Rauha Rentola, Ruth Snellman, Esa Saario, Rose-Marie Precht, Kaisu Leppänen, Hilkka Helinä, Kaarlo Halttunen
credits: dir. and prod. T.J. Särkkä, music Heikki Aaltoila, DOP Olavi Tuomi, staging Aarre Koivisto, based on a play by Etienne Rey and Gaston Armand de Caillavet

Time and place: it's summer, far before 20th century, somewhere in Finland. Always smiling Pirkko Mannola plays Helena, who has been promised to a rich but not so nice man. Hovever, she is in love with another guy and escapes from her rich house with him. Her parents doesn't of course like this, neither the rich guy was going to marry him. What comes next, that you can figure out or watch by yourself. It's worth of watching, although it is very much like those old Hollywood black and white B-movies from the 1940's.

This is one of the few feature films which was shot in colour in 1960's Finland. The material was expensive, so they haven't spent it much for new takes. This means, if you're okay with old kind of acting and romantic stories, you're going to love this movie. Otherwise, you don't have much to see in it but the glorious costumes and warm and green Finnish summer.

TRIVIA: Actress Ruth Snellman won a Finnish Oscar (Jussi) from her workmin this film.

---