'Niskavuori Fights'
Niskavuori taistelee (Niskavuoris kamp)
Le combat de Niskavuori (French title)
Niskavuori kämpft (German title)

Available on DVD

Finland 1957 B/W 96min Oy Suomen Filmiteollisuus

***

Drama

cast: Elsa Turakainen (old Mrs. Niskavuori), Mirjam Novero (Ilona), Tauno Palo (Juhani Mattila and Juhani Niskavuori), Martta Kinnunen (Sandra), Martti Katajisto (Paavo Niskavuori), Hillevi Lagerstam (Martta), Joel Rinne (Doc. Santala), Artturi Laakso (minister Niskavuori), Aarne Laine (Jokinen), Rauha Rentola (Malviina), Kunto Karapää, Armas Jokio, Uljas Kandolin, Tommi Rinne, Edvin Laine (narrator)
credits: dir. Edvin Laine, prod. T.J. Särkkä, music Heikki Aaltoila, DOP Osmo Harkimo

The movie starts from early 40's. War is going on and Mr. Mattila saves a baby in the middle of bombing. Pretty soon after that he has to escape to the country side. There he meets the ladies of Niskavuori. They ask him to help them on the fields of Niskavuori because all their workers are in the war. He agrees but he has a secret.

This part of the Niskavuori serie is clearly more modern by its dialog, acting and technic as the earlier parts. Although the film tells about depressive things, it's surprisingly lively. The cast is OK, but seeing Tauno Palo in two different roles makes me ask: "Was this guy really the only one who could play these roles?" It's confusing and it gets even more confusing because he has also been Aarne Niskavuori (earlier in this serie).

TRIVIA: Aarne Laine (as Jokinen in this movie) was the director's brother.

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