The Man Without a Past: A Charming and Timeless Ode to Community
Arriving in Helsinki, a nameless man is beaten within an inch of his life by thugs, miraculously recovering only to find that he has completely lost his memory. Back on the streets, he attempts to begin again from zero, befriending a moody dog and becoming besotted with a Salvation Army volunteer.1
I’d never watched a Finnish film before now.2 My knowledge of Finnish culture was minimal and centred on snowy forests, burning churches and Lauri Markkanen. After watching The Man Without a Past, I’ve a much different perspective now.
Director Aki Kaurismäki takes inspiration from 1940s and ‘50s Hollywood romances to create a unique oddball comedy that charms from the first frame.
If it were shot in black and white Academy ratio you’d be hard pressed to tell it was made in 2002. Economic camera movements accompany spacious framing that instantly recalls His Girl Friday, Brief Encounter or The Best Years of Our Lives.
Despite the presence of talented actors, Helsinki itself is never outshined. Kaurismäki treats deprived locations, used in other films to highlight danger or suffering, with respect. These are not the streets of pathetic wretches; they are people’s homes and communities.
The rockabilly soundtrack and thoroughly restrained performances give away the film’s provenance. There’s barely a voice raised by any member of a quirky cast. This emotional distance softens the dark comedy at the heart of the script. Anttila (Sakari Kuosmanen) the greedy, wannabe tough-guy security guard benefits from this style the most. His opportunism becomes eccentric rather than horrific.
It reminds me of the trademark tone used by Wes Anderson in his works. A detachment that baffles at first then endears. Markku Peltola could pass as a Finnish Bill Murray. But Anderson builds a dollhouse of offbeat characters and creates postmodern stories with them. Kaurismäki contrasts this style with a social realist narrative. It’s an odd choice that pays off wonderfully.
What does it mean to be part of a community? That’s the question Man Without a Past asks.
The protagonist loses his his possessions both material (money, clothing, tools) and immaterial (memories, purpose, personality). Even his name: the most basic form of identity that anyone can possess. Without them he suffers in a hostile world of bureaucrats, capitalists and lawmen. It’s a society he’s no longer welcome to take part in.
It’s in a community of people who have nothing, like him, does he find purpose and belonging. Reciprocity and kindness is what matters most. Even when he regains his identity, after being taken hostage in a bank heist no less, he chooses to remain in the home he has made for himself. With the community that has embraced him.
The Man Without a Past is endearing and up-lifting. I’d recommend it to fans of golden age Hollywood and anyone who wants their heart warmed for ninety minutes.
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