Pojat (1962)

• Year: 1962
• Released: 30 Nov 1962
• Country: Finland
• Adwords: 3 wins & 1 nomination
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056356/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pojat
• Metacritics:
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: Finnish, German
• MPA Rating: N/A
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
• Runtime: 106 min
• Writer: Mikko Niskanen, Paavo Rintala
• Director: Mikko Niskanen
• Cast: Pentti Tarkiainen, Vesa-Matti Loiri, Uti Saurio
• Keywords: based on novel or book, world war ii, childhood, home front, children in wartime,

7.2/10

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Pojat Movie Reviews

A portrait of relationship between Finnish civilians and German groups during the Second World War

The best role of the promising young actor Vesa-Matti Loiri. Also, the director has gained the spirit of the original manuscript telling about the relationship between Finnish civilians and German groups during the Second World War.

Growing up during wartime. Fun, fun and sorrow

“Pojat” (“lads or boys”) is prehaps the director Mikko Niskanen at his very best, in spite of the fact that he has done some other good films too. It tells the story about five teenage-boys in the city of Oulu in northern Finland during the so called Continuation war (1941-1944, a continuation to the Winter war 39-40). The second world war was a very difficult time for Finland and the poverty is obvious. But that fact is not a problem for these boys; the war doesn’t mean real war for them cause they’re so young. It’s more of a big adventure (compare with the British movie “Hope And Glory”). They admire the German alpine-troopers who travel through their city on the way to the front. The presence of the Germans offers interesting opportunities for these boys: they sale and trade things with the German soldiers. At the other hand they go to school and try to live a normal life during a war, just like the normal teenagers they are. The patriotism in Finland at that time is strong and the director catches that spirit very skillfully. In many scenes the viewer forgets that it’s a movie. Pojat is not theater; it’s a quite realistic description of life at the home-front during the war.

The acting is very convincing. The main-characters differ a bit from each other just like in Paavo Rintala’s novel “Pojat”. All the persons are individuals as in in real life. Vesa Matti Loiri makes an especially strong impression as Jake, a sensitive boy who’s not as “rough” as the other boys, probably because of his situation at home. The music is mostly played with flute; it relives the movie’s spirit.

Pojat is a very entertaining (at least for Finnish viewers) but also a tragic film. You don’t forget that there’s a war going on while watching it. Some scenes feel a bit melodramatic and exaggerated, but the overall impression is good. I recommend “Pojat” specially for Finnish viewers, but also for older people. Maybe for somebody who grew up during the war.

Lives of young boys during the war

Pojat (1962) is set in Oulu.It shows us the gang of five boys during the second world war.German soldiers have arrived and the boys sell them beer and cigarettes.Soon they realize those Nazies aren’t such nice guys.Mikko Niskanen is the director of this wonderful movie that’s based on Paavo Rintala’s novel.Young Vesa-Matti Loiri is one of the boys playing Jake.This was his first movie becoming later a well known comedian.Pentti Tarkiainen is Immu, Uti Saurio is Pate, Hannu Vironmäki is Matti Korpi and Markku Söderström is Urkki.Liisa Nevalainen plays Jake’s mother and Kauko Helovirta is Uncle Fritz.The marvelous Olavi Ahonen is Priest Pisa.The now 85- years old Tapio Hämäläinen is Head of school.The late Matti Pellonpää is in his first movie as schoolboy.The movie is filled with great scenes, some dramatic, some comedic.The mood is very tense at the nocturnal forest where the boys are with their skis.One funny one is when the boys make a farce of President Mannerheim’s birthday where even Hitler showed up.Then the ending scene is the most remembered.Vesa-Matti Loiri runs after the train trying to catch his mother who’s leaving with the German.He grabs on the train but can’t hold on for too long.He stays crying on the tracks and the train moves further and further away…