Title, silence. Silent until only the noise of coal mine operations remained, silent anger and helplessness exploded in the blast, rolled under the wheels, and locked on the abandoned factory gate. The suspension of production left the workers desperate. Through the scene where the workers died by swallowing a gun under the Latin background music, the tragic and romantic temperament of the Finns was fully displayed, and the background of the story was explained in a minimalist way. The miner Kasselin started the Cadillac gifted by his co-workers. With the collapse of the wooden garage behind him, he bid farewell to the broken life and started an unknown journey of making a living.
A convertible flying in the snow is not destined to bring a comfortable experience. Casselin, who was buying a hamburger on the way, was targeted by two robbers, who took all the belongings in his wallet. But who to complain about this difficult life. Penniless, he lit a cigarette and moved on indifferently. Working as a temporary worker carrying goods at a wharf, living with a group of poor people, picking up cotton-padded clothes from trash cans, and washing his hair with toothpaste, Kasselin's life has no communication, no complaints, no sighs. A lifestyle accompanied by music and alcohol.
The ice and snow melted overnight, and life changed in an instant. Casselling, who is parking illegally, meets Emily Triest, a multi-job traffic coordinator, "Who should I complain to?" "-to me" "What more can I make up for?" - A meal should be about the same." One second of strict specifications, the next second to leave work behind, this is a ridicule to the Finns who are hot on the outside and hot on the outside, dual personalities, and also a black humor of fate and unexpected love. With few opportunities and hard-to-reach exams, Casselin, who couldn't find a job, was unable to afford a single woman and her children, so he decided to sell his car.
In order to be fair, people create laws, and maybe the law is fair in terms of fact, but it is difficult for the law to achieve fairness in terms of life. Of course, life is not fair at all, because it has already been learned, so why complain. Kasselin met the robber who had robbed him of his money before, chased after him and beat him, but was arrested by the police and sentenced to prison on charges of assault, attempted robbery, illegally carrying a weapon, and arrest. When filling out the prison records, the answer to all the questions is "no". It turns out that in this world, Casselin has nothing. No refutation, no appeal, no complaint, but silence does not mean acceptance.
The irony is that the prison treatment is much better than when he was a homeless, and Casselin not only has a double room, but also a job, a visit from his lover, a trusted cellmate Mikonen, and a common man. Topic: Jailbreak. The clean, simple and rude escape without losing warmth. The pillow stuffed under the jailer's head and the gun with the bullet taken out are the tenderness and goodwill of Kasselin and Mikonen in the face of cruel life. In fact, I would also wonder about Casselin's one-year and eleven-month sentence, compared to the risk of escaping and increasing the sentence, maybe this is his silent protest, an attitude of unacceptable.
Prison break is not the end, life will not be kind from here on out. Passports, ferries, and the unknown future are still hindered by many obstacles. Kasselin, who has experienced robbery, jailbreak, love, friendship, deception, calculation... is still on the road, but at least, he is no longer alone. At the end of the film, in the dark of the night, Casselin and his lover are approaching the ferry in a small boat. The ferry is towering and huge, which not only makes people look forward to infinitely, but also creates a sense of oppression as they approach. The passionate background music seems to sing about the vastness and tragedy of life. .
Director Aki Kaurismaki is a filmmaker with a distinctive style and the only Finnish director with worldwide influence. Aki Kaurismaki is good at expressing his deep concern for individuals in his works. "Ascension" is Aki Kaurismaki's exploration of the topics of hope and disappointment, gain and loss in life from a Finnish perspective and a dark humorous way. It is full of minimalist aesthetics and is his relatively early work. .
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