The Man Without A Past
A man who has travelled to Helsinki in search of work, gets mugged, loses his memory, and has to start completely anew, from scratch.
Like many of Kaurismäki’s earlier films, THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST expresses a humorous, absurd, but also respectful homage to ordinary people in strange situations. After a violent robbery, M, a middle aged man, wakes up with amnesia in a hospital in Helsinki where he has just been declared dead. He tears off his bandage, straightens his broken nose and strolls outside. A poor family takes care of him. Later, M falls in love with Irma, Salvation Army soldier, who tries to help him put his life back together. This love story is told in a classic mixture of melodrama and realism. Cameraman Salminen’s wonderful shots are reminiscent of old Technicolor films. The music, from melancholy bandoneon tunes to Finnish rock music, plays a significant role too. This optimistic tragedy won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival.