Hei, rillumarei! (1954) User Reviews

Esa Pakarinen tries culture

[Petey-10 · 10/10 · 24 February 2011]

Severi Suhonen is traveling south by train to see some culture.Then at one stop the train leaves without him, so he has to walk to Helsinki.He meets a nice couple there, who own a store.He also stays there and buys himself a painting with cows.It reminds himself of his Alatölviö, the place where he comes from.But what he doesn't know is that underneath that painting is the real painting, that's worth a lot of money.The criminals want that, and a certain woman comes wooing Severi.Together this Dagny and Severi go to see some culture.Armand Lohikoski's Hei, Rillumarei! (1954) is a sequel to Rovaniemen Markkinoilla.This is the last movie in the Rillumarei genre.Esa Pakarinen is seen as his famous character Severi Suhonen in both of them.This month, on 9th day, we celebrated the 100th birthday of this great entertainer.I just read his autobiography Hanuri Ja Hattu, and now I know much more about this Finnish comedian/musician.It's great to see his sidekick from Pekka and Pätkä movies, Masa Niemi, playing Napoleon on stage.Also Siiri Angerkoski is seen there as Prompter.And then there's Armas Jokio as Attendant.In larger role there is Sirkka-Liisa Wilén, who plays Sinikka Lahtinen.Heikki Heino is Scrap dealer, Simo.Irja Rannikko portrays Dagny Kehvelin/Kahelinen.Matti Aulos is Jonni Kehvelin.Arvo Kuusla is Emppu.Kai Lappalainen plays Art Critic Kehula.Reino "Repe" Helismaa, the writer of this movie plays Roope Kormu.Jorma Ikävalko is Julle Ilonen.Juhani Kumpulainen plays Broker Johansson.Heimo Lepistö is Constable.Kaarlo Wilska portrays Weak man.Tuija Halonen plays Clementine in the play.Heikki Savolainen is Hotel Concierge.Auvo Nuotio plays Manager.Also Veikko Linna and Uuno Montonen are seen in the movie.This movie is full of fun stuff.Like when Severi goes to listen some classical music, or to theater.The interaction between Esa, in the audience, and Masa, on stage, is hilarious.Music has a big part in this movie, and it's always great to listen Esa singing and playing his accordion.This movie laughs in the face of those pompous culture people, who slam the phenomenon called Rillumarei.The critics never liked these movies, but the audience loved them.Not much has changed from those times.

A forgotten revolutionary masterpiece

[leo-vesanen · 10/10 · 28 April 2004]

In 'Hei rillumarei' the revolutionary desires of the masses are being repressed by the elitist art establishment. Functioning as outlets for the masses, the lumberjack and outsider characters played by Esa Pakarinen, Reino Helismaa and Erkki Ikäheimo respond to this repression with a burst of Nietzschean laughter, making the average elitist moviegoer feel uneasy in the process. At their best Pakarinen, Helismaa and Ikäheimo personify the uncontrolled subject later theorized by Antonio Negri. After its release the movie was heavily criticized by the arty movie press, which proves the effectiveness of Pakarinen's provocation. A movie for the hardcore Trotskyite.

Great combination of irony, critic and self irony.

[topey · 10/10 · 20 October 2007]

Quite seldom happens, that the follow-up movie, as Hei Rilluma Rei might had been named "Rovaniemen Markkinoilla 2", is much more original than the original.

Hei Rilluma Rei includes, lot of timeless and universal humor with critical themes of hypocrisy in high-cultural-societies which could easily be understood, and be compared to any other country's cultural life.

Brilliant references in the best Glass Bead Game ( A Novel by Herman Hesse) style. As an example, when watching a theater play, where on stage a crazy man dressed like Napoleon is making a Hamlet monologue "to be or not to be", main character thinks "There is something rotten in this play".

Real masterpiece, a should-be-rediscovered national treasure!