Darkness in Tallinn (1993) User Reviews

Darkness in Tallinn : an extraordinary comedy film reflecting nuances of Baltic culture.

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 8/10 · 15 September 2008]

This is one of those landmark films which needs to be situated in the context of time.Darkness in Tallinn was made in 1993.It was a period of chaos,confusion and gross disorder not only for ordinary denizens of Estonia but also for countless citizens of other former nations which were a part of mighty Soviet empire.It was in such a tense climate that a young country named Estonia was born.As newly established governments are known to encounter teething problems,Estonia too faced numerous troubles as some corrupt officials manipulated state machinery for filling their dirty pockets by making use of their selfish means.This is one of this film's core themes.Darkness in Tallinn appears as an Estonian film but it was made by a Finnish director Ilka Järvilaturi. He has tried his best to infuse as many possible doses of Estonian humor.This is why one can call it a comedy film of political undertones.As ordinary people are involved in this film, we can say that this film signifies good versus evil.This is not a new concept as it is readily available in most of the religious books of different faiths.Darkness in Talinn shows us as to how ordinary governments can also be toppled by corrupt people.A nice film to watch on a sunny day.

A thriller with an ironic view on present day Estonia

[doinel-2 · 4 November 1998]

A bunch of East European mob men decide to steal the gold from the Estonian National Treasure which is just being brought back home after World War II. To do so they shut down the main electrical supply to the whole city of Tallin...

The plot sounds like a thriller, but this movie is much more. It is an ironic view of present day Eastern European countries, with cruel mob, great poverty, poor labour conditions, hopes and disillusions after the end of the Soviet regime. It is a story about love (and yes, the cheesy happy ending is probably the weakest part of the movie) and about how childhood innocence is preserved even when living is tough (in some senses the main hero of the story is a kid running around town on his bike). It is a swinging soundtrack perfectly matching the rhythm of the story, beautiful black and white photography in the first part which all of a sudden becomes coloured when light is finally restored in town(yes, half of the movie is b/w and the other half is in color and the trick is not just there to surprise the viewer, it really works).

It's the kind of movie which makes you laugh and think at the same time...I really enjoyed it

One nerve-racking film!

[danpink-1 · 9/10 · 2 February 2005]

I first saw this at a foreign film festival. It's a beautifully paced nail-biter about a plot to relieve the Estonian treasury of a billion or so in gold. It's all shot in a gritty, grainy style that Hollywood rarely uses --- but it captures the atmosphere of the newly emancipated Baltic states beautifully (note: Tallin was actually looking a lot less grim in 2003 when I was there).

There's a lot of humor and some romance, too. I don't want to spoil a number of startling yet logical surprises, so I'll just say this heist film starts from a great script, and the directing and performances are top notch. DARKNESS IN TALLIN is simply the fastest and most nerve-racking example of its genre --- I'd put it up against RAFIFI, TOPKAPI, and it's miles ahead of the new OCEAN'S 11, though (deliberately) not as glossy. RENT OR BUY IT NOW.

Best film ever made in Estonia!!!!!!!!!

[henriwr · 10/10 · 17 March 2006]

Simply the best Estonian film that I have ever seen, although it is made by a Finnish director Ilkka Järvi-Laturi. Tallin Pimeduses is an entertaining thriller about a bunch of gangsters who are trying to steal a huge amount of gold, a national treasure that belongs to the republic of Estonia. But at the same time it is some kind of a summary of the conditions of many Eastern European countries at that time. In the early 90s Soviet Union fell into pieces and many countries, such as Estonia, became independent. Now the conditions may be better in most of those countries. But in the beginning of the 90s many of those new nations had to fight against corruption and organized crime that the Soviet era had left them as inheritance. (And many of them still do...at least on some level...)

Tallinn Pimeduses is a very realistic film of that era with believable characters and with a well-written script. The actors are also very good, especially Jüri Järvet (perhaps the best known Estonian actor, plays Snaut in Tarkovski's Solaris), playing and old gangster who's slowly becoming tired of his way of life. But the most astonishing performance comes from Monika Mäger, a child-actor playing Terje, a boyish girl in her early teens, whose presence in the plot is quite essential.

There are not many films in the world that manage to be entertainment and artistic at the same time. But Tallinn Pimeduses does that. Unfortenately Järvi-Laturi's other films are far from this kind of achievements. His first one, Kotia päin was too artificial and his latest, History is Made at Night was just a weird mess.

Nice picture about my city.

[Alice Blinne · 22 March 1999]

Well, I was born in Tallinn, Estonia. I think it's one of the best movies Estonia has ever made. The plot is unusual among traditional Estonian plots; the combination of black-and-white and color is pretty dynamic and very suitable.

A good movie.