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A dead grey landscape pierced by tall glass towers and factories sets the quiet and glum tone of Kaurismäki's 2006 film ‘Lights in the Dusk’. It is set-in modern-day Helsinki following the night guard Koistinen (Janne Hyytiäinen), as he struggles through a life of constant humiliation and ridicule. The sad loner finds a glimmer of hope as he encounters a blond femme fatale, but even then, he does not catch a break as she scams him into a criminal plot. Even with a buxom blond, jewellery robbery and the Russian mob involved the film is no action flick. It is a portrayal of a bland life of a stone-faced man, who life keeps kicking when he is down. ‘Lights in the Dusk’ is a film of long silent stares and monosyllabic discussions.
The film is the final chapter of Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki's loser-trilogy. Where the first film of trilogy ‘Drifting Clouds’ (1996) focused on unemployment and second ‘The Man without a Past’ (2002) on homelessness, ‘Lights in the Dusk’ (2006) deals with loneliness. Kaurismäki is known for his minimalist style in representing the expressionless workers of Finland. His films often depict the working class and the social problems that challenge their lives. Besides being prominent in the themes of his work Kaurismäki's political views have been a very visible part of his career. As a protest against the USA's foreign politics, Kaurismäki refused sending ‘Lights in the Dusk’ as Finland's Oscar nominee. He also turned down an honorary doctorate from the Helsinki University of Art and Design in protest to the nomination of a fellow doctor's involvement in fur trade. He remarked in 2005 that 'it should be national duty to be socially responsible.' Kaurismäki's strong moral views become evident as ‘Lights in the Dusk’ follows the misfortunes of its lonesome protagonist in his struggle to find some warmth in the world.
The visual style of the film blends minimalism and film noir with neorealism. Kaurismäki's Helsinki is reminiscent of a Hopper painting. This visual nod is especially evident in the shots of Koistinen eating underneath the Grilli-sign, Finnish for grill. Despite the mise-en-scene being very stylized, the visual edge remains rough. It is as if Kaurismäki is filming the very ugly but doing it beautifully. The ascetic decor and dirty haired actors look like a Finnish translation of Italian neorealism. Although ‘Lights in the Dusk’ is a blend of several styles and influences, in the light of Kaurismäki's social conscience and insistence on depicting the working class, it is interesting to take the comparison further.
Neorealism was born in Italy when 'the post-war period saw several filmmakers beginning to work with the goal of revealing contemporary social conditions', according to Bordwell and Thompson (2004, p. 485). After the war 'studio setting(s) were in short supply and sound equipment was rare' and as result 'neorealist mise-en-scene relied on actual locales, and its photographic work tended toward the raw roughness of documentaries' as Bordwell and Thompson (2004, p. 485) explain. This unpolished style told stories of the poor working classes of Italy. Neorealism was distinguished by the lack of lighting, using non-professional actors and filming on location. ‘Lights in the Dusk’ has many similarities to neoformalism starting from its subject to the portrayal of its characters.
As Thompson (1988, p. 205) notes the subject matter 'draws upon an historically recurring notion that a concentration on the working and peasant classes makes for a more realistic action.' This is very much true of both ‘Lights in the Dusk’ and Kaurismäki's other films. The protagonist is distinctly working class with a deep gap of social segregation dividing him from others, especially the slick mob boss he is up against. Unlike in conventional cinema, where makeup and lighting are used to beautify the actors, ‘Lights in the Dusk’ shows its characters with dirty hair, wrinkles, and all. This is also in line with the neorealist style of showing their subjects truthfully. Where neorealism used non-professional actors for more unpolished and truthful performances, Kaurismäki uses professional actors to equally awkward effect. Their uncomfortable silences are interrupted by clumsy dialogue and sucking on their hand rolled cigarettes. Koistinen seems to be awkward wherever he goes. His expressions and gestures are tense and restrained. Almost equally expressionless are the two women he is stuck in between. Thompson (1988, p. 201) claims 'a refusal to reveal characters' inner states (as in late Bresson films) can seem like objectivity on the part of the narration' in neorealism. In ‘Lights in the Dusk’ the emotions of the characters are hidden behind their wooden exterior. Even attempted murder is non-dramatic and executed in complete silence. But does this detached style add to realism? Even if it is a more realistic portrayal of human communication, at least for the Finns, rather than a realist mood the interaction seems surreal. It might be a truthful account of relations in the Nordic country, but through Kaurismäki's lens it looks ridiculous. Realism becomes surrealism.
The narrative structure of ‘Lights in the Dusk’ follows the themes of neorealism more closely. Bordwell and Thompson (2004, p. 486) state that 'neorealism's tendency toward a slice-of-life plot construction gave many films of the movement an open-ended quality quite opposite to the narrative closure of the Hollywood cinema.' In most films a prison sentence is an ending point, but in ‘Lights in the Dusk’ it is simply a short faze of life. This is reality; one lives through misfortunes and has to carry on despite them. The viewer has a strong sense that the Koistinen’s life existed before and will continue to exist after the film. Bordwell and Thompson (2004, p. 486) explain that 'although the causes of the characters' actions are usually seen as concretely economic and political (poverty, unemployment, exploitation), the effects are often fragmentary and inconclusive.' Even if the major theme of the film is loneliness and the surrounding society is shown as harsh and cold, there is no one to blame for Koistinen's situation. The mob boss is an easy villain personifying the greed and selfishness of the world, but ultimately is not responsible for Koistinen's vulnerability and loneliness. Thompson (1988, p. 207) describes neorealist films as needing to 'recreate the rhythm of real events, with trivial and important happenings alternating' whilst 'planting seemingly trivial material that will later be drawn into the central action or suggesting symbolic or social meaning.' Similarly, to this, the mundane life of Koistinen is scattered with chance meetings that later reveal their importance. His encounter with the Russian mob becomes a prelude to his involvement in crime. A mistreated dog becomes a symbol for his own life and the humanity he craves, as his attempt to save the dog ends up in a bloody nose. The dog's importance is again enforced, as it reappears for the last minutes of the film. These smaller events and clues gain a greater role in the simple mise-en-scene that poses little other distractions.
The mise-en-scene of ‘Lights in the Dusk’ is kept clean and minimal. Koistinen lives in an old factory, with the address L, another nod to his position as an impersonal being in the city. The interiors are very sparsely decorated in a rundown 60s style that suggests a Spartan lifestyle. The milieu is a strange mixture of 21st century steel and glass buildings, 60s interiors and vintage cars. This distances the film from neorealism giving it a more unattached perspective to present its themes. Even though the social issues the film deals with are very much tied to current politics, the style allows them to be analysed without the burdening context of modern society. Loneliness is presented as a downside to modern life, but without laying blame on either laws or politicians. Its style allows it to ask more general questions of humanity. The cinematography’s long shots linger on the little emotion conveyed by the actors and leaves room for their slow interaction. The blocking of the actors leaves space around them that highlights their solitude and isolation. ‘Lights in the Dusk’ shows the private moments of the characters and with unnervingly long shots which allows the viewer to sneak up close to them. There are very few gimmicks employed in the film and it keeps the cuts unobtrusive. This also plays its part in keeping the narration clear and focused on the characters and the issues they illustrate.
So ‘Lights in the Dusk’ is a film that blends influences from many styles creating its own distinct voice. It takes elements of neorealism, stylizes them and makes them seem surreal. Of its two female characters one is a film noir femme fatale and the other a neorealist working-class woman. Most importantly however, it communicates the same sense of social justice and responsibility as Italian neorealism. Its overall message is one of hope via the broken Koistinen rejected from the bank, women, and his work mates; homeless, unemployed and penniless. As Mirja asks him what he will do now Koistinen answers ‘Nothing, everything is lost. I am only kidding. I haven’t lost hope.’
Country: Finland
Budget: £
Length: 78mins
Bibliography:
Boardwell, David and Thompson, Kristin (2004). ‘Film Art: An Introduction’. McGraw-Hill Companies: New York.
Thompson, Kristin (1988). ’Realism in the Cinema: Bicycle Thieves’, in ‘Breaking the Glass Armor: Neoformalist Film Analysis’. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press
Filmography:
‘Drifting Clouds’, 1996, Aki Kaurismäki, Sputnik
‘The Man without a Past’, 2002, Aki Kaurismäki, Bavaria Film
Pub/2008
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