Aki Kaurismäki; The Proletariat trilogy

The Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki is known for his minimalistic style and humorous attitude that found a place in every movie. After four years of work, he completed one of the cornerstones of his career; the Proletariat trilogy, which depicts the stories of Finnish low-class characters who live in Helsinki suburbs. The Proletariat trilogy disappoints people who imagine Finland as a welfare state with the best opportunities by showing us the life of people who are forgotten within the back alleys of Helsinki. The trilogy's protagonists struggle for life, are employed in low-paying jobs, and do not have desirable family relations.

Shadows in Paradise (1986) is the series' first movie, which narrates the romantic story of a sanitation worker Nikander, and a supermarket check-out clerk Ilona. We start to see in this movie that Kaurismäki's characters are losers in life with a lack of purpose and opportunities. Ilona has different ambitions than Nikander who seems more tranquil, nevertheless, their story enlightens us about the 80s forgotten neighborhoods of Helsinki. The music, which Kaurismäki uses in every movie to deepen the characters' emotional state, the spaces, and minimum conversation, calmly moves the story forward.

Ariel's (1988) second movie of the series may be overshadowed compared to the other two, but still worth seeing. The film depicts the story of Taisto, a coal miner who lost his job and struggled to make a living within Helsinki. Kaurismäki delivers this dramatic working-class story naturally through romantic and friendship relations. Ultimately, Taisto manages to board a boat to Mexico with her romantic partner Irmeli, and her son. This ending reminds us of one more time off the other side of Finland and opportunities to make a living elsewhere.

The Match Factory Girl (1990), the adaptation of Anderson's tale, could be the most successful movie in the trilogy. Kaurismäki narrates the story with the other two and adapts the story to Finland's working class of the 80s. It's the story of Iris, who works at a match factory and lives with her parents. She is the trilogy's loneliest protagonist, whom her parents and others outside ignore. Kaurismäki does not complicate, do tricks, or play mind games; the audience directly understands the character's emotional state. When Iris could not dance, how her mother talked and the songs that played made us think Iris was invisible. Her breaking moment is when she loses her baby and is rejected by her mother. After that, she turns into someone who avenges those who made her suffer and disappointed. During these scenes, we do not see any sign of regret because she has nothing to lose anymore.