The Harvest Month

Plot Summary

The title of the Finnish film Elokuu translates to August. Directed by Matti Kassila, one of Finland's premiere filmmakers, Elokuu was adapted from a novel by Nobel prize winning finnish author F.E. Sillanpää. Simply put, the story concerns the decline and fall of a once-proud family, thanks to the alcoholism of its paterfamilias. Toivo Makela delivers a powerfully effective performance as the inebriated protagonist, avoiding the usual "drunken" cliches. The overlong running time, coupled with the downbeat nature of the subject, limited the film's worldwide appeal.

Top Cast

Toivo Mäkelä Viktor Sundvall

Emma Väänänen Saima Sundvall

Rauni Luoma Maija Länsilehto

Aino-Maija Tikkanen Tyyne Sundvall

Rauni Ikäheimo Iita