It's a curious thing, isn't it, how certain creative pairings lodge themselves in your mind? Imagine the philosophical weight of Jean-Paul Sartre, the titan of existentialism, filtered through the distinctively deadpan, minimalist lens of Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki. It sounds almost like a thought experiment, yet it exists: Likaiset kädet, or Dirty Hands, a television film adaptation crafted by Kaurismäki in 1989. Perhaps your memory, like some faded tape labels, places it a few years earlier, around '86, but this stark piece of political drama emerged right at the cusp of a new decade, offering a fascinating, if perhaps less frequently unearthed, artifact from the VHS era.
From Stage to Small Screen
Based directly on Sartre's 1948 play Les Mains Sales, the film plunges us into the fraught world of intra-party politics within a fictional Eastern European country called Illyria during World War II. The original play was a cauldron of post-war disillusionment, grappling with the compromises demanded by political action versus the purity of ideology. Kaurismäki, known then mostly for his Proletariat Trilogy (Shadows in Paradise (1986), Ariel (1988), The Match Factory Girl (1990)), might seem an odd choice. His usual focus on the stoic struggles of the working class feels miles away from Sartre's verbose intellectuals debating revolution. Yet, something in the source material clearly resonated.
The story centers on Hugo (Matti Pellonpää), a young, bourgeois intellectual who joins the Communist Party, eager to prove his commitment. He chafes under the perceived betrayal of party leader Hoederer (Sulevi Peltola), who advocates for pragmatic alliances Hugo sees as ideologically impure. Tasked, perhaps manipulated, into assassinating Hoederer, Hugo finds himself caught between his ideals, his orders, and the messy reality of human relationships, particularly with his wife Jessica (Kati Outinen).
Kaurismäki Confronts Sartre
How does Kaurismäki translate Sartre's dense dialogue and philosophical quandaries? Primarily through restraint. Where Sartre's play bursts with arguments and existential declarations, Kaurismäki strips things down. The camera often holds steady, the settings are sparse, and the colour palette feels deliberately muted, leaning into the inherent bleakness. This isn't the vibrant, rockabilly-tinged melancholy of some of his later work; it’s a colder, more severe atmosphere, fitting for a story about life-and-death political choices.
Made for Finnish television (specifically YLE TV1), Dirty Hands bears some hallmarks of its origin. The scale is intimate, focusing intensely on the actors within confined spaces. You won't find grand revolutionary vistas here. Instead, the tension builds in close-ups, in the unspoken thoughts flickering across faces, in the claustrophobia of rooms where dangerous ideas are discussed in hushed tones. This constraint, however, becomes a strength, focusing our attention squarely on the moral and psychological drama. It feels less like a sprawling epic and more like a pressure cooker, which serves Sartre's core conflicts remarkably well.
The Weight of Performance
At the heart of the film is the late, great Matti Pellonpää as Hugo. A frequent Kaurismäki collaborator, Pellonpää possessed an extraordinary ability to convey deep emotion with minimal outward expression. Here, he embodies Hugo's tormented idealism, his intellectual vanity, and his ultimate, tragic confusion. You see the war within him – the desire to act decisively versus the paralyzing weight of consequence. It’s a performance built on subtle shifts in gaze, the clenching of a jaw, the weary slump of his shoulders.
Kati Outinen, another Kaurismäki stalwart, provides a crucial counterpoint as Jessica. She navigates the complex space between political pawn, concerned wife, and perhaps something more manipulative herself. Sulevi Peltola brings a grounded weariness to Hoederer, the pragmatist who understands the necessary compromises Hugo cannot stomach. The interactions between these three form the film's core, a triangle of ideology, affection, and betrayal played out with Kaurismäki’s signature understated intensity.
A Rarity Worth Seeking
Let's be honest, finding Dirty Hands on the shelves of your local video store back in the day would have been highly unlikely, especially outside of Scandinavia. This wasn't a mainstream release; it was a television production of a challenging French play by a Finnish director yet to achieve his full international cult status. Discovering it likely involved tracking down festival screenings, relying on tape trading circles, or perhaps stumbling upon it much later through dedicated retrospectives. There's a certain thrill in that, isn't there? The hunt for these less-common titles, the feeling of uncovering a hidden piece of a beloved director's puzzle.
It lacks the wry humour or the specific brand of Helsinki blues found in much of Kaurismäki's more famous work. It’s a demanding watch, intellectually and emotionally. Yet, it remains a potent piece of filmmaking. It forces us to confront uncomfortable questions: What compromises are acceptable in the pursuit of a greater good? Can one maintain ideological purity in a world demanding action? When does commitment curdle into fanaticism? These are questions Sartre posed decades ago, but filtered through Kaurismäki's stark vision, they retain a chilling relevance.
Rating: 7/10
Dirty Hands is undeniably a minor work in Aki Kaurismäki's filmography compared to classics like The Man Without a Past (2002), but it's a significant one. It demonstrates his willingness to tackle challenging source material and showcases his mastery of mood and minimalist performance even within the constraints of television production. The 7 out of 10 reflects its somewhat stark and demanding nature, and its TV origins which might feel less cinematic to some, but acknowledges the powerful central performances (Pellonpää is magnificent) and the successful, if austere, translation of difficult philosophical themes. It’s not a casual watch, but for the dedicated Kaurismäki fan or those intrigued by serious political drama, it’s a rewarding discovery.
It leaves you pondering the heavy price of conviction, a stark reminder that getting involved often means getting your hands dirty, one way or another.