If you’re looking for an unadulterated art film, the stark Finnish drama Giant’s Kettle is your pick. First-time directors Marku Hakala and Mari Kaki make one bold artistic choice after another – no human dialogue, a static camera, shots of very long duration with very little action. Giant’s Kettle is an exploration of alienation, loneliness and yearning in a world hostile to connection.
Where did Hakala and Maki find those stunning locations – those Escher-like stairs, that rock balanced on another rock, that monstrous waffle front building, the hellish playground and that ominous hole on the ground?
There is no human dialogue in Giant’s Kettle (other than an anguished howl), and the filmmakers suggest that the sound be turned up. That’s because it isn’t a silent film – the very intentional ambient noises in the soundtrack add to the effect.
Audience patience is required. Two minutes go by before a character begins to appear and two more minutes before anything hints at happening. The static camera holds on shots of very long duration. We wat.ch a man and woman (and a yo-yo) on a bed…waiting. The filmmakers can get away with this pace because Giant’s Kettle is only 71 minutes long. Nevertheless, it’s not a movie for everyone.
Kirsi Paananen, in what is essentially a silent film performance, is heart-breaking, especially in long shot.
As we watch the man and woman, with her aching longing so apparent, edge together, it seems at times like we’re watching a Finnish motion picture version of Grant Woods’ American Gothic.
Cinequest hosts the US premiere of Giant’s Kettle.