Movie Review: Purge (Puhdistus)

Purge (Puhdistus) 

Starring: Laura Birn, Liisi Tandefelt, Amanda Pilke, Peter Franzén, Kristjan Sarv, Krista Kosonen, Tommi Korpela, Jarmo Mäkinen, Tomi Salmela 

Director: Antti J. Jokinen 

Solar Films, Taska Film, Jukka Helle and Markus Selin production, Finland, Estonia, 2012. 

The movie is based on the play and novel by Sofi Oksanen. Not to be mixed with an American horror movie with the same name!

In 1990s Estonia has newly gained independence. Lonely and paranoid old woman Aliide Truu (Liisi Tandefelt) finds a fainted girl (Amanda Pilke) from her farmyard. The girl is a prostitute escaping from the Russian Mafia. The girl, Zara was conned with an offered waiters job and sold as a sex slave. His pimp Pasa (Kristjan Sarv) and thug Lavrenti (Jarmo Mäkinen) are after her. Zara is also the granddaughter of Aliide's sister Ingel, but Aliide does not believe it first. 

Aliide is afraid of visitors

Zara escapes the Russian Mafia

Zara got conned and abducted by mobsters

Decades before Ingel (Krista Kosonen) and Aliide (Laura Birn) fell in love with the same man Hans Pekk (Peter Franzén). Aliide was the move stronger one and Ingel the more emotional. Ingel got Hans first and they were married. Aliide became jealous. When Soviet Union occupied Estonia, the communists deported Aliide's and Ingel's parents to Siberia and confiscated their farm. Ingel and Hans had a baby. Hans joined the Estonian resistance fighters Metsavennad, the Forest Brothers. The captured Forest Brothers were executed mercilessly. The sisters feared for Hans and also for their own fate. 

Young Aliide

Young Ingel

Hans Pekk before the war

The sisters were under surveillance of communists and interrogated many times by sadistic militsiya officer (Tomi Salmela). The sisters hid Hans in a secret room. Aliide was arrested and raped but she did not tell about Hans. To save her skin Aliide began to attend communist meetings and date a communist agitator Martin (Tommi Korpela). Aliide became despised in the eyes of the villagers and Ingel. Eventually Aliide did some terrible things to survive. 

Sadistic militsiya keeps the sisters under surveillance

Aliide and communist agitator Martin

When Pasa comes to search for Zara, Aliide has to settle accounts with her past. Does Aliide defend Zara from the mobsters or does she betray her also? 

Pasa is coming after Zara

The movie focuses on Estonian history under Soviet occupation and the horrors of sex trade. History of abuse repeats itself in different forms. The main characters are often seen cleaning themselves, trying to wash away the terrible past. The female actors do great job in strong roles. The cinematography is good. Beautifully shot sceneries contrast brutal scenes at the torture chambers and sex clubs. The depiction of sex trade is on a par with Lilya 4-ever. The movie is touching, thought-provoking and brutal. 

Rating: Very good