Flame Top (1980)
This biographical film celebrates the little-known life of the Finnish novelist and revolutionary Maiju Lassila (Asko Sarkola), born in 1868. Lassila's early years are briefly shown, then the film richly details his active and paradoxically reclusive adult life, beginning with his sojourn in St. Petersburg, working as a businessman. Unable to stay away from politics, he caused the assassination of a high-ranking Czarist and as a result, had to run back to Finland to hide. Once established in the comparative safety of a small village, he taught school in order to support his real vocation as a writer. Always living on the edge of poverty, if not square in the middle of it, Lassila continues to avoid public contact - he keeps his identity low-key and camoflages it by publishing under a variety of pseudonyms.
Directors:
Pirjo Honkasalo, Pekka Lehto.
Writer:
Pirjo Honkasalo
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Asko Sarkola as Writer Algot Lassila, aka Maiju Lassila, aka Irmari Rantamala |
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Rea Mauranen as Olga Esempio |
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Kari Franck as Gunnar Avanto |
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Ari Suonsuu as Kalle |
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Ritva Juhanto as Kurttuska |
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Esko Salminen as Arwid |
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Heikki Alho as Pikku-Pouvali |
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Tuomo Railo as Sulo Esempio |
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Yuri Rodionov as Rawitz |
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Galina Galtseva as Magda |
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Soli Labbart as Maria Lassila |
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Pirkka Karskela as Young Algot |
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Markku Blomqvist as Lundberg |
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Esa Suvilehto as Pöntinen |
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Matti Oravisto as Commandant Carl von Wendt |
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Gunvor Sandkvist as Anna Belostotskaja |
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Pentti Kotkaniemi as Russian Army Captain |
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Aleksandr Zakharov as Von Plehwe |
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Vadim Mikheyenko as Terrorist |
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Antero Harpf as Rebel officer |
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German Lupekin as General Porunov |
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Esko Pesonen as Chief editor |
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Arno Virtanen as Circus manager |
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Vitali Iljin-Shapiro as Terrorist |
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Jan Kulik as Terrorist |
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Toivo Tuomainen as Oskari Skoff |
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Elvi Saarnio as Olga Esempio in prologue (voice) |
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Yrjö Tähtelä as Narrator (voice) |
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Eeva-Kaarina Volanen as (voice) |
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Mauno Blomqvist as Ploughman (uncredited) |
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Mauri Front as News photographer (uncredited) |
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Pentti Louko as Orthodox priest (uncredited) |
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Esko Salmesvirta as Algot's father (uncredited) |
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Rauha Wolska as Restaurant hostess (uncredited) |
| Sound | Paul Jyrälä | Production Sound Mixer |
| Directing | Pirjo Honkasalo | Director |
| Directing | Pekka Lehto | Director |
| Art | Pentti Valkeasuo | Production Design |
| Art | A. Ksenofontova | Production Design |
| Art | Reijo Puttonen | Production Design |
| Writing | Pirjo Honkasalo | Screenplay |
| Sound | Heikki Valpola | Original Music Composer |
| Sound | Pekka Sirén | Sound Effects |
| Costume & Make-Up | Inkeri Terävä | Makeup Artist |
| Camera | Kari Sohlberg | Director of Photography |
| Production | Claes Olsson | Producer |
| Directing | Jaakko Talaskivi | Assistant Director |
| Editing | Irma Taina | Editor |
| Writing | Maiju Lassila | Novel |
| Costume & Make-Up | Kristiina Valkeasuo | Makeup Designer |
| Sound | Olli Soinio | Sound Effects |
| Sound | Antero Honkanen | Sound Effects |
| Costume & Make-Up | Päivi Tiura | Costume Design |
| Sound | Paul Jyrälä | Sound Editor |
| Sound | Lars Klettner | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Sound | Sven Fahlén | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Editing | Pirjo Laivuori | Colorist |
| Camera | Kari Kekkonen | Assistant Camera |
| Camera | Pertti Mutanen | "B" Camera Operator |
| Editing | Leena Palmu | Negative Cutter |
| Production | Juhani Jotuni | Location Manager |
| Art | Tikke Tuura | Property Master |
| Camera | Erkki Peltomaa | Assistant Camera |
| Production | Jaakko Talaskivi | Unit Manager |
| Writing | Daniel Katz | Adaptation |
