Tähdet kertovat, komisario Palmu (1962) AKA It's in the Stars, Inspector Palmu

 

This droll Finnish crime-comedy is something of a cult hit in its native Finland, but has never quite received much attention outside of the country. Based on a series of crime novels, It's In the Stars, Inspector Palmu, is a energetic and engaging romp that feels fresh and exciting, mostly thanks to its wry dialogue and modernist aesthetic. When a woman discovers a dead body at the foot of Observatory Hill, the sarcastic and cantankerous Inspector Palmu is assigned to the case along with his quirky colleagues. The suspense derives not so much from the central murder mystery, but from the quick one liners and likeable characters that propel it forward. The crisp black and white visuals establish a very unique sense of atmosphere; Finland on the cusp of the 1960s, a country coming out of agrarian backwardness and into the modern era. The country's complicated involvement in WWII also comes to the surface when General Vanderbilt, a war hero, but a militant fascist finally appears. During the war, Finland made a deal with the devil, Nazi Germany, to fight the Soviet Union, which was trying to annex the country. At one point, a character remarks that if there were more men like Vanderbilt around, he'd vote communist. Another subplot involves a young teenage couple, ensnared by the criminal life and poverty, desperate to make something better of themselves. This is not to give the impression that It's in the Stars, Inspector Palmu, is somehow a depressing film, because it is one that is very funny and involving, but its ability to dig beneath the surface raises it from what could have been just an enjoyable crime comedy and into something more profound and memorable.