History movies
Period pieces that transport you back in time, recreating the events and figures that shaped our past.
Subgenres include: Historical Event, Biographical History, Political History.
Young soldier Heikki fights on the Karelian Isthmus alongside his friend Pauli. Arvo, recently released from prison, joins the company, challenging the others' views on war and duty with his worldview. The ceasefire raises hopes of returning home, but it soon becomes clear that Finland must turn against its former German allies in Lapland. At the same time, Saara, who works as a German interpreter in Rovaniemi, must choose her future: stay in Finland or flee to Germany with her beloved, Major Duisberg.
After enduring 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean emerges a hardened man. He seeks redemption by reinventing himself as a respected dignitary under a new identity. He promises Fantine, a dying factory worker, to rescue and protect her daughter Cosette, who is being exploited and mistreated by the deceitful Thénardier family. As Valjean raises Cosette as his own, he is relentlessly pursued by Inspector Javert. Admist the social unrest shaking France, the fates of Valjean, Cosette, her lover Marius, and Javert become intertwined in a turbulent, revolutionary Paris. Through struggles, sacrifices, and a deep yearning for justice, Valjean strives to complete his journey of redemption and offer Cosette a future of love and freedom.
Kakizaki Yuji’s period film is not like the jidaigeki films we are used to. While it deals with themes of seppuku, duty, and loyalty to one’s masters and the shogun, we see very little in terms of action. Instead, the film focuses on the inner thoughts and struggles of the protagonist—who is ordered to perform a ritual suicide—his wife, and their entire household, all leading up to the final moment.




