This stage play portrays poor people living in a night shelter.The group contains of lower class and of nobility that has become poor.Ihmisiä Elämän Pohjalla (1966) is directed by Mikko Niskanen and it's based on Maxim Gorky's play.It doesn't have a real plot but it gives us a psychological portrayal of these people.This works because of all those fine performances by the actors.Tauno Palo is one sympathetic character who has the ability to feel pity for other people.That is also one of the themes of this play.Joel Rinne is magnificent as the man who has served time in jail.Unto Salminen gives a tragic performance as the old alcoholic actor.Vesa-Matti Loiri gives a rather comical performance as the drunken boy with the accordion.Eeva-Kaarina Volanen and Kirsti Ortola as the sisters are brilliant.Arvo Lehesmaa as the latter's husband and the owner of the shelter, Kostiljov, is terrific.Risto Aaltonen, who has something to do with both of the sisters, is fantastic.Tarmo Manni is great as the baron who now has to wear rags.Tapio Hämäläinen gives a truly fine performance as the man who loses his wife (Hillevi Lagerstam).Pia Hattara is wonderful with her talk of the time she was loved.Then there are also fine performances by people like Sasu Haapanen and Oiva Sala.This is really worth watching because of those performances.And you also have to like those characters, most of them anyway.And pity, perhaps.
