Setting a story in the future or an otherwise exaggerated world has always been a great way to satirize the prevailing society. There is no shortage of foreign satirical tales (A Clockwork Orange, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Great Dictator...) but we have got a few examples in Finland as well. One such movie is Jack Witikka's The Doll Merchant from 1955, a very refreshing exception from the usual formula of old Finn-films.
The story is set in a society where entertainment appears to be forbidden and everything is highly totalitarian, bureaucratic and eternally busy. Of course, misfits are not thought of fondly by the society's high officials led by the General Leader (Tauno Palo), so the Head Bureau's black-coated agents are always on the lookout for potential terrorists. One day a naive and financially struggling doll salesman (Martti Katajisto) catches the attention of the Bureau after being mistaken for a real anarchist (Heikki Savolainen), leading to many difficulties in his personal life. Particularly his budding romance with a beautiful blonde woman called Lilith (Hillevi Lagerstam) proves problematic as she happens to be the General Leader's lady friend.
To me the film was a very positive surprise; one doesn't get to see this kind of bold stylization too much in Finnish cinema. Often the absurd mood relies much more on the visuals than dialog and the frequent Dutch angles, stark contrasts of the black and white cinematography and almost expressionistic set designs are very enjoyable to examine over the course of the short running time. The major characters also have their doll versions in the merchant's magical basket and at one point we get to witness an exciting dream sequence that resembles a modern dance piece, a ballet even. That is probably my favourite scene in the movie but the anarchistic children's revolution at the end is quite exhilarating as well. The main love story itself is cute too, even if a little half-baked; I think Lilith's part is left a bit small and underdeveloped considering her status as a titular character. Anyway, acting-wise Hillevi Lagerstam makes a decent pairing for the pretty-faced Martti Katajisto.
The satirical elements obviously aim the jokes against the work-obsessed power-society that draws major visual influence from Nazi Germany, from the agents' shiny black leather coats and toothbrush moustaches to the ambiguously swastika-like logo of the General Leader's ruling party. In spite of the serious elements, the film is by no means a somber effort. The daydreaming doll merchant's antics and the lone anarchist's quest for one little doll are at many points purely comedic and in fact I don't think it would be completely crazy to hear echoes of Charles Chaplin's Little Tramp in the lead character: both are reticent but polite traveling loners often down on their luck although the doll merchant never loses his positive attitude, unlike the melancholic tramp. The comedic style is further emphasized by the intentional overacting by pretty much every cast member. In a serious movie it could feel theatrical and annoying but here it definitely fits in seamlessly, as does the excellently diverse and funny score by Simon Parmet.
Ultimately the message is more universal than political (even though the final revolution is indeed accompanied by a musical reference to the socialist anthem "The Internationale"). The importance of rediscovering the long lost joy, playfulness and love in one's life is not a strikingly original idea but comes across as so heart-warming and positive that it is hard to dislike. If only more directors and producers would have the courage to release this kind of stylish "fairytales for grown-ups" even today, modern Finnish cinema could become much more interesting than it is now with its heavy oversupply of gloomy dramas made for urban 30-somethings.
