The Tough Ones – a film about modern day knife junkies

Synopsis

The Tough Ones is a powerful portrayal of three young men, two of whom Antti (Juha Veijonen) and Jussi (Samuli Edelmann) have served five years in prison for bank robbery. The third perpetrator of the robbery, Heikki (Teemu Lehtilä), has studied himself into a lawyer while the guys are serving their sentences. At the beginning of the film, in the summer of 1994, Antti and Jussi are released and return to their small hometown, while Heikki takes over as the town's acting registrar. After a robbery, the hidden loot has disappeared and, despite Heikki's obstructions, the penniless Antti and Jussi are driven to sell moonshine, because, as Antti's grandfather (Kalevi Haapoja), who makes punch, says: Honest work has never paid, and never will!

Events take a dramatic turn when Antti and Jussi sell booze to teenagers and the villagers turn against them. The boys' old acquaintance, policeman Törnqvist (Kari Väänänen), also comes to investigate after Heikki's laxity. As the story moves from tragedy to tragedy, the friends find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into a spiral of violence, with Antti unwillingly drawn by the unpredictable and psychotic Jussi. Not even Antti's sister Sisko (Sari Havas), who is expecting Jussi's child, can subdue him. At the other end of the wild escape journey, a surprise awaits Antti, who calmly reconciles his sins and never finds out. It will remain a secret between Jussi and Heikki.

The truth behind the name

The Tough Ones were knife-junkies who, for lack of anything better to do, drank, fought and rioted in small towns in South Ostrobothnia, such as Kauhava, Ala-Härmä and Yli-Härmä from the late 1700s to the 1900s.
They were armed with knives and were the most unscrupulous of criminals, far removed from respectability, romance and the Robin Hood ideal. They stole from rich and poor alike, killing and beating anyone who stood up to them, including each other. In court, the tough ones lied shamelessly, silenced witnesses and had no remorse. The most famous tough ones , Antti Isotalo and Antti Rannanjärvi, were forced to do hard labour on a couple of occasions. Rannanjärvi died in a knife fight, but Isotalo calmed down in his old age, remembering the knife-junkie days with longing. The wave of immigrants from South Ostrobothnia to America put an end to the days of knife junkies. The new heroes were those who came home from America with pockets full of money.

Director's statement

"I've been a big fan of westerns since I was a little boy. If I had made The Tough Ones as an immediate follow-up to my first two films, I would be the father of three boyish films. However, I grew old quickly and years of waiting matured the story into something different, a drama that starts with comedic overtones and eventually turns into a tragedy. The action drives the story, but within it there are many deep emotions: hopeless love, empty threat, despair that erupts into violence. These over-age juvenile delinquents are truly unsightly and unideal bastards. But they have feelings too. I don't expect the viewer to sympathize with them, but I know that you can come across horrors committed by such people anywhere. This story is coincidentally set in Finland and Kauhava. For me, it is still a genuine western in its soul."

Aleksi Mäkelä
director

ROLES INCLUDE:
Samuli Edelmann
Juha Veijonen
Teemu Lehtilä
Kalevi Haapoja
Arttu Kapulainen
Sari Havas
Eero Aho
Kari Väänänen
Pia Latomäki
Vesa Mäkelä
Oiva Lohtander
Jussi Lampi
Katariina Kaitue
Risto Salmi
Heikki Hela

The Tough Ones were six-time Jussi nominees, but in the end only Kalevi Haapoja won with a side performance. The other nominations were: best film, best actorSamuli Edelmann), best supporting actress (Sari Havas), best screenplay (Aleksi Bardy), best costume design (Nina Puumalainen) and best sound designPekka Karjalainen).

PREMIERE IN FINLAND
15.9.1999

DIRECTOR
Aleksi Mäkelä

PRODUCER
Markus Selin / Solar Films

SCRIPT
Aleksi Bardy

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Pini Hellstedt

SET DESIGN
Risto Karhula

COSTUME DESIGN
Nina Puumalainen (now Lindholm)

SOUND DESIGN
Pekka Karjalainen

MUSIC
Kalle Chydenius

EDITOR
Kauko Lindfors