Åland is a largely autonomous province of Finland with around 30,000 inhabitants, almost all of whom speak Swedish as their native language. The archipelago consists of 6,757 islands at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia, of which only 60 are populated by people. The historical drama “Strong in character” takes place on one of them.Stormskärs Maja – Carried by love, shaped by storms“, the second directorial work by Tiina Lymi, also known as an actress (“Grump”). The story is basically relatively simple, but is presented in a pleasantly broad way through a believable framing of historical events and social developments. In a visually impressive way, Lymi also manages to create a fascinating portrait of a time and a place that most of us certainly didn't even know existed.
Mid-19th century on Åland: The teenager Maja (Amanda Jansson) is married against her will to the young fisherman Janne (Linus Troedsson), who immediately fell in love with the stubborn girl when they first met. She likes the dashing Magnus (Christian Fandango Sundgren) from the village much better, but what should she do? Her parents (Tobias Zilliacus, Jonna Järnefelt), who lead a simple life, are happy about the prospect of having one less mouth to feed, and the marriage is already a done deal. Since Janne, as the third son of his father, who is also rather poor, cannot expect any inheritance, the young couple has to fend for themselves. Janne has the idea of taking out a loan and moving to the remote, previously uninhabited islet of Stormskär, where he hopes to have greater success in fishing. After initial hesitation, Maja agrees, hoping to be able to lead a less foreign-dominated life there…
On the small island of Stormskär the snow falls particularly quietly.
Everyday life in the small hut on the barren island is hard and full of challenges. But the couple, who are getting closer and closer, overcome it together. With the arrival of their children, their love only grows stronger and becomes a real partnership that was unusual for the time. But then a war suddenly breaks out between the Russian Empire (to which the Grand Duchy of Finland belonged at the time) and Great Britain. Janne goes into hiding to avoid being deported, and Maja and the children have to stand alone against a group of British soldiers who are occupying their small homeland.
A lot happens in the title heroine's life – after all, the film is based on a five-part (!) novel series by author Anni Blomqvist. Although the film also clocks in at an impressive 164 minutes, its length never becomes a problem. Rather, the opposite is the case. Unfortunately, the last hour seems a little rushed and therefore bumpy at times. Before that, however, Lymi happily takes a lot of time to introduce her audience to the story. Again and again she creates special moments to explain the characters or situations to us elegantly, without clumsy exposition, and to move them forward.
Epic images
These passages are accompanied by chief cameraman Rauno Ronkainen (“Frozen Land”) with aesthetically filmed images of the breathtaking, even more moving landscape in winter and the foaming sea or the expressive faces. We experience authentic-looking inserts such as Maja's little banter with her slightly older sister (Amanda Kilpeläinen Arvidsson) or her shadow plays in front of the fireplace at home. Ronkainen's recordings are supported unobtrusively but effectively by the score by Lauri Porra (“Heavy Trip”), which suggests isolation and despair, then again hope or happiness.
At the beginning, the filmmaker cleverly shows us the dreaminess and childlike nature of Maja, as well as her relationship to the individual members of her family. Later she shows in a similarly natural way how Janne and Maja finally get closer to each other on the island while building their hut and carrying out their daily activities. So close that the young woman soon decides not to let her husband sail out on a particularly stormy day. “Promise me that you will turn around as soon as the wind picks up just a little bit. “I’d rather eat hay for the rest of my life than have to spend it without you,” she calls after him worriedly.
In their solitude, Maja (Amanda Jansson) and Janne (Linus Troedsson) still find each other.
Later we see her standing alone on the rocks in the surf, anxiously looking for Janne. When it gets dark, she gathers brushwood to light a signal fire while – after praying to Jesus Christ seems to be of no use – she begs pagan sea gods to bring her lover home to her. This powerful and moving solo scene is played with full commitment by Amanda Jansson (“Thin Blue Line”). And in the rest of the film, the actress, who plays her character between the ages of 16 and over 60, always remains believable and refreshingly unpretentious.
Some peripheral characters, such as a few particularly rowdy Englishmen or the condescending local banker (Carl-Kristian Rundman), seem a bit stereotypical. However, the parts that are most important besides Maja are consistently characterized and well acted, so that they do not seem like scenery, but rather come across as integral parts of the plot. They also contribute to making “Stormskärs Maja” a touching chronicle of a simple but very fulfilling life.
Conclusion: The title heroine's dramatic fight against relentless nature, war, loneliness, social prejudices and everything else that the 19th century had to throw at a strong-willed woman is told in an inspiring manner and often illustrated with beautiful images. Lead actress Amanda Jansson acts very strongly and strongly recommends herself for further big tasks.