WasAnnon Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Peereddi I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

trowsea This strange, visually arresting morality-slash-horror play is well worth the time. Set in the dense forests and wilderness of 16th century Finland, the plot features two brothers-- one an embittered veteran of the recent wars between Sweden and Russia, the other a naive geographer hoping to make for himself during the map making expedition. They and the rest of the surveying team, including rival Russian troops, soon discover a mysterious village hidden deep within an immense swampland. While the villagers have all fled the wars, instead the brothers and the rest of the surveying group are forced by a merciless spirit to confront their wartime deeds as well as a bloody incident during the expedition. It's uncertain if the spirit is a demon or is a manifestation of their own inner ghosts, but either way (in the great last line of Session 9) it feeds on "the weak and the wounded." Whether the brothers are cleansed or are devoured by the possessive force leads to a dark, unsettling finale.For fans of slower, more thoughtful horror, and especially horror stories set within unique historical circumstances (e.g. Black Death or R-Point), Sauna is a must-see. The costumes, scenery and cinematography alone make for a memorable experience, never mind the universally strong acting and relentlessly chilling atmosphere.

Sindre Kaspersen Eerik Spore is a darkened war veteran with 73 lives on his consciousness, who has lost his empathetic abilities during the times of war. The only person he looks at with a certain form of consideration is his younger brother Knut, an academic and philanthropist who has ambitions about going to Stockholm to become a professor. The two brothers are posted at the cold border between Sweden, Finland and Russia in the years 1595. The war that started in 1570 between Russia and Sweden after Russia had made an attempt to conquer the swedes possessions in Estland, is over. Now the borders are to be set and a commission consisting of the brothers Spore and three Russian's sets the course north on a two day march through a widespread quagmire to meet another commission by the river Kiertämä. The tension between the men rises rapidly, and when Knut experiences clear visions of a woman he and his brother left behind in a locked cellar, his moral compass is awakened.Finnish director Antti-Jussi Annila's second feature film, an ominous and atmospheric horror/thriller about two very different brothers' mystic experiences during the Nordic twenty-five-year-war, visualizes the fine line between reality and imagination through it's dominating use of visuals and sounds. Through passionless landscapes surrounded by mountains, trees and water, we follow five uncooperative men who are haunted by a horrible misdeed committed by the Swedish brothers. The men arrive at a nameless village that has a sauna which according to the folk myth can wash away people's sins. A sauna reminiscent of the one in Andrei Tarkovsky's "Stalker" (1979), where one's innermost wishes could come true."Sauna" has a masterful narrative that moves very quiet for a long time. The invincible boost of intensity has a striking effect and escalates with unpredictable pace towards the film's thrilling climax. The enigmatic screenplay is a substantial example of the art of storytelling within Scandinavian film and obtains a short though leading dialog that underpins the film's obscure atmosphere. With his perceptive filming Aj Annila follows the characters at all times with the exception of some distant photos of the grand landscape and the esoteric sauna. Characteristic for Annila's direction is frequent use of close ups and hand-held camera movements. A metaphysical study of character, a terrifying folklore or a historic drama, "Sauna" is no stereotypic horror film. Without exaggerating the use of splatter scenes Aj Annila manages to create a cryptic, poetic, illusory and continuant atmosphere which is a character in itself and almost solely representative of the film's horror aspects. From the mythical depictions of milieu and the detailed costumes, a realistic sense of time and place is contrived. The acting is excellent and seen as a whole "Sauna" is an audio-visual and epic masterpiece with auras of mysticism, that tinder's of artistic expressions.

Cujo108 Following the end of the decades-long war between Russia and Sweden, a group of soldiers from both countries is assigned the task of defining a new border. Among this group are Eerik and Knut, two brothers who couldn't be more different. The former is a vicious soldier who has been fighting his entire life, while the latter is a civilized collegian who came along due to his expertise in crafting maps. On a scouting run separate from the rest of the group, the two encounter a farmer and his daughter. Bad things happen and the brothers rejoin the expedition the next morning, but what transpired at the remote farm leads to severe feelings of guilt for Knut. He even feels that he's being followed. Continuing their trek across the barren terrain, the men eventually come across a mysterious town where no such place should logically exist. What's more, something seems very off with the inhabitants and, more importantly, with the sauna that stands just outside of the village's reach.I caught this back in early December on a cold, dreary night. As much as I despise cold weather, it actually made for a fitting atmosphere in which to watch this film. Not just because of the snowy locales or skies drained of color, but also due to the chilling predicament of the characters and the weight of the film's themes. Sauna is a picture that festered in my mind for a good while afterward. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I came out thinking that this was one of the most intriguing horror films I had seen in years. I bought the DVD shortly after my initial viewing, though I still have yet to revisit it. All these months later, it continues to pop back into my head from time to time. It has stayed with me in a way that only a truly haunting piece of work could. I intend to re-watch it when I feel that the timing is right, not before.The film boasts a strong period setting and some effectively unsettling moments (all about that first time Knut catches a glimpse of a figure across the swamp) set against a mood of pure despair. The characters here are as cold and gloomy as the atmosphere which surrounds them. The acting is resoundingly strong across the board, most notably that of Ville Virtanen as the bloodthirsty Eerik. His character is that of a murderous sociopath who has never known anything but war, yet Virtanen instills the part with a certain sense of empathy and regret underneath the seething hatred. We are also privy to cinematography that, while dark and drained of life, has an exquisite beauty to it. You really feel the chilled air right along with the characters. I'm still not sure that I fully understand everything that goes on in the film, but hey, half of the fun is speculating. There are numerous layers here to keep your mind busy with interpretation. Oh, and the ending is quite something as well!Alas, discussion around the web appears to be sparse when it comes to this title. If you like eerie, artistic horror, you owe it to yourself to give Sauna a shot. You may not care for it, as this kind of film will never be for everyone, but you will witness one of the more unique genre entries in many a year. All in all, it's a fascinating film that is rewarding in more ways than I can count.

siderite The movie is beautifully done, with dark wet imagery and good acting. However, you either have to be Finnish to understand or I was too tired to get the message. All I could get was that for the Finns the sauna is a cultural heirloom, dating way before their christianizing, a place where they believed to wash their sins. Finns and their sins. Sorry, couldn't help it :) However, left long enough to rot, those sins become unattonable and even if you face them, it is pointless. I guess this is one of those life lessons that the Christian religion is desperately trying to hide from us.Anyway, as I said, great imagery and the feeling of desolation and burden of sin is almost palpable. I liked the characters as well, deep and sharp. However, it was a slow thing and never in the movie there was any "aha!" moment. One has to make an effort to watch the film and to understand it. Being Finnish probably helps, too.