----------Warning: This article may contain spoilers!

In this article, I discussed the Proletariat Trilogy by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, who is known for his humanist worldview, commitment to social justice, and advocacy for the working class. Artistically, Kaurismäki favors a minimalist, aesthetic approach with a touch of light humor. The films that form this trilogy are unpretentious yet profound, socially realistic, and notably short, each running under 90 minutes. He is an internationally recognized, award-winning director with a reputation for being a protest figure, especially considering his history of boycotting various American awards and nominations due to his views. Despite his acclaim, he remains deeply connected to society which is purely evident in his art. 

The trilogy subjected in this article reflects the social and economic challenges faced by Finland during the transition to neoliberalism from the late 1980s to the 1990s. This period saw an increase in crimes related to theft, property, and violence, fueled by economic struggles and urbanization. While Finland remained relatively safe by global standards, these issues created a sense of trauma, or at least a huge challenge, that manifested in its art. The trilogy poignantly portrays the vulnerabilities of the working class, a group particularly susceptible to the societal and economic shifts of the time. Kaurismäki sets most of his films in Helsinki, identifying the city as the epicenter of the country's social issues and problems. Through this trilogy, he vividly illustrates the impact of these changes on the working class, providing a powerful commentary on their struggles and resilience. So let’s start and display the situation in each movie:

Shadows in Paradise (Varjoja paratiisissa), released in 1986, is the first film in the trilogy. It tells the story of Nikander, a solitary garbage collector living in Helsinki. Nikander is a quiet, introverted man who leads a monotonous life, clinging to the dream of his coworker to start a garbage collection company. However, when his coworker suddenly dies, Nikander plunges into deep loneliness and disappointment. During this time, he meets Ilona, a cashier at a supermarket who is unhappy with her job, struggling with life's difficulties, and seeking change. Initially, their relationship is distant, but over time, the mutual attraction and need for each other bring them closer. After Ilona loses her job, Nikander supports her through this difficult period, strengthening their bond. Despite a series of failed meetings and ups and downs, they eventually realize the significance they hold in each other's lives and come together. The film tenderly portrays the small but meaningful moments in Nikander and Ilona's lives, their daily struggles, and the support they provide each other. Two key scenes particularly underscore the depth of the film's themes through its details. One is the dialogue where Ilona is fired and has two weeks left to work there, ending with the revelation that the manager’s daughter will finish school and have to find a job in two weeks. The other is when Nikander introduces himself to Ilona, saying, "I'm Nikander... ex-butcher, now a garbage man. Bad teeth and stomach, liver barely hanging on, which is more than I can say for my head."

The leads, Matti Pellonpää and Kati Outinen, are phenomenal, and seeing the director's two favorite actors together as a couple is a unique pleasure. The film excellently conveys the bitterness of poverty, maintaining a sense of humility in the characters throughout. Nikander, the male lead, is particularly impressive. Despite (quite naturally) lacking career ambition, he regularly attends English classes, spends time on the mundane activity of bingo, and occasionally drinks with his coworker. It's impossible not to sympathize with him, understanding that he is a lonely, naive man with a noble spirit and heart. He is undoubtedly the most impactful character in the trilogy. Nikander’s relationship with his best friend also highlights the importance of solidarity, making a significant and beautiful impact on both the story and the couple in critical moments. Ilona’s convergence towards a life that is emotionally more miserable but financially more secure also illustrates the fragility of human relationships. Even the happy ending is debatable in its level of welfare, yet the film still conveys messages about the importance of hope and love without romanticizing them. In my opinion, it is the best film of the series, maintaining a perfect balance throughout.

The second film in the trilogy, Ariel (1988), tells the story of Taisto Kasurinen, a miner who loses his job and searches for a fresh start. The mine where Taisto works closes, and his father commits suicide. In the aftermath, Taisto decides to take his father's car and all the money he left behind to him to start a new life in the city. However, upon arrival, he is robbed and left jobless and penniless. Taisto later meets Irmeli, a divorced woman struggling to pay off her house and support her son Riku through various jobs. Taisto grows close to Irmeli, and they promise to be together. Despite Taisto's efforts to find work, he fails and eventually has to sell his car. Taisto tracks down the man who robbed him and subdues him before the police arrive, but Taisto ends up being arrested and imprisoned. In prison, Taisto befriends a fellow inmate named Mikkonen who becomes his biggest helper. Regardless of the fragility of Taisto’s future, Irmeli visits him during his time in prison, and he proposes to her. Irmeli helps Taisto escape, and they, along with Mikkonen, rob a bank to finance their escape. Unfortunately, Mikkonen is injured and dies after arguing with the fake passport gang. In the end, Taisto, Irmeli, and Riku survive the tumultuous events and set sail for a new beginning in Mexico aboard a ship named Ariel.

The film starts with social realism similar to the first, but its second half ramps up the pace significantly, leaving viewers with the impression of watching an adventure film by the end. It is remarkably engaging and fast-paced, with constant action and even touches of absurdity, yet it remains accessible, moving at a brisk pace. Our main character, Taisto, is left unemployed by the closing of the mine and is forced to migrate to the city. Trapped between capitalist collaborators, laws, and criminals, he undergoes a necessary transformation. In the films I have seen so far, no character has reacted as decisively, and in the end, he is compelled to play by their rules. Thus, the character embarks on a journey not just physically but also developmentally, and while we cannot see if he reaches his physical destination by the film's end, his personal journey can be deemed successful. His constant oscillation between absolute destitution and the possibility of escaping it highlights the director's heavy influence, yet the film's ultimately happy ending is gratifying, particularly as it, like the first film, concludes with a sea voyage.

The Match Factory Girl (Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö), the final film of the trilogy released in 1990, tells the sorrowful story of Iris, a young woman working in a match factory in Helsinki. Iris lives with her mother and stepfather, giving them her entire paycheck and doing all the household chores. Treated as a second-class citizen within her own home and subjected to their abuse, Iris leads a monotonous life, failing to find a dance partner even when she goes out. One day, Iris meets a man named Aarne at a nightclub and spends the night with him, only for Aarne to leave her money and abandon her the next morning. When Iris later discovers she is pregnant, she writes to Aarne, asking him to raise the child with her. In response, Aarne sends back a brief note saying "Get rid of it," along with a check. Devastated, Iris gets into a car accident while pregnant. Upon her release from the hospital, she is thrown out of her home by her mother and stepfather, who have learned of her situation. Desperate and determined to exact revenge, Iris buys rat poison from a pharmacy and proceeds to poison Aarne, a man she meets in a bar, and finally her mother and stepfather. The film concludes with Iris being taken away by the police from her workplace.

The film opens with detailed shots of the production line, seamlessly transitioning to Iris's role in it, suggesting the dehumanizing nature of automated systems. The inclusion of television footage depicting events such as the Tiananmen Square massacre and Ayatollah Khomeini's death, which Iris and her family watch with indifference, underscores a theme of learned and accepted helplessness, even as Iris later rebels against it. The movie generally has the trilogy's simplest and most minimalistic narrative, and by far the darkest in terms of atmosphere and progression. Unlike the first two films, "The Match Factory Girl" addresses the theme of struggle and revenge, concluding with a defiant and somehow honorable defeat. Objectively, the main character ends the film as a criminal, but viewers may sympathize with her, seeing her vengeance as a response to oppression, transcending the screen to represent the plight of the downtrodden against their oppressors. Also unlike the other films, this one highlights how Iris is primarily oppressed by her own family, offering a critique of despotism and societal norms at the micro level. It emphasizes that the inability to change one's social class is not solely due to systemic structures but also the pervasive acceptance within the class itself.