The Faceless Man (Mannen utan Ansikte)

 

JÖRN DONNER

 
"This modest but thoroughly gripping pic is based on a bank holdup and hostage drama that rocked Finland in 1986. Lauri Törhönen's tautly directed thriller should find fest exposure and TV playtime without difficulty"
VARIETY 


Story:
This Swedish language feature film shot in Finland is based on an actual incident that took place in 1986. The sleepy summer season in Helsinki was rudely shattered by a young man carrying explosives. He entered a suburban branch of a large commercial bank, took hostages, and demanded a large sum of money.

The Finnish police were unaccustomed to this sort of drama, well known in some other countries, and the police team behaved with little psychological insight, possibly pushing the gunman over the edge. Some money was handed over, and a getaway car was arranged. The robber and his three hostages, a young male customer and two of the bank's female employees, drove off and were followed by a convoy of police cars.

A siege ensued. The inevitable happened. At the last moment, the two girls were able to escape before the robber detonated the car, killing himself and his male hostage.

Three leading Finnish actors contribute to the quality of the narrative.