 |
| Father Jacob (Heikki Nousiainen) in Letters for Father Jacob. |
By Don Simpson
Unexpectedly and undesirably pardoned from serving life in prison for murder, Leila (Kaarina Hazard) finds herself employed by Father Jacob (Heikki Nousiainen). Built like a linebacker and sporting a permanent scowl, Leila yields quite an intimidating and imposing presence but Father Jacob, a blind and frail old priest residing in an isolated and dilapidated old house where he has dedicated his life to answering letters from people seeking prayers and advice, is not the least bit frightened. Leila has been hired to assist Father Jacob by reciting the daily correspondence to him and then transcribing his dictated responses.
The story primarily focuses on Father Jacob and Leila, but there is a third character of this tale -- the postman (Jukka Keinonen) who faithfully rides his bicycle to Father Jacob’s house with a handful of letters each and every day. Whenever Father Jacob hears the postman announce his arrival, it is as if Father Jacob hears the voice of an angel sent from God. The postman apparently worries about Father Jacob’s well-being, so Leila’s foreboding appearance (and murderous past) is quite disconcerting to him. When Leila begins waiting outside for the postman’s arrival, he begins skipping Father Jacob’s house altogether. Suddenly, Father Jacob is not receiving any more letters and his life is without purpose.
Leila’s apparent lack of faith is quite purposefully juxtaposed with Father Jacob’s blind faith (an all too blatant metaphor), but it is Leila’s brutal indifference towards Father Jacob and frustration about what she views as the futile task of reading letters that are the primary sources of tension within the narrative. I am not one to typically fall for overtly Christian morality tales, but Härö’s film transcends Christianity. Clocking in at a mere 74 minutes, writer-director Klaus Härö’s Letters to Father Jacob serves as an intimate character study about solitariness, redemption, and the tremendous powers of faith. Hazard and Nousiainen’s noteworthy performances are intricately framed by Tuomo Hutri’s luscious cinematography.
Letters to Father Jacob was submitted by Finland for consideration for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 82th Academy Awards.
