A mad, dreamlike combination of surrealist imagery and unhinged emotional intensity, the films of Finnish director Teuvo Tulio (1912-2000) are melodramas untethered from any sense of naturalism or narrative logic (or often good taste), operating in the same glorious, hallucinatory space as the subversive, Brechtian melodramas of Douglas Sirk and R.W. Fassbinder. They are, in a word, wildly entertaining: unearthly and operatic and totally addictive, streaked with film noir and near-Expressionist horror tropes, and doused with tears and booze, prostitution and poison. His work has been rediscovered and restored in recent years by KAVI – the National Audiovisual Institute of Finland, for this first-ever worldwide Blu-ray release from Deaf Crocodile.

CROSS OF LOVE (RAKKAUDEN RISTI) – 1946, 99 min. Grizzled old lighthouse keeper Oscar Tengström spends his nights talking to his parrot, surrounded by German Expressionist shadows. There are deeper shadows in his mind: when he hears a drowning man out on the rocks, he grabs a rifle and shoots him! We learn why he hates strangers as he reveals the story of his daughter Riitta (Regina Linnanheimo) who is swept off to the city by rakishly handsome Mauri (Ville Salminen) –in no time she’s a cigarette-smoking prostitute with a black beret and jaded wink. She’s followed one day by a sensitive young man Henrik (Rauli Tuomi) who turns out to be a painter and wants her to model – DEAR GOD – half-naked, tied to a cross with her dress torn open. Later remade by Tulio as SENSUELA in 1973.

RESTLESS BLOOD (LEVOTON VERI) – 1946, 100 min. Blonde wife Sylvi (Regina Linnanheimo) seems to have an ideal marriage to playboy doctor husband Valter (Eino Katajavuori), despite his “innocent” flirtation with her kid sister – until her young son is killed by a speeding bus. She drinks poison in desperation – she survives but loses her sight. Kid sister returns, and now the grieving husband is interested in more than flirting. Look out: once Sylvi downs a shot of poison and dons her weird black shades, ooowee!! Features an intensely deranged performance by Linnanheimo in tailored suits and 1940s hairdos, sporting Peter Lorre-in-MAD LOVE sunglasses and giving the whole film a German Expressionist / neo-horror / neo-noir vibe.

SENSUELA – (1973, 104 min.) Tulio’s notorious last film – and arguably his greatest achievement – SENSUELA opens on reindeer herder’s daughter Laila (Marianne Mardi) saving badly-wounded German WW2 pilot Hans (Mauritz Åkerman). Hans quickly seduces her off to the big city, where she descends into a polyester maelstrom of fabulous clothes and nudie photography and hippie orgies. (Oh, the action mysteriously leaps forward 25 years to the Swinging 60s with no explanation, don’t ask why!) What follows is an incredible mix of ethnographic reindeer herding docudrama, jawdropping John Waters-meets-Doug Sirk-meets Russ Meyer-meets-Anna Biller’s THE LOVE WITCH-style melodrama blending eye-popping Technicolor, softcore eroticism / sexploitation, and Mod 60’s / 70s Pop Art fashions and décor. SENSUELA seems to have been beamed in from an alternate universe where any standards of good taste are completely inverted and/or missing. Note: SENSUELA is intended for mature audiences and contains frequent onscreen nudity.

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Video Quality

3x Teuvo Tulio comes to Blu-Ray with new digital AVC encoded 1080p restorations courtesy of KAVI – the National Audiovisual Institute of Finland for all three films on three individual discs. All three of these films provide an ideal viewing experience that fans of the filmmaker are sure to appreciate. Cross of Love and Restless Blood are quite close to one another in a good way in terms of providing top-shelf quality for audiences. Both films were released the same year with a 1.37:1 OAR.

Cross of Love has been restored from a 4K scan of a duplicate negative made from an original 35mm nitrate print, while Restless Blood is derived from a 4K restoration of a film print made from the 35mm Original Nitrate Negative. Each one is presented in black and white, and the luminous nature of the cinematography is represented favorably. The delineation in contrast is always impeccable with black levels staying deep and highlights never succumbing to bloom. The source does not showcase an unacceptable amount of damage, but there is a notable amount of lingering nicks, scratches, and flickering that made it through the restoration process. The transfers allow for rich texture to shine through from the costumes and production design.

Sensuela also debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. This film was released almost 30 years after the aforementioned duo, and it is presented in color. The same level of care was put forward to make this film look impeccable, and the results are a marvel. The new transfer showcases a magnificent amount of depth and enhanced detail within the production design and distinct clothing. The frame is crisp with an unbelievable exploration of this setting. The new master preserves the natural film grain with nothing ever appearing clumpy or swarming around the screen. The utmost care has been taken to ensure this picture is as authentic to the source as possible, thankfully avoiding any ugly digital manipulation.

This restoration cleans up most of the damage for a pleasant viewing experience, outside of some fleeting lingering blemishes. The natural film grain of the original photography remains intact while unveiling so much texture in the rural environments and interiors. Colors are deep and bold within the design elements or when deploying specific lightning schemes. Black levels are impressive with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. Deaf Crocodile has given this trio of films an unbelievable presentation that is worth a place in any collection.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray set comes with a strong DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track for these three films in the original Finnish (with optional English subtitles). Dialogue flows clearly without anything overshadowing important information. These films conjure some nifty sound effects that are given the appropriate presence within the mix. All instances of music flow through the room confidently in relation to the competing sounds. There are no major instances of weakness or fragility in any of the environmental noises. The tracks deploy everything with precision and consistent fidelity, free of damage and other unwanted issues. Each film balances unique sonic characteristics with the expected qualities you need from the track. Deaf Crocodile allows each film to sound its best.

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of 3x Teuvo Tulio arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes an 80-page, bound book featuring writing by film historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Dr. Eloise Ross, Venla Mäkelä, and Walter Chaw. All of this provides great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Cross of Love

Audio Commentary: Film historian Rolf Giesen provides a commentary track that provides great context for Finnish cinema of the time, the inspirations for the narrative, the production of the film, the career of Teuvo Tulio, and much more. This is a well-rounded and informative listen for fans.

Kärlekens Kors (1946): A rare five-minute trailer is provided for the Swedish-language version of Cross of Love that was shot simultaneously with the Finnish version.

A French Discovery – Nuorena Nukkunut (2015): A seven-minute documentary that details the process of restoring the surviving fragments of Fall Asleep When Young, a film that was previously presumed to be completely lost.

Fall Asleep When Young (Nuorena Nukkunut) (1937): A 22-minute singular reel is provided as the last known surviving material of the second feature from Teuvo Tulio, also starring Regina Linnanheimo.

Restless Blood

Audio Commentary: Dr. Eloise Ross provides a commentary track that dives deep into the work of Teuvo Tulio, how the film functions within the melodrama subgenre, the music used in the film, the background of the performers, similarities to other films, and much more not to be missed.

They Talk of Love – Teuvo Tulio’s Two Visions of Pushkin: A nearly 22-minute visual essay is provided from Ryan Verrill & Dr. Will Dodson that explores the numerous adaptations of “The Stationmaster” from Alexander Pushkin and why it lends itself to adaptations across cultures, the themes that Tulio fixates on with his versions, and more.

Struggle for the House of Heikkila (Taistelu Heikkilän Talosta) (1936): An eight-minute singular segment is provided as the last known surviving material of the first feature from Teuvo Tulio, also starring Regina Linnanheimo.

Shelters for Newborns (Joulumerkkikoti) (1946): A rare nearly nine-minute educational documentary is provided that looks into shelters for children born to mothers suffering from tuberculosis.

Sensuela

Audio Commentary: Film historian Heidi Honeycutt provides a very fun commentary track that provides the background of the ensemble, how this adaptation differs from previous versions, the production of the film, the Brechtian nature of the production, the cultural inaccuracies, and more. Honeycutt provides a lot of hilarious asides and sarcastic remarks that I personally enjoyed.

New Visual Essay by Reinert Kiil: A 21-minute visual essay from the Danish filmmaker who uses his own background with the Sámi culture to look at how the film depicts these people, as well as the impact World War II had on Finland.

I Would Like To Be A Queen (Tahtosin Olla Kuningatar) (1947): A 13-minute educational documentary is provided that looks into the dangers of young women drinking too much over the weekend.

Final Thoughts

3x Teuvo Tulio offers a nice, memorable sampling of a filmmaker beloved in his homeland, yet sadly overlooked abroad. His pair of early melodramas in this set feels anything but safe as risk and danger permeate every inch of the creative ingenuity pulsing through these narratives. This culminates in something even more provocative in Sensuela, which reinvigorates his earlier work without rendering either version an afterthought. It is the type of platforming and recontextualization that makes physical media so important in rescuing voices from the past. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray set which sports a wonderful A/V presentation and an unbeatable assortment of special features. The label rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to curation. Recommended

3x Teuvo Tulio is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.