The Eternal Road

"Although there are an infinite number of films that talk about World War II, few focus on showing what was happening in the world just before the conflict exploded -- or when the "serpent's egg" was being hatched, as already shown in Ingmar Bergman's film 'The Serpent's Egg'. In 'Ikitie', director Antti-Jussi Annila (of the acclaimed 'Sauna') takes on this challenge by narrating the true story of Jussi Ketola, a man abducted by Finnish nationalists and forced to walk to Russia. Although the film fails to delve into important historical aspects that would help tell that story better, it is difficult not to understand or feel the pain of that man. But beyond that, 'Ikitie' is a good example of how fascism can often arise from where least expected and when the situation seems to be moving towards a certain normality or as the salvation of any crisis."