Film Review: THE BLIND MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC: An Striking Experiment Steadfast in Its Emotional Core [SXSW 2022]

The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic Review

The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic (2021) Film Review from the 29th Annual South By Southwest Film Festival, a movie written and directed by Teemu Nikki, starring Petri Poikolainen, Marjaana Maijala, Samuli Jaskio, Hannamaija Nikander, Matti Onnismaa, and Rami Rusinen.

Despite any quirky subversions that its tome of a title might suggest (what is it with these Scandinavian filmmakers and their mouthfuls of titles that read like an emo band’s tracklist circa 2005?), Teemu Nikki’s The Blind Man Who Did Not Wish to See Titanic is true to itself in that, unfortunately for all you Cameron-heads out there, the titular blind man does not have a change of heart and cathartically reward us with a viewing of Titanic. But neither is there any offbeat indie fun that a title like TBMWDNWTST might also suppose – just the opposite, in fact, as Nikki and his lead actor Petri Poikolainen use this low-budget intimacy to craft a profound yet bleak portrait of resilience.

Like his character Jaakko, Poikolainen himself has multiple sclerosis that has not only paralyzed him from the waist down but has also blinded him. He lives a claustrophobic life in his one-bedroom Finnish flat, holding steadfast to a medicine and PT schedule whilst reminiscing about the movies he used to watch over the phone with his long-distance girlfriend Sirpa (Marjaana Maijala). She, too, is diagnosed with a debilitating illness – a form of cancer drains her of all energy.

Although they’ve never actually met in-person, the couple converse as if they’ve experienced each other’s presence for their whole lives. Sirpa’s the one who’s the Titanic fan, and relentlessly teases the former film-bro Jaako of having never seen it (he’s admittedly a fan of Cameron’s genre work, but Jaakko’s hold-out on the disaster romance film is more for sheer hipster cred).

One day Jaakko’s routine is irked when Sirpa misses their morning call. After finally getting through to her he finds her in a depressed state, having just learned she must undergo another round of chemotherapy. In a sweeping romantic gesture (as well as an excuse to get out from under the condescension and fretting of both his medical aid [Hannamaija Nikander] and his father [Matti Onnismaa]), Jaakko packs up his essentials (including a shrink-wrapped, unopened copy of Titanic), wheels himself over the threshold, and begins his unaccompanied journey to Sirpa. Partly terrified but thoroughly thrilled, Jaako revels in this modicum of freedom that he hasn’t experienced in years. That is, until he crosses paths with two short-tempered, conscienceless men (Samuli Jaskio and Rami Rusinen) who are willing to make a buck at any cost.

Nikki and his cinematographer Sari Aaltonen frame the entire film in extreme close-ups of Poikolainen’s face with incredibly shallow focus: everything that’s a couple of inches beyond Jaako’s personal bubble blurs into fuzzy blobs. The sound mixing is incredibly crisp, but during moments of duress (like when Jaakko falls out of his wheelchair and smacks his head) it reaches levels of fuzziness to mirror that of the visuals. While it’s evident that this a personification of Jaako’s/Poikolainen’s own physical restrictions it’s also a metaphor for the claustrophobia and anxiety that he feels on a daily basis … and that we as the viewers feel toward his struggles. He doesn’t know what’s beyond the veil, and neither do we – and that can be frustrating.

But also just like Jaakko, we as the viewers don’t need to be handheld through this artsy experiment. Jaakko has faith in his own strength, as does Nikki in his viewers’ own perceptions. It’s in this parallel construction of trust that the film’s deceptively simple set-up reveals a striking emotional core, and a truth about steadfast conviction — not just one’s will to live but to thrive, and to experience the joys of life that all humans deserve. It’s not a saccharine Message Movie and it’s not misery porn, but a softly stylish rumination on love and adventure.

Not as bombastic nor as epic (and not nearly as long) as its titularly-referenced disaster film, but it sure as hell doesn’t need to be, either.

Rating: 8/10

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