Amazon (1990 film)

Amazon
Amazon
	Film poster
Directed by	Mika Kaurismäki
Written by	Richard Reitinger; Mika Kaurismäki; John Reaves (additional writing);
Starring	Kari Väänänen; Robert Davi; Rae Dawn Chong;
Cinematography	Timo Salminen
Edited by	Michael Chandler
Music by	Naná Vasconcelos
Production; companies	Villealfa Filmproduction Oy; Skylight Cinema Foto Art; Capital Cinema Productions; Noema; Rainforest Action Network;
Distributed by	Finnkino (Finland); Cabriolet Films (USA, theatrical); La Société des Films Sirius (France); Live Home Video (USA, home video); Mainostelevisio (Finland, TV); Avid Home Video (USA, home video); Yleisradio (Finland, (TV); Future Film (Finland, home video); Penta Visión (Uruguay); VMP (Germany);
Release date	September 1990 (TIFF);
Running time	96 minutes
Countries	United States; Finland; Brazil; France; Germany;
Languages	English; Portuguese; Finnish;

Amazon is a 1990 drama that was directed by the Finnish film director Mika Kaurismäki, who co-wrote the script with Richard Reitinger, with John Reaves contributing additional writing. The movie premiered at the Toronto Festival of Festivals in September 1990.

While shooting the movie Kaurismäki tried to minimize its and the crew's effect on the environment by choosing equipment that would have the least impact the shooting location, the surrounding areas, and its inhabitants.^[1]

Synopsis

The film centers upon a Finnish businessman named Kari and his two daughters. The trio has gone to Brazil, where he decides to investigate the possibility of starting a gold mining operation in the nearby rainforest, urged on by Dan, an American expatriate interested in entering a business arrangement with Kari. He's warned against this by a local woman, Paola, who tells him that mining would have disastrous repercussions on the jungle and its inhabitants. The two begin to fall in love and Kari starts to doubt his plans. However, before he can truly act on these concerns with his prospective business partner, Kari and Dan are involved in an airplane accident that kills Dan and leave Kari terribly wounded. He's nursed back to health by a rainforest tribe, after which he returns to his daughters and Paola.

Cast

Kari Väänänen as Kari
Robert Davi as Dan
Rae Dawn Chong as Paola
Minna Sovio as Nina
Aili Sovio as Lea
Ruy Polanah as Julio Cesar
Pirkko Hämäläinen as Susanne
Expedito Barreira as Dealer
Luis Otavio as Money Changer
Sidney Martins as Thief
Ana Mel as Black Whore
Abimael Tosin as First Flight Customer

Reception

Amazon's critical reception has been mixed.^[2] In his review in The New York Times, film critic Vincent Canby wrote that Amazon "is not the most exciting movie ever made, but it doesn't push. It is laid back. The flora and fauna are interesting and the cast is attractive."^[3] Variety was mixed, stating "Visually film is always stimulating but storytelling is wildly uneven, and director Mika Kaurismaki has an uncertain command of pic's tone. Acting is okay."^[4]

Pietari Kääpä commented upon the movie in his 2012 book Directory of World Cinema: Finland, calling it an "environmentally aware film" while also stating "In Amazon, we are made privy to a clear environmentalist argument about the need to preserve the Amazonian rainforest. But, simultaneously, it maintains many of these problematic binaries, such as humanity's exploitative relationship with nature."^[5]

Awards

Jussi Award for Best Sound Recording (1991, won)^[6]

References

^ Kääpä, Pietari (2011-01-01). The Cinema of Mika Kaurismäki: Transvergent Cinescapes, Emergent Identities. Intellect Books. pp. 159–160. ISBN 978-1-84150-409-4.
^ "Amazon (review)". TV Guide. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
^ Canby, Vincent (February 28, 1992). "Finns' Plea for Amazon". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
^ "Review: 'Amazon'". Variety. 1992-01-01. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
^ Kääpä, Pietari (2012-01-01). Directory of World Cinema: Finland. Intellect Books. p. 238. ISBN 978-1-84150-617-3.
^ "Awards (1990–1999)". Jussi Awards. Retrieved 26 July 2016.

External links

Amazon at IMDb

[1] Kääpä, Pietari (2011-01-01). The Cinema of Mika Kaurismäki: Transvergent Cinescapes, Emergent Identities. Intellect Books. pp. 159–160. ISBN 978-1-84150-409-4.

[2] "Amazon (review)". TV Guide. Retrieved 2016-07-26.

[3] Canby, Vincent (February 28, 1992). "Finns' Plea for Amazon". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-07-26.

[4] "Review: 'Amazon'". Variety. 1992-01-01. Retrieved 2016-07-26.

[5] Kääpä, Pietari (2012-01-01). Directory of World Cinema: Finland. Intellect Books. p. 238. ISBN 978-1-84150-617-3.

[6] "Awards (1990–1999)". Jussi Awards. Retrieved 26 July 2016.

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v t e Films directed by Mika Kaurismäki
Feature films	The Liar (1981) The Worthless (1982) The Clan – Tale of the Frogs (1984) Helsinki Napoli All Night Long (1987) Amazon (1990) Zombie and the Ghost Train (1991) The Last Border (1993) Condition Red (1995) L.A. Without a Map (1998) Three Wise Men (2008) The House of Branching Love (2009) Road North (2012) The Girl King (2015) A Spice for Life (2019)
Documentaries	The Saimaa Gesture (1981) Moro no Brasil (2002) Brasileirinho (2005)