A unique, gripping drama about the story of Tom of Finland that is a must-see!
The Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, who, under the alias Tom of Finland, introduced his pornographic and homoerotic drawings of moustachioed men with swelling cocks to the world. Not only caused a huge stir, he soon became an icon of the gay movement. In Tom of Finland, director Dome Karukoski tells the story of the man behind the art in a very funny way.
Tom of Finland – The Story of an Icon
When the Second World War is over, the severely traumatised Touko Laaksonen (Pekka Strang) thought he could finally start a normal life after returning home. But he thought wrong: Touko is not allowed to live the way he wants to. He is gay and in Finland in the 1950s homosexuality is not only forbidden. But anyone caught engaging in homosexual acts is also threatened with imprisonment and physical violence. So he has no choice but to live out his passion in secret and begins to draw his sexual fantasies.
His artwork sells like hot cakes, and Touko is celebrated not only throughout Europe but also in the USA. Despite the success, his private life is marked by the struggle to stand by his great love. Karukoski tells Touko’s story in an insightful and restrained manner. In which contemporary events are also repeatedly illuminated in an authentic way. This thoughtful composition makes Tom of Finland not only an exciting biopic, but also a lively milieu study of the gay movement.
The lives of the characters are marked by fear of social exclusion, persecution and even punishment. Their anxiety is made almost tangible by the script and an excellent interplay of colour and lighting dramaturgy. Karukoski succeeds in subtly interweaving different time levels. As a result, the viewer almost gets the feeling of wandering back and forth at Touko’s side between the here and now and the past.
Karukoski does an excellent job of uniting the film’s twists and turns into a harmonious whole. Which is also due to the great performances of the actors, especially Pekka Strang in the leading role. He always manages to convey the inner (dis)balance and the struggle between fragility and fierce determination in a believable way.
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