Ariel

Ariel

Year: 1988

Runtime: 73 mins

Language: Finnish

Director: Aki Kaurismäki

ComedyDramaRomanceCrime

A Finnish man goes to the city to find a job after the mine where he worked is closed and his father commits suicide.

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Timeline & Setting – Ariel (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Ariel (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1980s

Set in the late 1980s Finland, the film captures a period of economic transition as traditional industries fade. The urban milieu contrasts with the stark northern landscape, shaping the characters' choices. The presence of a 1962 Cadillac convertible anchors the era's aesthetics and attitudes.

Location

Finnish Lapland, Southern Finland

The story begins in a remote mining town in Finnish Lapland, where a mine closure upends livelihoods. It then moves to a southern Finnish city, revealing a contrast between northern hardship and urban life. Key locations include a harbor, a hostel, a courtroom and a ship named Ariel that becomes the route of escape.

❄️ Lapland 🏙️ Finland

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

Main Characters – Ariel (1988)

Meet the key characters of Ariel (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Taisto Kasurinen (Turo Pajala)

A miner from a northern Lapland town who drifts toward the city in search of a new life. He is resourceful and impulsive, driven by economic desperation yet tempered by a stubborn resilience shaped by his harsh origins. As events unfold, he navigates crime, love, and restitution on the way to a hopeful, if uncertain, future abroad.

👷 Miner 🧭 Dreamer 💸 Desperate

Irmeli Pihlaja (Susanna Haavisto)

A metermaid who flirts with Taisto, quits her job for a chance at romance, and becomes a crucial ally in his quest for a new life. She reveals a past filled with personal hardships and demonstrates pragmatism and emotional intuition. Their bond deepens quickly, culminating in a prison wedding that seeds both hope and risk.

💃 Metermaid 💞 Complicated love 👩‍👦‍👦 Mother figure

Mikkonen (Matti Pellonpää)

Kasurinen's cellmate and reluctant confidant, a man of rough edges who becomes an ally in plans to escape. He shares the cramped, tense life of prison and the duo's daring flight, but fate intervenes when violence and betrayal alter the course of their voyage.

👤 Prisoner 🤝 Ally 💔 Tragic

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

Major Themes – Ariel (1988)

Explore the central themes of Ariel (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🚶 Escape

From a closed mine to the city, the protagonist seeks freedom from debt and past mistakes. The escape is both physical, moving across Finland, and emotional, seeking a fresh start with Irmeli. Yet every step toward safety becomes entangled with crime and risk. Escape here is a double-edged pursuit, promising a better life while inviting danger.

💘 Love

Irmeli's relationship with Kasurinen pulls him from isolation and offers a chance at belonging. Their bond grows through shared vulnerability, even as their pasts threaten to derail them. They marry in a prison visit, a gesture that fuses affection with desperation. Love acts as shelter and lure, propelling them toward a risky escape.

🔒 Crime

Criminal acts punctuate the couple's arc, from thefts to a bank robbery funded by their escape plan. The consequences—arrest, prison, and violence—raise questions about guilt and responsibility. The accomplices betray them, showing how trust fractures in desperation. The film uses crime to expose the fragility of self-determination in a harsh economy.

🛳️ Migration

Facing an uncertain future, Kasurinen and Irmeli board a ship named Ariel bound for Mexico. The voyage frames migration as both liberation and risk, a leap toward an elusive new life. The ending positions escape as a path to dignity and a chance for a fresh start beyond Finland.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

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Ariel Summary

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Ariel Summary

Ariel Timeline

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Ariel Timeline

More About Ariel

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