Introduction
Rendel is a Finnish action/superhero film released in 2017 and directed by Jesse Haaja. Unlike the shine and polish of Hollywood superhero flicks, Rendel opts for a gritty, visceral tone, setting it apart in the film industry. Jesse Haaja, who co-wrote the film’s script, aimed to transform a deeply scarred and avenging Finnish figure into the first homegrown superhero, embodying the pain and vengeance and a raw sense of justice the country has to offer.
With only a modest budget and local cast and crew, the movie masterfully intertwines dark themes and stylized action, providing a moral complexity reminiscent of films like The Crow or Batman Begins. Moreover, the film marks a vital stage in Finnish cinema, proving that captivating genre films could be created without the support of major studios or global brands.
Plot Summary
Rendel follows Ramo Rämö in a partially fictional but decaying Mikkeli, a city in Finland. Ramo is a quiet and humble graphic designer whose clinical life gets disrupted by VALA, a corrupt pharmaceutical company. Deeply in love, Ramo used to enjoy a harmonious family. However, everything crumbles when he decides to expose VALA’s wrongdoings.
Mercenaries hired by a corporation Valen Tech kills Ramo’s family. Pained, Ramo disappears from public life. Instead of dying, he transforms, crafting a suit and becoming Rendel, a relentless vigilante out for revenge. Rendel takes it a step further by dismantling VALA’s network one criminal at a time, emerging as a terrifying post-industrial superhero. Each step he takes comes with its own reward and Rendel and Valen Tech wage bloody wars from alley to alley.
Fighting under the mask of Rendel, Ramo faces VALA’s criminal underworld, along with the anguish of a lost family. The combination of these scars makes Ramo a terrifying contour of the city. With each brutal attack, Rendel earns the respect of people while Ramo loses the only thing he used to be, his humanity. Ultimately, Rendel faces the last remnants of Valen Tech and uses it’s pieces to stamp his symbol of justice. Rendel pulls out the last of his rage, the rage of a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Characters and Performances
Kristofer Gummerus as Ramo Rämö / Rendel
Gummerus delivers a unique yet emotional performance. Although much of the film features Rendel wearing a mask, his eyes and posture tell a story of deep sorrow and anger. He merges menace and vulnerability such that Rendel is simultaneously awe-inspiring and tragic.
Rami Rusinen as Radek
Radek, the film’s primary antagonist, is a cold-blooded efficient operator. Rusinen imbues the character with cold, unwavering confidence, depicting a villain who relishes his role and considers himself to be above any consequences.
Renate Stuurman as Marla
Marla, a minor character, is good enough to imaginatively forsee some good under the violence that might still exist in Rendel. her role offers emotional relief from the unrestrained brutality and disorder.
Supporting Characters
The remainder of the civilians includes hired assassins, corrupt officials, and desperate innocent civilians. Each helps in depicting a society governed by corporate greed and incessant fear.
Visual Style and Direction
Jesse Haaja directs Rendel with a strong sense of visual flair. The film is drenched in shadows, rain, and urban decay. Rendel is set in a world that is horrible and grey, and as such, is mostly occupied with shots of deep blacks, blues, and greys. These are often combined with noir film elements such as back-lighting, stark contrast, and silhouette shots of the masked hero.
The action sequences are brutal and grounded. Rendel is devoid of magic, and as such all the fights are grounded in brutal reality free of high-tech gadgets, and instead put forth pure rage and blunt force. Everything from the style of fighting Rendel adopts to the way the film is shot screams brute force. There are no fancy moves, and every strike is powered by untold rage. In a bid to keep the brutal realism of the film, the producers decided against CgI, instead opting to practical effects.
The film also stands out thanks to the low budget. Rendel is brought to life in not only ware houses and alleyways, but also corporate offices, allowing the film to achieve a dreary and horrible atmosphere. The use of minimalism and industrial settings work in tandem to not only enhance the film, but also make it more grounded.
Themes and Symbolism
- Vengeance and Redemption
Despite Rendel being driven by revenge, the film prompts the audience to reflect on the costs of vengeance. Rendel’s violent quest for revenge transforms him into someone completely unrecognizable. His search for justice results in a slow form of self-destruction, showcasing how unaddressed trauma can consume a person.
- Corruption and Power
VALA Corporation serves as a symbol for unregulated and decaying capitalism. It demonstrates how abusive power can bring about profound destruction without punishment, and how in deeply flawed societies, justice often needs to be pursued on extralegal fronts.
- Identity and the Mask
Masks can both imprison and protect. In Rendel’s case, the mask grants him the ability to function without the burden of identity. However, the mask simultaneously alienates him from society. The film showcases how the instinctive facades that people build to cope with life can become the identity that replaces the person.
- Urban Decay
As a separate character, the city is filthy, forgotten, filled with despair, and mirrors Rendel’s inner world. It serves as the backdrop for moral and ethical decay alongside desperate hope.
Reception and Impact
Rendel was screened at multiple film festivals where it received attention for its distinct Finnish roots and striking visuals. While some skeptics argued that the storyline was a bit too familiar with the vigilante superhero genre, many filmmakers praised the film’s atmosphere, its highly artistic Finnish cinematography, and the originality of making such a film in Finland.
Rendel succeeded in captivating the audience with the film’s emotional narrative. He won the hearts of cult fans that appreciated dark superhero and indie action films. Although the character of Rendel was inspired by universal concepts, he’s notably Nordic in a way that differentiates him from his American counterparts.
Subsequent to the film’s success, a sequel was announced with intentions to further expand the world, and Rendel’s backstory was intended to be explored deeper. Despite the production issues that caused delays in the sequels’ filming, the legacy of the first film stilled remained influential in Finnish genre cinema.
Identifying the Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
Distinct emotional appeal and atmosphere in the setting that is rarely featured in superhero films.
Outstanding lead performance and character embodiment.
Gritty and realistic action shots captured using practical effects.
Weighty themes of exile, rage, and selfless sacrifice.
Weaknesses:
Predictable hero’s quest themes in some storylines.
Underdeveloped supporting roles in comparison to the main character.
Some sequences and the overall sound design reveal the low budget.
Conclusion
Rendel is perhaps the best example of the globalized superhero film genre. It is a dark film that seeks to emotionally and viscerally pelt the audience with the unvarnished superhero world of “grit, trauma, and personal vengeance.” While the story might hark to the adventures of Rendel, the atmosphere and the culture he is steeped in turns the tale into something noteworthy.
Beyond the expected avenging and saving, Rendel tackles head on the implications of the loss of a loved one and the solitude that befalls a person when he has nothing to live for. It is, indeed, impactful when a person is stripped of everything and the battered soul is finally freed to seek vengeance. Rendel is a delight for the fans of the heroic characters that wander in the desolate, dark shadows of society.
A caped superhero might not be what Finland heralds as its first hero, but Rendel is certainly a character that has no intentions of being erased from memory anytime soon.
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