Compartment No. 6

Summary

“We are not friends… just sharing the same compartment.”

Sony Pictures Classics is one of the most respected film distributors for independent, arthouse, and foreign films. I try to watch closely for their releases because for the most part their film output sparks my interest (Pedro Almodovar, Wes Anderson, and many more have seen their films released by this distributor theatrically.) They have an eye for distributing films that meet critical acclaim. Their most recent release is the Finnish film Compartment No. 6. The movie was filmed in Russia and directed by Juho Kuosmanen. Compartment No. 6 won the prestigious Grand Prize at Cannes Film Festival in 2021 and it was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature. I watched it the other night.

In Moscow, a Finnish woman named Laura (Seidi Haarla) tells her female lover she is going to Murmansk to look at the Petroglyphs the next day. It is obvious that she feels uncomfortable in her relationship. The next day she boards the train towards the Arctic circle. Her lover was originally supposed to join her on the trip, but when she could not, Laura decided to go anyway. She is placed in a compartment with a young Russian man named Ljohna (Yuriy Borisov) who is headed to Murmansk as well. Whereas she is going there to look at archeological findings, Ljohna is going there to find work in the mines. He begins to drink vodka and she heads to the dining cart as long as it is open to avoid being in the compartment with him. When the dining cart closes Laura returns to the compartment. Ljohna has become drunk. They have a strange conversation where he eventually asks her if she is going to Murmansk to prostitute herself. She leaves the compartment and attempts to find a way into going elsewhere but all her attempts fail. She considers returning to Moscow at the next stop, but after a brief phone call to her girlfriend she decides to press on with the trip. As the trip progresses Laura develops an unlikely friendship with Lhoja. The difference between the characters is explored by the film during their journey to the Arctic. The film is equal parts melancholic and uplifting.

Compartment No. 6 is a well made and intriguing road film. Given the current political climate of this year (2022 – Russia is in war with Ukraine,) I found the film to be a refreshing reminder that there are more things in common between people than differences that divide them. Kuosmanen’s film is interested in exploring the differences and similarities between an academic and a blue collar worker. Lhoja is going to the Arctic simply to work as a miner and Laura is going there to look at petroglyphs on walls of caves and to find a deeper understanding about where we come from. The characters are very different, but both of them are lonely, which makes them more suited to each other than would seem possible at the beginning of the film. Kuosmanen lets the train ride play out fairly slowly and in realistic ways, so the film at times can feel slow. That said, I think the cathartic aspects of the film and the hypnotic ethereal quality of Arctic Russia make the film a compelling experience. Kuosmanen’s cinematographer Jani-Patteri Passi captures the harsh otherworldly climate of the arctic with a great eye.

Roxy Music’s song “Love is a Drug” plays at the beginning of the film and a couple other songs are played in the film in scenes where they would not disrupt the realistic nature of the picture. The actors in the film are both very good. Kuosmanen approaches their characters with a naturalistic touch, allowing them to never look pristine on camera. Seidi Haarla is very believable as Laura, and Yuriy Borisov is excellent as Lhoja. By the end of the picture, both the characters and the actors playing them will have grown on the audience. 

Compartment No. 6 will undoubtedly strike some as a fairly slow film, but those who stick with the film and take the ride to its conclusion should find a good amount to enjoy about the picture.

Video

Compartment No. 6 has been released onto Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. Compartment No. 6 was shot using digital film and cameras and occasionally 35mm film. The mastering of the film was performed digitally. The Blu-ray presentation is in 1080p. The cinematography by Jani-Patteri Pasi is hypnotic and captures the Arctic surroundings. Colors and fine details are very appealing and convincing. I would be curious to see what this film looks like in native 4K, but as a physical media collector I am very pleased with how this film looks.

Audio

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track sounds great. The film is centered on dialogue, but the surrounds are used effectively to capture the sounds of the train in movement or the winds in the extremely inhospitable Russian climate. The few songs that play in the picture are given a solid boost when they appear in the film.

Supplements:

• Trailer
• Previews

Overall Scores:

Video: 4.5/5

Audio: 4.5/5

Supplements: .5/5

Overall – 4/5

Compartment No. 6 is a well made film by Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen. The film moves at a deliberately measured pace which may throw off some viewers, but those who watch the film to its finale will be rewarded with a rich experience. I really like road pictures, and the film highlights the hypnotic beauty of Arctic Russia. The acting in Compartment No. 6 feels very sincere and the characters are well developed. I am glad I watched the film. The Sony Pictures Classics Blu-ray features great video and solid audio. The special features are minimal with only a trailer and some previews for other pictures on the disc. Recommended.