Sisu
When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, German soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.
Despite its limited budget of $6.6M, Sisu became a solid performer, earning $14.3M worldwide—a 116% return.
10 wins & 10 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Sisu (2022) demonstrates deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of Jalmari Helander's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 31 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Aatami Korpi, a solitary prospector, pans for gold in the remote Finnish wilderness during the final days of WWII, seeking peace after a violent past.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Aatami discovers a massive gold deposit in the river. He loads his saddlebags with gold, unaware this fortune will make him a target and disrupt his solitary existence.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 45 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Bruno, the SS commander, captures Aatami and hangs him with his gold-laden saddlebags as a noose. False defeat: Aatami appears finished, but this raises the stakes as Bruno learns who Aatami really is—"The Immortal."., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 67 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Aatami's loyal dog is killed by the Nazis. This "whiff of death" represents the loss of his last connection to his peaceful prospector life and the final price of his fortune., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 72 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. The aerial finale: Aatami fights Bruno and the remaining Nazis on the plane, the women help control it, and Aatami defeats Bruno in brutal hand-to-hand combat before parachuting with his gold., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Sisu's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Sisu against these established plot points, we can identify how Jalmari Helander utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Sisu within the action genre.
Jalmari Helander's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Jalmari Helander films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Sisu takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jalmari Helander filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Jalmari Helander analyses, see Big Game.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Aatami Korpi, a solitary prospector, pans for gold in the remote Finnish wilderness during the final days of WWII, seeking peace after a violent past.
Theme
Nazi soldiers discuss the scorched earth policy and the futility of survival in the wasteland, establishing the film's theme: the unstoppable will to survive against impossible odds.
Worldbuilding
Establishes the harsh Lapland landscape, the retreating Nazi forces committing atrocities, and Aatami as a silent, solitary figure with his dog and horse, revealing through visuals his survival skills and determination.
Disruption
Aatami discovers a massive gold deposit in the river. He loads his saddlebags with gold, unaware this fortune will make him a target and disrupt his solitary existence.
Resistance
Aatami encounters the Nazi platoon and their captive Finnish women. The Nazis discover his gold and pursue him. Aatami must decide whether to abandon his fortune or fight for what he's earned.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "fun and games" of watching Aatami use ingenious and brutal methods to kill Nazis: minefield tactics, knife fights, creative traps, and using the environment as a weapon. The promise of relentless action delivered.
Midpoint
Bruno, the SS commander, captures Aatami and hangs him with his gold-laden saddlebags as a noose. False defeat: Aatami appears finished, but this raises the stakes as Bruno learns who Aatami really is—"The Immortal."
Opposition
Aatami escapes and intensifies his assault. Bruno becomes increasingly desperate and cruel, executing prisoners. The women captives begin their own resistance. The body count rises as Aatami decimates the Nazi forces.
Collapse
Aatami's loyal dog is killed by the Nazis. This "whiff of death" represents the loss of his last connection to his peaceful prospector life and the final price of his fortune.
Crisis
Aatami absorbs the loss and steels himself for the final confrontation. The women prisoners take control of the plane. The darkness before the final push: everything personal has been taken from him.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The aerial finale: Aatami fights Bruno and the remaining Nazis on the plane, the women help control it, and Aatami defeats Bruno in brutal hand-to-hand combat before parachuting with his gold.