Flame Top
Tulipää
Synopsis
This biographical film celebrates the little-known life of the Finnish novelist and revolutionary Maiju Lassila (Asko Sarkola), born in 1868. Lassila's early years are briefly shown, then the film richly details his active and paradoxically reclusive adult life, beginning with his sojourn in St. Petersburg, working as a businessman. Unable to stay away from politics, he caused the assassination of a high-ranking Czarist and as a result, had to run back to Finland to hide. Once established in the comparative safety of a small village, he taught school in order to support his real vocation as a writer. Always living on the edge of poverty, if not square in the middle of it, Lassila continues to avoid public contact - he keeps his identity low-key and camoflages it by publishing under a variety of pseudonyms.
Top Cast
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Asko Sarkola
Writer Algot Lassila, aka Maiju Lassila, aka Irmari Rantamala
Rea Mauranen
Olga Esempio
Kari Franck
Gunnar Avanto
Ari Suonsuu
Kalle
Ritva Juhanto
Kurttuska
Esko Salminen
Arwid
Heikki Alho
Pikku-Pouvali
Tuomo Railo
Sulo Esempio
Yuri Rodionov
Rawitz
Galina Galtseva
Magda
Soli Labbart
Maria Lassila
Pirkka Karskela
Young Algot
Markku Blomqvist
Lundberg
Esa Suvilehto
Pöntinen
Matti Oravisto
Commandant Carl von Wendt
Gunvor Sandkvist
Anna Belostotskaja
Pentti Kotkaniemi
Russian Army Captain
Aleksandr Zakharov
Von Plehwe
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Pirjo Honkasalo, Pekka Lehto
- Screenplay & Story
- Pirjo Honkasalo
- Original Score
- Heikki Valpola
- Original Title
- Tulipää
- Country of Origin
- Finland
- Spoken Languages
- Finnish
- Runtime
- 2h 35m
- Production Studios
- P-Kino
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Pirjo Honkasalo, Pekka Lehto
Pirjo Honkasalo, Maiju Lassila, Daniel Katz
Heikki Valpola
Kari Sohlberg
Irma Taina
Claes Olsson
Department Leadership Roster
Pirjo Honkasalo
Director
Pekka Lehto
Director
Pentti Valkeasuo
Production Design
A. Ksenofontova
Production Design
Reijo Puttonen
Production Design
Pirjo Honkasalo
Screenplay
Heikki Valpola
Original Music Composer
Kari Sohlberg
Director of Photography
Claes Olsson
Producer
Irma Taina
Editor
Päivi Tiura
Costume Design
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Flame Top.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Flame Top
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Flame Top about?
This biographical film celebrates the little-known life of the Finnish novelist and revolutionary Maiju Lassila (Asko Sarkola), born in 1868. Lassila's early years are briefly shown, then the film richly details his active and paradoxically reclusive adult life, beginning with his sojourn in St. Petersburg, working as a businessman. Unable to stay away from politics, he caused the assassination of a high-ranking Czarist and as a result, had to run back to Finland to hide. Once established in the comparative safety of a small village, he taught school in order to support his real vocation as a writer. Always living on the edge of poverty, if not square in the middle of it, Lassila continues to avoid public contact - he keeps his identity low-key and camoflages it by publishing under a variety of pseudonyms.
Who directed Flame Top?
Flame Top was directed by Pirjo Honkasalo, Pekka Lehto.
Who stars in Flame Top?
The principal cast of Flame Top includes Asko Sarkola, Rea Mauranen, Kari Franck, Ari Suonsuu, Ritva Juhanto.
When was Flame Top released and how long is it?
Flame Top was released in 1980 with a total runtime of 2h 35m.
Who composed the musical score for Flame Top?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Flame Top was composed by Heikki Valpola.
Is Flame Top based on a book or true story?
Flame Top is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Maiju Lassila".