There’s a certain amount of risk involved when you title your film as outlandishly as Teemu Nikki’s The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic. Sure, it’s evocative and clever, but what does it mean? Is it meant to be taken literally, or are we gearing up for an avant-garde trip into the allegorical and surreal? Where is the director taking us, and what should we expect when we get there? A title like this could easily turn some people off, and to be honest, I’m sure it has on more than one occasion. But it had me intrigued enough to give it a shot, and I’m so glad I did.
As it turns out, “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic” does accurately describe the main character (he is blind and he also has no desire to see James Cameron’s 1997 mega-hit Titanic), but this deceptively inane wording hides a powerful story that I never saw coming. Told entirely from the point of view of Jaakko (Petri Poikolainen, who really is blind and confined to a wheelchair due to MS), The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic is a fantastic story of perseverance and human spirit, but also one of the dispassionate victimization of disabled people. It’s a harsh film at times, but for all the cruelty Jaakko faces, it’s the unyielding love and devotion he feels for his long-distance girlfriend Sirpa (Marjaana Maijala) that shines through in the end.
Nikki and Poikolainen are clearly making a statement about disabled rights and access, but they hide it so well behind a beautifully shot thriller that its messaging is absorbed organically and with nary a thought from the viewer. Jaakko’s journey to his beloved Sirpa is rife with hardships and setbacks, but it’s not just the criminal element that preys on him. Indifference is just as big a hurdle as those who would steal from him, as he has difficulty finding anyone to help him navigate something as simple as getting on the correct train. He’s lost and alone in a world that refuses to see or acknowledge him, yet he pushes on out of pure strength of character and commitment. Quite frankly, he’s a model of determination on par with Paul Newman’s Luke Jackson or Steve McQueen’s Papillon, and a hilariously quick-witted and shrewd one at that.
As Jaakko’s eerie predicament worsens, Nikki and cinematographer Sari Aaltonen keep him isolated with an extreme deep focus that completely blurs the world around him. It’s a neat trick that lets us into Jaakko’s head while demonstrating the dismissive segregation he faces on a daily basis. It also gives Poikolainen plenty of time to showcase his unique talents as he thoroughly nails Jaakko’s combination of steadfast resolve, vulnerability, and fearless optimism. The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic is a small film, but its heart and its lead performance are as big as an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.