Compartment No. 6

For the dreamers out there, a train may be a likely setting where in your mind, romance blossoms. In the new Finnish drama Compartment No. 6, an educated Finnish woman forges an unconventional bond with a surly ruffian. Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival in 2021, the critically acclaimed film is a must-see this winter. 

Set in 1990s Moscow, we first meet Finnish student Laura (Seidi Haarla) attending a party thrown by her lover, a professor called Irina (Dinara Drukarova). Enraptured by Irina, Laura is dismayed to learn that she has pulled out of their planned joint trip to examine ancient petroglyphs. Laura embarks on the train journey solo and shares the close quarters of the train cart with a misogynistic, rude and rough-around-the-edges Lyokha (Borisov), who gets drunk and attempts to come onto her, a move Laura quite ably – albeit in horror – rejects. 

From there, the story turns, focusing Laura and Lyokha learning about each other and forging a bond. As they navigate the stark Arctic landscape to the port of Murmansk, the pair share vulnerabilities and their pasts. For Laura, it’s her quest to see the petrogylphs; for Lyokha, it’s the well-being of his mother. Somewhere along the way, the pair become confused from their burgeoning feelings for one another, but in the end, are they two lost souls or are they fated to be together? 

Compartment No. 6 is the second film from Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen, following the much-loved The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki. Kuosmanen has done an exceptional job in re-creating the classic opposites attract story, crafting two compelling characters who, on the face of it, are very dissimilar. The core themes of the film are acceptance and belonging in a world where one doesn’t quite fit in. 

The cinematography features stunning snowscapes of the Arctic and contrasts it with the post-Soviet grunge. Seidi Haarla and Yuri Borisov deliver fine performances and successfully draw you in as they peel back the characters’ flaws and layers. Their chemistry feels quite natural, and it’s an entertaining ride from start to end.

This film serves very strong Lost in Translation energy – well, at least for me. The touching and sparkling love story follows a creative and educated woman in a foreign country trying to fit in. There’s the man who turns to booze – Russian vodka, predominantly – as a means to forget the world and his circumstances. Lyokha is the type of person who struggles with emotion yet is fiercely protective of the women he loves. 

A joy to watch, Compartment No. 6 is in cinemas now.

Compartment No. 6 
In cinemas now
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