''The Last Border'' ( fi, The Last Border – viimeisellä rajalla) is a 1993 Finnish

post-apocalyptic film Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astr ...

directed, written, and produced by

Mika Kaurismäki Mika Juhani Kaurismäki (; born 21 September 1955) is a Finnish film director. Biography Mika Kaurismäki is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki, and the father of Maria Kaurismäki, who graduated from Tampere School of Art and Media in 200 ...

, starring Jolyon Baker,

Jürgen Prochnow Jürgen Prochnow ( ; born 10 June 1941) is a German-American actor. His international breakthrough was his portrayal of the good-hearted and sympathetic U-boat Captain "Der Alte" ("Old Man") in the 1981 war film ''Das Boot''. He is also known f ...

Fanny Bastien Fanny Bastien (née Meunier; born 13 December 1961 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany) is a French actress. Biography At the age of 15, Bastien left home to study at a regional dance conservatory and, the following year, joined the Académie Frat ...

and

Kari Väänänen Kari Kyösti Väänänen (born 17 September 1953 in Ivalo) is a Finnish actor and director. Domestically he is a member of the Ryhmäteatteri group of actors. He was introduced to international audiences by Aki Kaurismäki, and belongs to the li ...

. The film takes place in the near future for 2009, when

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

from the entire planet has forced people to move to the Arctic Circle, being the only viable territories. The film was released at the 1993 Toronto International Film Festival.

Cast

* Jolyon Baker as Jake *

as Duke *

as Doaiva *

as Borka *

Matti Pellonpää Matti Pellonpää (28 March 1951 in Helsinki – 13 July 1995 in Vaasa) was a Finnish actor and a musician. He rose to international fame with his roles in both Aki Kaurismäki's and Mika Kaurismäki's films; particularly being a regular in Aki's ...

as Dimitri * Soli Labbart as Old woman * Clas-Ove Bruun as Skunk *

Jussi Lampi Jussi Lampi (born 9 February 1961 in Lappajärvi) is a Finnish musician and long-time actor. Lampi has appeared in many films and TV shows, including ''The Last Border'' (1993), '' V2 - jäätynyt enkeli'' (2007), '' Matti'' (2006), '' Pelikaa ...

as Rabbit * Juice Leskinen as Bartender *

Esko Salminen Esko Salminen (born 12 October 1940, in Helsinki) is a Finnish actor with careers on television, the stage and on the silver screen. He has had three marriages: (1961–1963); 1971–1981); and (present). He had two children with his second wi ...

as Jake's father * Jochen Nickel as Beggar *

Mato Valtonen Markku Juhani ”Mato” Valtonen (born 21 February 1955 in Loimaa) is a Finnish actor, musician and entrepreneur. Valtonen has been a member of the Finnish band Sleepy Sleepers since 1975 and the Leningrad Cowboys since 1989.Junkkari, MarkoValto ...

as Drunkard * Sakke Järvenpää as Biker

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

gives ''The Last Border'' a score of 12% based on 60 ratings by audience. In ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' magazine's October 1993 review,

Emanuel Levy Emanuel Levy is an American film critic and professor who has taught at Columbia University, New School for Social Research, Wellesley College, Arizona State University and UCLA Film School. Levy currently teaches in the department of cinema ...

called film "a spoof of the ''

Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic action film series and media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ''Mad Max 2'' (1981, released in the Unite ...

'' cult films." He comments, that films "subtle humor and moderate violence (by today's standards) may disappoint viewers expecting excessive treatment of such matters", but also said, that films "impressive visual design and strong perfs by

and

could broaden satire's commercial prospects beyond the midnight circuit."Emanuel Levy. The Last Border. ''Variety'', 4 October 1993.

References

External links

* * English-language Finnish films 1993 science fiction films Finnish post-apocalyptic films Films set in the future Films set in Lapland 1993 films Films directed by Mika Kaurismäki Finnish science fiction films Motorcycling films Outlaw biker films 1990s English-language films {{Finland-film-stub