The Manila Rope

A dry, deadpan look at military life that finds quiet absurdity in bureaucracy and boredom rather than heroics.

Directed by

Veli-Matti Saikkonen

Genres

War, Drama

Starring

Erkki Pajala, Vesa Mäkelä, Martti Kuningas

Overview

Manillaköysi is a cult status holding TV-movie adaptation of the satirical war novel by Veijo Meri. Manillaköysi has an endless list of classic one-liners, but it is still not based on cheap laughs or anything like that. The whole humouristic aspect of it comes from describing the absurdity of war, and the whole military system, by looking it with the eyes of a simple man, who's thrown into it, and who simply does not give a rats ass of it all. The tone of it is not overly preachy or moralizing. If I would have to describe it with one word, it would be: unglamourizing. The main point of Manillaköysi is pretty much compressed in one of the most famous quotes of it: There is nothing supernatural about war, it is just work like anything else.

How it feels

Satirical, absurd, cynical and bleak. Measured and needs your attention.

About

War, work, power, survival

Content

Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer (opens in a new tab)