Dancing on Graves
Möllersvärd, a horseman, writes to his sister Ulla from Tornio, where the Finnish army has retreated in the winter of 1809. Invited to the deathbed of a wounded soldier, the horseman joins the other d…
Dancing on Graves
Möllersvärd, a horseman, writes to his sister Ulla from Tornio, where the Finnish army has retreated in the winter of 1809. Invited to the deathbed of a wounded soldier, the horseman joins the other despondent officers, more depressed than ever: "Finland is lost, what do they think at home?" At the Möllerhof, the manor house of Landgrave Möllersvärd in Mäntsälkä, a tall Russian officer is the dinner guest. He proposes the Emperor's Cup, which Ulla refuses to accept, to the dismay of her parents. Governor-General Sprengtporten sends an express message informing her that the Diet will be held in Porvoo in March. Ulla thinks it is a betrayal, but when she hears that the Emperor is more lenient and liberal towards his officers than his subordinates, she wants to see him. The women begin to plan their outfits. In Porvoo, preparations are made for the Emperor's reception. The students, including the governor's secretary Antti Karppanen, continue their resistance by tarring the Russian coat of arms adorning the port of honor. Ulla is inspired to promise a kiss to the perpetrators of this bold gesture and is forced to fulfill her promise when Antti, who is in love with her, confesses to her that he was one of them. Emperor Alexander I arrives in Porvoo to the popular astonishment of the people. Already at the opening of the Diet, the Emperor draws attention to Ulla in the middle of a group of women on the balcony and asks his courtier, Adjutant General Gagarin, about her. At the evening ball, the Emperor pays special attention to Ulla and invites the governor and his family to dine with him. At the table, Alexander toasts the beautiful ladies of Finland and announces that he will stop at the governor's mansion on his way back from Turku. Ulla is still reluctant to take part in the preparations for the visit, but is indignant on the Emperor's behalf when the conspiratorial high school students suggest that she charm the Emperor to win him over to Finland's side. When the Emperor arrives, he invites Ulla to join him on a sleigh ride, and the jealous Antti follows them skiing. The evening's program includes singing and dancing. Ulla and Alexander have their first kiss in the gazebo. The Emperor and Ulla's bedrooms are opposite each other, Antti stands guard outside Ulla's room with a pistol in his hand. At night, Alexander is haunted by the memory of his involvement in the murder of his father, Emperor Paul I. He hits the corridor at the same time as Ulla, and calls Antti, who has fallen asleep, into his room, where he mockingly pins a badge of honor to his chest. Anxiety takes hold of Alexander again, but Ulla manages to ease his pain and lull him to sleep. In the morning, Alexander says goodbye to Ulla alone and says "perhaps he will return". In the summer, the governor receives a letter of thanks from the emperor, and Ulla receives a jewel as a present. In St Petersburg, Alexander finds himself in the middle of political problems that require solutions. At the suggestion of his adviser Speranski, and in order to gain time with Napoleon, Alexander decides to leave for Finland to attend the closing session of the Diet of Porvoo. After receiving the agreed signal, Ulla accompanies the emperor's envoy to the hunting lodge, where Alexander wishes to appear only as 'Sasha the hunter'. Ulla takes him to meet a wise man who sees the bloody crown and predicts both victory and a double death for Alexander, lonely and forgotten. The role of victor is enough for Alexander, who wants to hear no more. To Ulla, he confesses that he agreed to his father's murder in order to win the crown and asks her to give him oblivion again. In return, Ulla asks Alexander to elevate Finland to the rank of a nation and to reintegrate Karelia into the motherland. As the storm rages outside, they celebrate and spend the night together. When Ulla wakes up in the morning, the Emperor has already left for Porvoo. Smiling in the crowd, Ulla watches as Alexander fulfills her request at the closing ceremony of the Diet. Alexander smiles back at Ulla. Finally, the narrator says that even in its rags and wounds, the army carried Finland's destiny into the future.
Dancing on Graves
Drama,History,Romance
Film Details
Möllersvärd, a horseman, writes to his sister Ulla from Tornio, where the Finnish army has retreated in the winter of 1809. Invited to the deathbed of a wounded soldier, the horseman joins the other despondent officers, more depressed than ever: "Finland is lost, what do they think at home?" At the Möllerhof, the manor house of Landgrave Möllersvärd in Mäntsälkä, a tall Russian officer is the dinner guest. He proposes the Emperor's Cup, which Ulla refuses to accept, to the dismay of her parents.
Governor-General Sprengtporten sends an express message informing her that the Diet will be held in Porvoo in March. Ulla thinks it is a betrayal, but when she hears that the Emperor is more lenient and liberal towards his officers than his subordinates, she wants to see him. The women begin to plan their outfits.
In Porvoo, preparations are made for the Emperor's reception. The students, including the governor's secretary Antti Karppanen, continue their resistance by tarring the Russian coat of arms adorning the port of honor. Ulla is inspired to promise a kiss to the perpetrators of this bold gesture and is forced to fulfill her promise when Antti, who is in love with her, confesses to her that he was one of them.
Emperor Alexander I arrives in Porvoo to the popular astonishment of the people. Already at the opening of the Diet, the Emperor draws attention to Ulla in the middle of a group of women on the balcony and asks his courtier, Adjutant General Gagarin, about her. At the evening ball, the Emperor pays special attention to Ulla and invites the governor and his family to dine with him.
At the table, Alexander toasts the beautiful ladies of Finland and announces that he will stop at the governor's mansion on his way back from Turku. Ulla is still reluctant to take part in the preparations for the visit, but is indignant on the Emperor's behalf when the conspiratorial high school students suggest that she charm the Emperor to win him over to Finland's side. When the Emperor arrives, he invites Ulla to join him on a sleigh ride, and the jealous Antti follows them skiing.
The evening's program includes singing and dancing. Ulla and Alexander have their first kiss in the gazebo. The Emperor and Ulla's bedrooms are opposite each other, Antti stands guard outside Ulla's room with a pistol in his hand.
At night, Alexander is haunted by the memory of his involvement in the murder of his father, Emperor Paul I. He hits the corridor at the same time as Ulla, and calls Antti, who has fallen asleep, into his room, where he mockingly pins a badge of honor to his chest. Anxiety takes hold of Alexander again, but Ulla manages to ease his pain and lull him to sleep.
In the morning, Alexander says goodbye to Ulla alone and says "perhaps he will return". In the summer, the governor receives a letter of thanks from the emperor, and Ulla receives a jewel as a present. In St Petersburg, Alexander finds himself in the middle of political problems that require solutions.
At the suggestion of his adviser Speranski, and in order to gain time with Napoleon, Alexander decides to leave for Finland to attend the closing session of the Diet of Porvoo. After receiving the agreed signal, Ulla accompanies the emperor's envoy to the hunting lodge, where Alexander wishes to appear only as 'Sasha the hunter'. Ulla takes him to meet a wise man who sees the bloody crown and predicts both victory and a double death for Alexander, lonely and forgotten.
The role of victor is enough for Alexander, who wants to hear no more. To Ulla, he confesses that he agreed to his father's murder in order to win the crown and asks her to give him oblivion again. In return, Ulla asks Alexander to elevate Finland to the rank of a nation and to reintegrate Karelia into the motherland.
As the storm rages outside, they celebrate and spend the night together. When Ulla wakes up in the morning, the Emperor has already left for Porvoo. Smiling in the crowd, Ulla watches as Alexander fulfills her request at the closing ceremony of the Diet.
Alexander smiles back at Ulla. Finally, the narrator says that even in its rags and wounds, the army carried Finland's destiny into the future..