Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö (The Match Factory Girl) (1989)

85% of users liked it
(2,044 ratings)

The Match Factory Girl is a Finnish/ Swedish coproduction. Kati Outinen plays the title character, trapped in a deadly dull job and an even deadlier duller home life. Against her family's wishes, she purchases a bright red dress and heads out for a night on the town. She spends the evening with a… More The Match Factory Girl is a Finnish/ Swedish coproduction. Kati Outinen plays the title character, trapped in a deadly dull job and an even deadlier duller home life. Against her family's wishes, she purchases a bright red dress and heads out for a night on the town. She spends the evening with a handsome wealthy man, who shows how significant this sexual pairing is by leaving her alone the next morning with a large sum of money. Not wishing to tell her parents of her misadventure, Outinen splits the money with her brother, then waits in vain for her "lover" to return. When she finds she is pregnant, she writes a syrupy note to her erstwhile swain, who coldly sends her a money order and instructs her to get an abortion. Even her family turns on her when her condition becomes obvious. With her remaining savings, Outinen purchases a generous supply of rat poison--not for herself, but for all the people who did her dirt throughout the film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 10 min.
Directed By: Aki Kaurismäki
Written By: Aki Kaurismäki
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 12, 1990 Wide
On DVD: Sep 23, 2008
Studio: Criterion Collection

Critic Reviews

Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
Kati Outinen proves herself the divine muse of minimalism, conveying more emotion with her stony facial expressions than a whole marquee's worth of shrill starlets could manage.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

Absolutely heartbreaking, The Match Factory Girl is an absolute masterpiece and a fine final instalment in Aki Kaurismäki's outstanding 'Underdog' trilogy. Kati Outinen's performance is wonderful, my only criticism is that it was far too short!
Walter M

In "The Match Factory Girl," Iris(Kari Outinen) works all day in a factory and comes home at night to tend to her parents(Elina Salo & Esko Nikkari) in a cramped apartment. So, she figures she deserves a little fun in return but nobody takes notice of her at a… More
In "The Match Factory Girl," Iris(Kari Outinen) works all day in a factory and comes home at night to tend to her parents(Elina Salo & Esko Nikkari) in a cramped apartment. So, she figures she deserves a little fun in return but nobody takes notice of her at a dance. Her parents react in shock when she has the nerve to buy a new dress with her own money and demand she return it. She does not. In fact, Iris wears it to a bar where she winds up meeting the wealthy Aarne(Vesa Vierikko) and they spend the night together. "The Match Factory Girl" is proof that Aki Kaurismaki does not make the same movie over and over again, as this is more dead serious than deadpan. There is very little humor and minimal dialogue which makes it perfect for watching on a bus. Even the television news is pessimistic, full of death and destruction(pretty much everything except for the Bay Area Earthquake) with a little resistance thrown in. Even Iris' job at a factory that makes matchsticks which are primarily used in smoking cigarettes has ominous overtones. Iris is too good of a person for such a cruel world, serving others and expecting the best from the world in return, and eventually suffers for it, before the movie takes a huge risk in removing any sympathy from her.
Dimitris S

Kaurismaki's perfection of the 90's.Outinen is a goddess,convincing me that acting is silence,a soundproof collision merged into shattering pieces.Those pieces glued in the trembling-vengeful heart of Iris.Aye,and hard laboring.