Juha is a 1999 Finnish film written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki. The film is loosely based on a famous 1911 novel by the Finnish author Juhani Aho marking this as the fourth time the novel was adapted for the screen. The original story takes place in the 18th century but Kaurismäki's remake is set in the 1970s. It tells the story of a love triangle where a simple peasant woman leaves her husband after falling in love with a modern city slicker. Juha is a silent film shot in black-and-white with the dialogue coming in the form of intertitles.
Marja (Kati Outinen) is a simple peasant woman married to her older husband Juha (Sakari Kuosmanen). They lead a very simple country life, spending most of their days farming and tending to their livestock. Marja's world is turned upside down when Shemeikka (André Wilms) comes to the happily married couple asking them for help with his broken down sports convertible and a place to spend the night. As Juha works to repair the car, Shemeikka attempts to lure Marja to leave Juha and come to the city with him. A hesitant Marja does not want to leave her husband at first but ultimately gives in to temptation after dreaming of a wonderful new life in a big city. Shemeikka and Marja leave for the city but Marja's dream quickly becomes a nightmare when Shemeikka enslaves her in a brothel.
Juha is a three-act opera by Aarre Merikanto, with a Finnish libretto by Aino Ackté based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Juhani Aho. Although completed by 1922, it was only finally staged at the music college in Lahti on 28 October 1963. The story is a drama of a love triangle: the older husband Juha, his young wife Marja, and her seducer the merchant Shemeikka. Set in the 1880s in Kainuu in northern Finland, the human tragedy is based around the harsh realities of a farming community and the clash of their lifestyle with the more worldly nomadic Karelians, represented by Shemeikka.
Ackté first offered the libretto to Sibelius, who, after two years, declined to set it, explaining in a letter to Ackté that he believed the text should be subservient to the ‘absolute music’ of the score, and he felt unable to achieve that with what he called Aho’s “masterpiece”.
Juha was Merikanto's second opera, following Helena in 1912. Having composed Juha from 1919 to 1922, Merikanto submitted it to the board of the national opera in Helsinki who were worried by its modernity. As he had no response from them, Merikanto withdrew the work and did not compose any further operas. A ‘safer’ version was written by Leevi Madetoja and premiered at the Finnish National Opera in 1935. The third act of Merikanto's version was broadcast on 3 December 1958, the year before the composer’s death.
Juha may refer to:
"On a vu ?a tellement de fois, mais au cin?ma."
"Quelqu'un qui reste, un qui s'en va."
Tant pis c'est comme ?a.
Quand d'un ciel trop clair la foudre tombe sur nous.
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, je t'en prie ne souris pas"
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, ?coute-moi."
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, est-ce qu'on sort un jour de l?."
"Toi qui sait que ?a fait mal, aide-moi."
"On y croit pas, c'est trop banal, trop simple si normal."
"Juste une folie, tu ne perds rien au milieu du bal."
Mais on est si fiers qu'on se ment jusqu'au bout.
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, je t'en prie ne souris pas."
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, ?coute-moi."
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, dis-moi comment on se bat."
"Toi qui sais que ?a fait mal, aide-moi."
A toi qui te crois ? l'abri je t'envois ces mots us?s.
Que leur sens parvienne comme un cri ? tes pas nus.
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, je t'en prie ne souris pas."
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, ?coute-moi."
"Toi qui sais de quoi je parle, qu'est-ce qu'on devient apr?s ?a?"
"Toi qui sais que ?a fait mal, aide-moi."