Synopsis
JP SIILI PERIFERIA
1847. In the plainlands of Ostrobothnia, Finland, a tradition prevails, according to which the first-born son inherits everything and the remaining offspring must fend for themselves. The law has been cast aside in many areas and groups of men, toughs, knife-wielding thugs, control the fields. The blade rules the land.
The Välitalo household and farm are vast and affluent. There are two sons in the household, MATTI (18) and ESKO (25). The younger son in an upstanding man fit to inherit the farm, and secretly engaged to a young woman named AINO (18) from the neighbouring farm. The older brother is a bum, the leader of a gang of thugs, who is said to have killed several men. The father of the brothers makes a difficult decision and chooses to will his farm against tradition, not to his first-born son, but to Matti, the younger son.
Esko hears about the will, finds the notary who wrote it, takes the will and kills the man. When Esko goes to demand an explanation from his father, his father suffers a heart attack and dies. Esko destroys both copies of the will and banishes his distraught younger brother from the farm – not allowing Matti to take anything with him.
A year goes by and Matti returns. Esko has become romantically interested in Aino. It becomes Matti’s mission to make things right, get his inheritance and his loved-one. As Esko has no intention to give up anything he thinks is his to own, the road is leading to their confrontation. Is is possible for Matti to gain what he wants without sinking to the morals of his brother?