Mikko Niskanen's masterpiece, 1966

In Mikko Niskanen's film, two college-age couples set up camp by the seaside in order to get to know each other-and themselves-better. Based on their skittish behavior, Skin, Skin's female protagonists would appear to be virgins, while their boyish suitors are more experienced-about sex, not the ways of the world. Boisterous brunette Riita (Kristiina Halkola) reminds her companions of Claudia Cardinale-an understandable observation-while circumspect blonde Leena (Kirsti Wallasvaara) evokes Brigitte Bardot (particularly once she dons her newsboy cap). During the picture, the women sing a few songs, all sounding like Finnish variations on the French chanson-there's also a chic singer/actress on holiday (Anneli Sauli), who performs a number during the pivotal dancehall scene-but Skin, Skin isn't a musical. It's more like a sex comedy; an introspective pastoral miles removed from the urban insanity of Donner's Sixtynine 69. Despite a few jump cuts here and there, the results more closely resemble a pre-Vietnam-era American independent rather than a Scandinavian version of the nouvelle vague. These attractive young people have carnal relations on their minds rather than-or in addition to-politics. They're also concerned about their futures, but only in the most general sense, i.e. Riita wants to settle down, Santtu doesn't. If Skin, Skin sounds light, that's because it is, but it's also entertaining, erotic, and well worth catching on the big screen. Maybe Finland's "sauna culture" helps to explain it, but there's as much casual nudity in these movies-naked bathing figures in Sixtynine 69, while abundant skinny-dipping decorates Anna-as hard alcohol.

Finnish language, (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), Swedish (Subtitles).

SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access.