Tom of Finland
The proudly erotic drawings of artist Touko Laaksonen, known to the world as Tom of Finland, shaped the fantasies of a generation of gay men, influencing art and fashion before crossing over into the wider cultural consciousness. But who was the man behind the leather?
Dome Karukoski's stirring biopic follows his life from the trenches of WWII and repressive Finnish society of the 1950s through his struggle to get his work published in California, where he and his art were finally embraced amid the sexual revolution of the 1970s. Tom's story is one of love, courage and perseverance, mirroring the gay liberation movement for which his leather-clad studs served as a defiant emblem.
Nominated for an Audience Award and Best International Feature Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Nominated for Best International Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival.
"TOM OF FINLAND entertainingly recounts an intriguing and vital chapter of 20th-century gay history with style and deference." - Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times
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Comments (8)
A well-acted and empathetic portrayal of a gay icon. The focus is Tom's earlier years before he is discovered in the US. However, once he arrives in America, the film looses its narrative cohesiveness. Much action is packed into a short period of time and the poor editing hinders the ...Read more
A well-acted and empathetic portrayal of a gay icon. The focus is Tom's earlier years before he is discovered in the US. However, once he arrives in America, the film looses its narrative cohesiveness. Much action is packed into a short period of time and the poor editing hinders the story-telling. An enjoyable film nonetheless.
Read lessI love this movie. I was always interested in Tom and his art, but never knew much about him and his life. He's remarkable, and this movie does it well. I went in expecting a mediocre movie, but boy was I surprised.
Favorite thing about Tom? his drawing defined decades of ...Read more
I love this movie. I was always interested in Tom and his art, but never knew much about him and his life. He's remarkable, and this movie does it well. I went in expecting a mediocre movie, but boy was I surprised.
Read lessFavorite thing about Tom? his drawing defined decades of leather-wearing manhood in heterosexual culture, and they had no idea.
Lovely movie, does justice to Tom. His impact on the gay male world was immense ... uh, huge.
Interesting approach to the life and work of Tom of Finland. Not a great movie but overall enjoyable.
The drawings have never appealed to me in the past. This film let me see what they meant in the lives of so many men.
As the film progressed I started to get more and more involved with it. Overall, Tom of Finland is a very good microcosm of his life. Main performers were great as was a good deal of the cinematography which gave us some beautiful wide shots of real quality.
i liked it, but was a little disappointed the piece "FTW" didn't figure more prominently
This was really good. great acting, great camera work. I found it emotionally stirring at some points.