Paavo Nurmi - The Man and His Times

Directed by Peter von Bagh

Paavo Nurmi (1897–1973) was one of the greatest athletes ever, and he had the wins to show it. For some time, his name was synonymous with speed, endurance and grace – if you did something the way Nurmi ran, you did good. But Nurmi's story had its more depressing side: He was accused of violating his amateur status. He died in disgrace, if fondly remembered. PAAVO NURMI – THE MAN AND HIS TIMES is not so much a portrait of the runner as a vision of his time(s): Here, Nurmi is an icon, an epitome. More than most other works by von Bagh, this one has a strident rigor to it, a focused sense of ritual that fits the subject perfectly.