A Respectable Tragedy poster
DRAMA . 1998 . 1h 54m . 3.0/10

A Respectable Tragedy_

In the 1930s, middle-aged museum curator Tauno Saarinen yearns for a young beautiful maid and writes a lengthy confession about his feelings which he gives his wife Elisabet to read. Elisabet shows the writings to her husband's sister Naimi, an art critic who tries to reconcile with her ex-husband despite a spiteful mother-in-law. Meanwhile, things gets worse between Tauno and Elisabet when the young maid, seduced by Tauno, becomes pregnant. Based on a novel by Helvi Hämäläinen, first published in 1941 but partly censored until 1995 because allegedly based on true incidents involving well-known people.

Starring Ville Virtanen, Päivi Akonpelto, Henriikka Salo
3.0/10
Rating
1h 54m
Runtime
1998
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
A Respectable Tragedy poster

In the 1930s, middle-aged museum curator Tauno Saarinen yearns for a young beautiful maid and writes a lengthy confession about his feelings which he gives his wife Elisabet to read. Elisabet shows the writings to her husband's sister Naimi, an art critic who tries to reconcile with her ex-husband despite a spiteful mother-in-law. Meanwhile, things gets worse between Tauno and Elisabet when the young maid, seduced by Tauno, becomes pregnant. Based on a novel by Helvi Hämäläinen, first published in 1941 but partly censored until 1995 because allegedly based on true incidents involving well-known people.

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast
Ville Virtanen stars as Tauno Saarinen in A Respectable Tragedy.
Ville Virtanen →
Year context
A Respectable Tragedy was released 28 years ago in 1998.
Overview
In the 1930s, middle-aged museum curator Tauno Saarinen yearns for a young beautiful maid and writes a lengthy confession about his feelings which he gives h...
A Respectable Tragedy is a Drama film with a runtime of 1h 54m.

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
114 min (1h 54m)
Country
FI
Rating
3.0/10 (4 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is A Respectable Tragedy about?
In the 1930s, middle-aged museum curator Tauno Saarinen yearns for a young beautiful maid and writes a lengthy confession about his feelings which he gives his wife Elisabet to read. Elisabet shows the writings to her husband's sister Naimi, an art critic who tries to reconcile with her ex-husband despite a spiteful mother-in-law. Meanwhile, things gets worse between Tauno and Elisabet when the young maid, seduced by Tauno, becomes pregnant. Based on a novel by Helvi Hämäläinen, first published in 1941 but partly censored until 1995 because allegedly based on true incidents involving well-known people.
How long is A Respectable Tragedy?
A Respectable Tragedy has a runtime of 114 minutes (1h 54m).
Who stars in A Respectable Tragedy?
The cast of A Respectable Tragedy includes Ville Virtanen, Päivi Akonpelto, Henriikka Salo, Kyllikki Forssell, Timo Jurkka.
What is the rating of A Respectable Tragedy?
A Respectable Tragedy has a rating of 3.0 out of 10 based on 4 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (1)

Drama
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