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
Updated Feb 16, 2026
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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.
CAST (12)
Ville Virtanen
Tauno Saarinen
PA
Päivi Akonpelto
Elisabeth Saarinen
HS
Henriikka Salo
Naimi Saarinen
KF
Kyllikki Forssell
Ada, Arturs mother
Timo Jurkka
Artur, Naimi's ex-husband
SH
Saara Hilpinen
Tellervo Nurmi
Maria Järvenhelmi
Jenny
OL
Ossi Lehtinen
Pekka Saarinen
Mari Rantasila
Adan piika
Kati Outinen
Midwife
Lotta Lindroos
Sirkka
Veikko Uusimäki
Priest
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