The 2017 film Tom of Finland is a biographical drama directed by Dome Karukoski that chronicles the life of Touko Laaksonen
, the artist behind the world-famous homoerotic illustrations that helped define gay culture in the 20th century. Film Overview Release Date: February 2017. Dome Karukoski. Lead Actor: Pekka Strang as Touko Laaksonen.
The movie follows Laaksonen's journey from a decorated officer returning home after World War II
to his emergence as an international gay icon. It highlights the intense homophobia of mid-century Finnish society and his eventual find of liberation and fame in the United States. Historical Significance
The film is noted for being the first major biopic of Laaksonen. It explores how his art—characterized by hyper-masculine, muscle-bound men in leather and uniforms—redefined gay aesthetics from a place of secrecy to one of celebration and pride Critical Reception
TOM OF FINLAND (director: Dome Karukoski)
I. The Sketchbook as a Weapon
It is difficult to overstate the cultural distance between the world we live in now—where "thirst traps" are a standard currency of social media and queer visibility is (in some parts of the world) at an all-time high—and the Finland of the 1950s. It was a grim, gray place, scarred by war and defined by a suffocating, conformist silence. This is where Tom of Finland (2017), the biopic directed by Dome Karukoski, begins: in silence.
The film introduces us to Touko Laaksonen (Pekka Strang), a man who moves through the post-WWII landscape like a ghost. He is an advertising executive, a lieutenant, a respectable citizen. But he is carrying a secret that is not just illicit, but dangerous. In this era, homosexuality was not merely a taboo; it was a crime, a sickness, a deviance. The opening act of the film is draped in shadows, both literal and metaphororical. We see Touko cruising in parks where the threat of violence—or police entrapment—hangs heavy in the cold air.
But the film’s central thesis arrives quickly: Touko has an escape. He draws.
II. The Birth of an Icon
The transition from Touko Laaksonen to "Tom of Finland" is the film’s core narrative engine, and Pekka Strang plays it with a delicate mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. The film posits that Tom was not a separate personality, but a necessary armor. When Touko draws, the camera lingers on the ink hitting the paper. The lines are confident, bold, and black. He draws what he cannot have in the real world.
In reality, Touko is a man who fears for his safety, glancing over his shoulder in dark alleys. On paper, his men are fearless. They are hyper-masculine, muscular, mustachioed giants clad in leather and denim. They are unapologetic. The film argues that Tom of Finland’s art was not just pornography; it was a corrective measure against a world that wanted to shame queer men into invisibility. By drawing men who were the apex of masculinity—soldiers, bikemen, lumberjacks—Touko reclaimed the very symbols of power that had been used to oppress him.
There is a pivotal moment in the film where Touko shows his work to a potential lover. The man recoils, calling the drawings "ugly" and "monstrous." This scene cuts to the heart of the internalized homophobia of the time. Touko, however, persists. He sends his drawings to American physique magazines under the pseudonym "Tom." When the editor writes back, "Love the drawings, but lose the shirt," the emancipation begins. tom of finland -2017-
III. The American Dream and the "Tom" Effect
As the timeline shifts to the 1960s and 70s, the film’s palette warms up, mirroring the sexual revolution. The Finland of the film remains somewhat stoic and cold, but Touko’s world expands through his mail correspondence with Los Angeles.
The film depicts the iconic friendship between Touko and Doug (played by a warm, grounded Werner Daehn), a man he meets at a beach. Their relationship serves as the emotional anchor. Through Doug and the burgeoning leather scene in the US, Touko finds an audience. The film wisely chooses to show the impact of his work through montage: soldiers in Vietnam pinning his drawings on their lockers, leather bars in San Francisco using his imagery as a uniform code.
Karukoski
The 2017 biographical drama Tom of Finland , directed by Dome Karukoski, tells the life story of Touko Laaksonen, the influential artist behind the iconic homoerotic "Tom of Finland" illustrations. The film explores his journey from a decorated World War II officer to a globally recognized pioneer of LGBTQ+ culture and liberation. Film Overview Dome Karukoski.
Pekka Strang as Touko Laaksonen, Lauri Tilkanen as Veli, and Jessica Grabowsky as Kaija. Biography / Drama. Release Date:
Premiered January 27, 2017, at the Gothenburg Film Festival. Official Entry:
Selected as Finland's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. Core Narrative & Historical Context The movie spans over four decades of Laaksonen’s life: Tom of Finland (2017)
The 2017 biographical drama " Tom of Finland ", directed by Dome Karukoski, tells the story of Touko Laaksonen, the artist who redefined gay masculinity in the 20th century. The Man Behind the Art
The film follows Laaksonen (played by Pekka Strang) from his harrowing service as a Finnish officer in World War II to his eventual status as a global gay icon.
Wartime Trauma: It depicts how his military experiences, including a lethal encounter with a Russian paratrooper, influenced his attraction to men in uniform.
A Clandestine Life: In post-war Helsinki, where homosexuality was criminalized, Laaksonen lived a double life—working in advertising by day and sketching "dirty drawings" in secret at night.
Rise to Fame: His career took off after his work was published in the American magazine Physique Pictorial under the pseudonym "Tom of Finland," leading to a triumphant arrival in 1970s California. Critical Reception The 2017 film Tom of Finland is a
Critics praised the film as a respectful and informative tribute to a vital chapter of LGBTQ+ history, though many noted it followed a traditional, "respectable" biopic formula. Tom of Finland: A Queer Cultural Icon - Avant Arte
The following article explores the life and legacy of Touko Laaksonen , better known as Tom of Finland
, with a focus on his cultural impact and the biographical film released in 2017. The Man Behind the Muscle: The Legacy of Tom of Finland
Tom of Finland (born Touko Laaksonen, 1920–1991) is recognized as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century for his groundbreaking depictions of the male figure and his profound impact on gay culture and liberation. 1. From Secret Drawings to Global Icon
Born in Kaarina, Finland, Laaksonen began drawing as a child, inspired by the rugged masculinity of local laborers. During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the Finnish army, an experience that influenced his later work featuring men in uniform. Morally Erect - Lux Magazine
The 2017 film is not just a biography of an artist; it is a history lesson on the evolution of gay rights, the power of fantasy as a tool for survival, and the journey of an outsider who changed the way the world looks at masculinity.
In the end, 2017 was the year the world finally caught up to Tom of Finland. It was the year the leather-clad, grinning, impossibly built cowboy stepped off the pages of his sketchbook and rode triumphantly into the center of the cultural arena. And once he arrived, he never left.
Search trend note: The keyword "Tom of Finland -2017-" often queries the biopic release date, the Copenhagen exhibition, or the artist's posthumous influence during that pivotal year. This article covers all three angles to provide a comprehensive answer.
The Touko Laaksonen Story: Why Tom of Finland (2017) is Essential Viewing In 2017, the biographical drama Tom of Finland
brought the secret life of Touko Laaksonen to the big screen. Directed by Dome Karukoski, the film doesn't just chronicle the life of an artist; it traces the evolution of a cultural revolution that transformed the global gay aesthetic. From the Front Lines to the Drawing Board
The film begins in the stark, dangerous reality of World War II. Touko Laaksonen, a decorated officer in the Finnish Army, finds himself in a world of hyper-masculinity that is both oppressive and deeply inspiring.
Returning to a post-war Helsinki where homosexuality was criminalized and "shunned," Touko lived a double life. By day, he was a commercial artist; by night, he retreated to his room to draw the "beefy lumberjacks," "saucy sailors," and square-jawed bikers that would eventually make him famous. Beyond the "Obscene"
What the 2017 film captures so beautifully is the defiant joy in Tom's work. At a time when the mainstream view of gay men was often one of tragedy or effeminacy, Tom drew men who were: Strong and Unapologetic : His subjects exuded pride and camradarie without guilt. Hyper-Masculine Fashion and Music: The film contextualizes how Tom
: He subverted traditional heterosexual roles—cops, cowboys, and military personnel—to create a new, empowering identity for the gay scene. Liberating
: His art served as a "visual herald" for the modern Gay rights movement, proving that pride could be found in the very archetypes used to exclude them. A Legacy That Won't Fade The movie highlights the critical role of Durk Dehner , who helped Touko establish the Tom of Finland Foundation
in 1984 to archive and protect his work from being lost or pirated.
Today, Tom's influence is everywhere—from high-fashion runways to Finnish postage stamps and official state exhibitions. As the film reminds us, Tom of Finland didn't just draw pictures; he "stood up to hatred by articulating its opposite"—pure, unadulterated joy.
Learning More about the Context and “Industry” | by Alison McKeown
The 2017 biopic Tom of Finland , directed by Dome Karukoski, chronicles the life of Touko Laaksonen, the artist behind the world-famous homoerotic imagery that helped spark a global gay revolution.
An interesting story regarding this film is its place in Finland's national identity. In 2017, the movie was commissioned as part of the official celebrations for the centennial year of Finnish independence. This marked a profound cultural shift, as the Finnish government—which once persecuted Laaksonen and kept homosexuality a crime until 1971—formally embraced him as a national icon alongside legendary figures like the composer Jean Sibelius. Key Themes & Plot Highlights Tom of Finland (2017)
Tom of Finland (2017) an award-winning biographical drama directed by Dome Karukoski
that chronicles the life of Touko Laaksonen, the artist behind the iconic homoerotic drawings that shaped 20th-century gay culture
. The film explores his journey from a decorated World War II officer to a global symbol of gay liberation. Plot Overview & Historical Context
The movie follows Touko’s life across several decades, capturing his transformation from a repressed veteran to an internationally celebrated artist. Reeling Reviews Tom of Finland (2017)
However, not everyone in 2017 was celebrating. The rise of Tom of Finland in the mainstream also ignited the fiercest internal critique of his legacy.
The most prominent voice in 2017 belonged to the critical theorist and artist who argued that Tom’s utopia is also a monoculture. The argument went like this:
Supporters fired back passionately. They noted that in 2017, in places like Russia and Indonesia, gay men were being arrested, beaten, and outed. For a man in Jakarta to have a Tom of Finland drawing on his phone was an act of defiance. The "uniform" of hyper-masculinity, they argued, is a shield. It says, “You cannot hurt me. I am strong. I am powerful.”