🔗 Share this article

Released in 1952, Finnish movie White Reindeer represents one of the exceptional forgotten masterpieces in the folk horror category. Despite the fact that it won prizes at Cannes and the Golden Globes in its day, it remained ignored until a gorgeous digital restoration was released in recent years.

Located on the remote, frozen fells of northern Scandinavia, the movie presents an eerie, totally ethereal macabre story. This region is occasionally called the Lapland region, though the indigenous Sámi people consider that name as offensive.

The Eerie Opening and Transformation

Through a unforgettable introduction, it is foretold that a infant young Sámi female will transform into a witch. She develops into the character Piriti (acted by Mirjami Kuosmanen), a determined female who rebels against her solitary reality as the partner of a roaming reindeer keeper.

She attempts to find comfort from a local medicine person, but possibly because of her innate sorcery, his romance spell backfires and changes her into a vampire-like metamorph, fated to pursue and devour human males in the appearance of a pale reindeer.

Artistic Vision and Roots

The actress co-wrote the screenplay with her husband, director and cinematographer Erik Blomberg. He blends breathtaking documentary footage of Sámi traditions on this moon-like terrain with intense visual flair that evokes silent-movie expressionist filmmakers like Murnau and Lang.

Filmed in grayscale and almost entirely on site in the natural environment, White Reindeer juxtaposes the dazzling snowy whiteness with deep black Gothic scenes, and transitions between them via the liminal twilight of the Arctic winter sun.

Unclear and Surreal Narrative

While the plot is simple and the plot developments are explicitly shown, White Reindeer remains open to interpretation and surreal. It remains uncertain exactly which historical period it’s occurring.

The logic of the protagonists' decisions can be hard to decipher, and the characters appear detached, separated in the enormous open landscape of their surroundings. Moreover that rare breed of horror film that keeps its emphasis firmly and sympathetically on the monster as its central figure.

The lead actress channels the silent greats in a performance consumed by repressed desire and a powerful craving she doesn’t fully understand.

Lasting Influence

In spite of its short hour-plus duration, The White Reindeer can seem deliberate, thanks to its minimalist cinematic technique. But the lead actress's powerful portrayal, Blomberg’s incredible imagery, and the film's unforgettable symbolism for the way a restrictive society can vilify feminine craving will linger in your memory for a considerable time.