🔗 Share this article

The 1952, Finnish film White Reindeer represents one of the remarkable lost classics in the folk horror genre. Even though it received prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globe Awards in its day, it became forgotten until a breathtaking 4K restoration started doing the rounds in the past decade.

Located on the desolate, snow-covered hills of Sápmi, the picture presents an spooky, completely ethereal macabre story. This territory is occasionally called Lapland, though the local Sámi population consider that term as derogatory.

The Haunting Prologue and Change

Via a haunting introduction, it is predicted that a recently born young Sámi female will transform into a witch. She develops into Piriti (portrayed by the actress Mirjami Kuosmanen), a determined female who chafes against her isolated life as the wife of a roaming reindeer herder.

She attempts to find relief from a nearby spiritual healer, but possibly because of her inborn sorcery, his affection ceremony backfires and transforms her into a vampiric shape-shifter, cursed to hunt and feed on males in the guise of a snow-white reindeer.

Creative Style and Inspirations

Kuosmanen co-wrote the film with her husband, filmmaker and director of photography Erik Blomberg. He blends breathtaking authentic recordings of Sámi traditions on this lunar landscape with dramatic artistic style that brings to mind silent-era expressionist filmmakers like Murnau and Fritz Lang.

Shot in black and white and mostly on site in the wilderness, The White Reindeer juxtaposes the blinding snowy whiteness with deep black Gothic tableaux, and transitions between them via the liminal dim light of the Arctic winter sun.

Mysterious and Dreamlike Story

Even though the story is straightforward and the plot developments are plainly laid out, The White Reindeer continues to be unclear and dreamlike. It is ambiguous exactly which historical period it’s set.

The reasoning of the characters' actions can be unclear, and the figures appear isolated, separated in the vast negative space of their environment. Additionally that rare breed of creature feature that keeps its emphasis directly and sympathetically on the monster as its point-of-view character.

The lead actress channels the early cinema icons in a performance consumed by unfulfilled longing and a fierce desire she struggles to grasp.

Lasting Influence

In spite of its compact hour-plus running time, White Reindeer can appear slow, thanks to its minimalist storytelling style. But the lead actress's compelling portrayal, the director's astonishing imagery, and the film's unforgettable allegory for the way a oppressive culture can stigmatize feminine craving will stay in your thoughts for a extended period.