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Released in 1952, Finland's movie White Reindeer represents one of the exceptional lost classics in the folklore horror genre. Despite the fact that it earned awards at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globe Awards in its day, it became ignored until a gorgeous 4K remaster started doing the rounds in recent years.

Located on the desolate, snow-covered mountains of Sápmi, the picture offers an uncanny, completely supernatural macabre story. This area is sometimes known as Lapland, though the indigenous Sámi population consider that designation as pejorative.

The Chilling Prologue and Metamorphosis

In a unforgettable prologue, it is prophesied that a infant young Sámi female will turn into a witch. She develops into the character Piriti (played by the actress Mirjami Kuosmanen), a strong-willed lady who chafes against her solitary reality as the partner of a roaming reindeer shepherd.

She looks for comfort from a nearby medicine person, but likely owing to her innate magic, his affection ceremony backfires and changes her into a vampiric shapeshifter, fated to track and feed on human males in the form of a white reindeer.

Production Style and Inspirations

The actress co-wrote the film with her partner, director and director of photography Erik Blomberg. He blends impressive documentary footage of Sámi life on this moon-like terrain with dramatic stylization that recalls silent-film expressionists like Murnau and Fritz Lang.

Recorded in monochrome and predominantly on location in the wilderness, The White Reindeer juxtaposes the dazzling bright snow with dark Gothic imagery, and moves between them via the transitional dim light of the low Arctic sun.

Unclear and Surreal Narrative

Although the narrative is simple and the events are clearly presented, White Reindeer stays unclear and ethereal. It’s not clear exactly which historical period it’s taking place.

The logic of the characters’ behavior can be obscure, and the characters appear cut adrift, isolated in the immense negative space of their setting. Moreover that rare breed of creature feature that keeps its emphasis firmly and sympathetically on the monster as its main perspective.

The lead actress embodies the silent film legends in a performance filled with unfulfilled longing and a fierce craving she cannot completely comprehend.

Memorable Impact

Regardless of its short hour-plus duration, White Reindeer can feel deliberate, thanks to its restrained narrative approach. But Kuosmanen’s powerful acting, the director's remarkable cinematography, and the film's haunting metaphor for the way a oppressive culture can stigmatize women's longing will remain in your thoughts for a considerable time.