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From 1952, Finland's movie The White Reindeer represents one of the exceptional forgotten masterpieces in the rural horror genre. Despite the fact that it received prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globes during its time, it became ignored until a breathtaking 4K remaster started doing the rounds in recent years.

Set on the barren, snowbound mountains of Sápmi, the picture delivers an eerie, utterly ethereal grim folktale. This territory is referred to as the Lapland region, though the native Sámi community regard that designation as pejorative.

A Haunting Opening and Change

In a unforgettable prologue, it is prophesied that a infant Sámi female child will transform into a enchantress. She develops into Piriti (played by Mirjami Kuosmanen), a strong-willed woman who resents her lonely reality as the partner of a roaming reindeer keeper.

She seeks relief from a nearby spiritual healer, but perhaps due to her natural sorcery, his affection ceremony backfires and changes her into a vampire-like shape-shifter, doomed to hunt and consume human males in the appearance of a snow-white reindeer.

Creative Style and Inspirations

The actress authored the film with her husband, filmmaker and director of photography Erik Blomberg. He merges stunning real-life footage of Sámi life on this otherworldly terrain with dramatic artistic style that brings to mind silent-film expressionist filmmakers like Murnau and Fritz Lang.

Filmed in grayscale and mostly on site in the wilderness, The White Reindeer juxtaposes the glaring snowy whiteness with dark Gothic imagery, and shifts between them via the in-between dim light of the northern sun.

Mysterious and Surreal Story

While the plot is simple and the plot developments are clearly presented, The White Reindeer remains open to interpretation and dreamlike. It’s not clear exactly when in history it’s set.

The logic of the characters' actions can be hard to decipher, and the characters appear cut adrift, separated in the enormous negative space of their setting. Moreover that uncommon type of monster movie that keeps its emphasis firmly and sympathetically on the beast as its point-of-view character.

The lead actress embodies the silent greats in a portrayal consumed by repressed desire and a intense craving she doesn’t fully understand.

Lasting Influence

Regardless of its compact 68-minute running time, The White Reindeer can appear leisurely, thanks to its minimalist storytelling style. But the lead actress's compelling acting, Blomberg’s incredible cinematography, and the movie’s lingering symbolism for the way a oppressive society can demonize female desire will stay in your memory for a extended period.