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Released in 1952, Finland's cinematic work The White Reindeer represents one of the remarkable lost classics in the rural horror genre. Even though it received prizes at Cannes and the Golden Globe Awards back then, it remained forgotten until a breathtaking digital restoration began circulating in recent years.

Set on the barren, snowbound fells of northern Scandinavia, the picture presents an uncanny, utterly supernatural macabre story. This territory is occasionally called the Lapland region, though the local Sámi people consider that term as pejorative.

The Chilling Prologue and Transformation

In a unforgettable opening, it is foretold that a newborn young Sámi female will become a sorceress. She develops into the character Piriti (played by Mirjami Kuosmanen), a determined female who resents her lonely existence as the spouse of a traveling reindeer herder.

She looks for solace from a local spiritual healer, but possibly because of her inborn magic, his romance spell goes wrong and changes her into a vampire-like metamorph, doomed to hunt and consume human males in the guise of a white reindeer.

Artistic Vision and Inspirations

Kuosmanen co-wrote the screenplay with her spouse, director and director of photography Erik Blomberg. He blends impressive documentary footage of Sámi culture on this lunar landscape with powerful artistic style that brings to mind silent-era expressionists like F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang.

Filmed in monochrome and almost entirely on location in the wild, The White Reindeer juxtaposes the dazzling snowy whiteness with pitch-black Gothic tableaux, and shifts between them via the transitional dim light of the low Arctic sun.

Unclear and Surreal Story

Even though the plot is uncomplicated and the action are clearly presented, White Reindeer continues to be ambiguous and ethereal. It is ambiguous exactly which historical period it’s occurring.

The reasoning of the characters’ behavior can be obscure, and the individuals appear cut adrift, alone in the immense empty space of their surroundings. It’s also that unique category of horror film that keeps its attention directly and compassionately on the monster as its central figure.

Kuosmanen evokes the early cinema icons in a portrayal consumed by unfulfilled longing and a intense hunger she struggles to grasp.

Memorable Influence

In spite of its compact hour-plus runtime, White Reindeer can feel leisurely, thanks to its sparse narrative approach. But Kuosmanen’s compelling performance, Blomberg’s remarkable imagery, and the movie’s unforgettable allegory for the way a oppressive society can stigmatize feminine craving will remain in your thoughts for a considerable time.