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Released in 1952, Finland's cinematic work The White Reindeer represents one of the exceptional lost classics in the folklore horror genre. Even though it won accolades at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globes back then, it became ignored until a breathtaking digital restoration began circulating in the past decade.

Located on the barren, snowbound fells of Sápmi, the picture offers an uncanny, totally otherworldly dark fairy tale. This territory is occasionally called Lapland, though the native Sámi people regard that name as offensive.

The Haunting Opening and Transformation

In a haunting prologue, it is prophesied that a recently born Sámi girl will transform into a enchantress. She develops into the character Piriti (portrayed by the actress Mirjami Kuosmanen), a strong-willed female who resents her isolated life as the partner of a roaming reindeer herder.

She attempts to find comfort from a regional spiritual healer, but perhaps due to her innate sorcery, his love ritual backfires and transforms her into a vampire-like metamorph, doomed to hunt and devour human males in the form of a white reindeer.

Production Approach and Inspirations

Kuosmanen co-wrote the film with her partner, director and cinematographer Blomberg. He combines impressive real-life footage of Sámi culture on this moon-like environment with powerful visual flair that recalls silent-movie expressionists like Murnau and Fritz Lang.

Recorded in monochrome and mostly on location in the natural environment, The White Reindeer opposes the glaring snowy whiteness with deep black Gothic imagery, and transitions between them via the liminal dim light of the low Arctic sun.

Mysterious and Surreal Story

Although the story is simple and the plot developments are plainly laid out, White Reindeer continues to be unclear and ethereal. It remains uncertain exactly which historical period it’s occurring.

The motivation of the characters' actions can be unclear, and the characters appear cut adrift, separated in the vast empty space of their setting. It’s also that rare breed of horror film that keeps its emphasis directly and compassionately on the beast as its point-of-view character.

Kuosmanen embodies the early cinema icons in a portrayal wracked with repressed desire and a fierce hunger she doesn’t fully understand.

Lasting Impact

Regardless of its compact 68-minute runtime, White Reindeer can appear slow, thanks to its restrained cinematic technique. But the lead actress's powerful performance, the director's astonishing cinematography, and the film's unforgettable metaphor for the way a restrictive society can stigmatize women's longing will stay in your memory for a long time.