A newly-married woman becomes frustrated as her husband, a reindeer herder for an Arctic village, spends much of his time away. Desperate for affection, she visits a shaman who offers a potion that makes her irresistibly desirable, with unexpected and deadly results.
Noidan rakkaus, Bilý sob, Das weiße Ren, Den hvite renen, Le Renne blanc, El reno blanco, Il bianco pastore di renne, Den vita renen, 白色驯鹿, A Rena Branca, Das weiße Rentier, 더 화이트 레인디어, Белый олень
France
Grand Lyon Film Festival (Restored Version)
FinlandS
France
Sweden15
FranceU
Finland
France
Sweden
"In Lapland they have fifty words for snow, but only three for terror: THE WHITE REINDEER" - unused radio spot
I find myself wanting to watch more ethnographic travelogue horror mythology films, but this may be it...
Simple but effective horror from Finland - falling somewhere between the werewolf and vampire legends, The White Reindeer tells the story of a newly married woman, frustrated at her shepherd husband's absence. She visits a shamen for a love potion, but things go awry when instead she becomes a shapeshifting reindeer with a hunger for blood. The film starts with a song that hints at malevolence, before shifting gears into a whimsical love story as the film sets the scene and establishes the characters. The White Reindeer is all about the atmosphere - the score runs more or less throughout the entire piece, constantly setting the mood. Many have compared this to a silent film, and the comparison is apt.…
On The Road: Water The Forests Of Finland
When it comes to horror movies, often the title is very critical. This seems to be the case most of the time because there are instances when the most frightening or disturbing, or better within the genre, is usually the most generic and non-specific as is the case with this film.
In this folklore horror tale, a woman marries a man who abandons her, and she seeks the help of a shaman to alleviate the loneliness and ignite the passion between them, but all backfires when she receives the help she was looking for, but it has the side effect of turning her into a shapeshifting, vampiric white reindeer. As if that…
Haunting and lyrical vampire reindeer movie, nothing else quite like it. The leading lady has a quality that can only be compared to Barbara Steele.
Hooptober 8.0, p.17- In which Ethan pines for the Fjords
11/6 Countries (Australia, Belgium, UK, USA, Japan, Italy, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Austria, UAE, Finland) (COMPLETE)
7/8- Decades (1980s, 2010s, 1960s, 1990s, 1970s, 2000s, 1950s)
2/2-Folk Horror films (COMPLETE)
1st Erik Blomberg
One of those rare things, a soft horror. A film that speaks in gentle, melodious terms deadened by the thick white snow of Lapland, where the cold of the tundra is nearly melted by the burning passions of those who live there. All is savage grace here, breathtakingly beautiful in its unspoilt tundra that is depicted in a bravura stroke by Blomberg through the solo female voice that opens the film's soundtrack as the camera pans across the incredible,…
"The White Reindeer" is a 1952 Finnish film directed by Erik Blomberg. Looking seeming charming and innocent from the cover of things, the presented film is actually a folk horror film, a considerably darker subject matter that the shining happy people that the cover of the film showcases at surface value. At this point, being from 1952, the film isn't expansively terrifying, and could easily be watched by any and all, but with that consideration being said, it still doesn't take away from the brevity that the film still carries itself forward with. An applicable word in application for something like this is haunting, as a viewer of this film will be left in that spot at completion. Interestingly enough,…
Stunning locations captured beautifully, but even at the short runtime this felt thing and drawn out.
Anyone for a Finnish fantasy horror film with vampiric overtones?!
Erik Blomberg wrote, directed and photographed this beautiful hidden gem of a picture and starred his wife (Mirjami Kuosmanen) in the role of Pirita - a young woman born unknowingly of a witch, according to the prologue - who marries reindeer shepherd Aslak (Kalervo Nissilä) but becomes frustrated by his many long absences and visits a local shaman (Arvo Lehesmaa) where she is presented with a love potion (sample ingredient: the testicles of ten deer!) which will make her irresistible to all men, but only on the condition that she sacrifices the first living thing she sees on her way home... in this case a baby deer gifted to Pirita…
Finnish vampire folktale set in the snow that's reminiscent of Val Lewton's chillers, which is to say there's a possible shapeshifter, lots of subtext, and stunning B&W photography.
A melancholic, hauntingly beautiful folktale set in the snowy landscape of Finnish Lapland. The White Reindeer is a tragedy laden tale about loneliness, yet I still derive so much contentment from watching it. It's such a timeless, captivating story brimming with charm and allure. Whilst being deceptively simple, the film is so thematically and visually rich. There are so many subtle details throughout, making it possible to notice something new with each subsequent rewatch.
The White Reindeer is one of the most visually arresting films I've ever seen. The entire film resides in it's own fantasy realm and envelopes the viewer in its otherworldly dreamscape. I'd go as far to compare it to the visual excellence displayed in František Vláčil's…
A folkloric horror, The White Reindeer finds haunting images in the snowy landscapes of Lapland. The location allows for some beautiful cinematography and a unique atmosphere to form, of fire and snow. Herds of reindeer pass by the camera, highlighting the importance of them to Sámi culture. In part The White Reindeer is an ethnographic film, initially focusing on Sámi customs and their way of life. Yet as the film delves into Finnish mythology, it moves towards being an often wordless poem. It becomes like a silent movie, driven by music and heightened dramatic imagery. The story transforms lonely desire into shape-shifting vampirism, creating a horror of feeling and uncontrollable urges. Where the film suffers is in its uncertain craft…
