The White Reindeer
| The White Reindeer | |
|---|---|
 Original release poster | |
| Directed by | Erik Blomberg |
| Written by | Erik Blomberg Mirjami Kuosmanen |
| Produced by | Aarne Tarkas |
| Starring | Mirjami Kuosmanen |
| Cinematography | Erik Blomberg |
| Edited by | Erik Blomberg |
| Music by | Einar Englund |
Release date |
|
Running time | 74 minutes (1952) 68 minutes (1986 restoration) |
| Country | Finland |
| Language | Finnish |
The White Reindeer (Finnish: Valkoinen peura, Swedish: Den Vita Renen) is a 1952 Finnish horror drama film directed by Erik Blomberg. It was entered in competition at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival[1] and earned the Jean Cocteau-led jury special award for Best Fairy Tale Film.[2] After its limited release five years later in the United States, it was one of five films to win the 1957 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film.[3][4]
Plot
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The film, based on pre-Christian Finnish mythology and Sami shamanism, is set in Finnish Lapland and centers on a young woman, Pirita. In the snowy landscape, Pirita and reindeer herder Aslak meet and soon marry. Aslak must spend time away for work, leaving his new bride lonely. In an effort to alleviate her loneliness and ignite marital passion, Pirita visits the local shaman, who indeed helps her out; but in the process turns her into a shapeshifting, vampiric white reindeer. The villages' men are drawn to her and pursue her, with tragic results.[5][6]
Cast
- Mirjami Kuosmanen as Pirita and as Maarita, Pirita's mother
- Kalervo Nissilä as Aslak
- Åke Lindman as forest ranger
- Jouni Tapiola as reindeer herder
- Arvo Lehesmaa as Tsalkku-Nilla, shaman
- Tyyne Haarla as older woman (uncredited)
- Pentti Irjala as the speaker (uncredited)
- Edvin Kajanne as reindeer herder (uncredited)
- Kauko Laurikainen as man in Laplander's hut (uncredited)
- Heimo Lepistö as wealthy man (uncredited)
- Osmo Osva as reindeer herder (uncredited)
- Aarne Tarkas as the groom (uncredited)
- Inke Tarkas as the bride (uncredited)
- Evald Terho as Pirita’s father (uncredited)
- Kaarlo Wilska as reindeer herder (uncredited)
Reception
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Critical reception
Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100%, based on 5 reviews, with a rating average of 6/10.[7]
Awards
References
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: The White Reindeer". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
- ^ "The White Reindeer (Erik Blomberg, 1952)". Criterion. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ^ "List of Winners - Golden Globes Best Foreign Film". Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ Sundholm, John & Thorsen, Isak & Andersson, Lars Gustaf & Hedling, Olof & Iversen, Gunnar & Møller, Birgir Thor. Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Cinema (Google eBook). p. 389 et seq. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Valkoinen Peura Synopsis". Retrieved 26 March 2014.
- ^ "Valkoinen Peura (The White Reindeer)". Retrieved 26 March 2014.
- ^ "Valkoinen Peura (The White Reindeer) (1952) - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 16 November 2016.