The White Reindeer
 | This article is missing information about the film's production. (April 2018) |
| 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 |
Production company | Junior-Filmi |
| Distributed by | Adams Filmi Suomi-Filmi |
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 1956 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film.[3][4]
Plot
 | This article needs an improved plot summary. (April 2018) |
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
- Jussi Awards 1952: Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Music
- Cannes Film Festival 1953: Best fairy-tale film
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 1954: Best Cinematography
- Golden Globe 1956: Best foreign-language film[8]
Release
The White Reindeer was released theatrically outside of Finland at least in 11 countries, including the United States, Sweden and France.[8]
Home media
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The film was released on VHS in Finland in 1990, and in the 2010s, DVDs were released in Finland and in France.[9] A 4K restoration from the original camera negative was realized in 2016–2017 by the National Audiovisual Institute of Finland, and was released on Blu-ray with Swedish and English subtitles.[10]
References
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: The White Reindeer". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
- ^ "The White Reindeer (Erik Blomberg, 1952)". Make Mine 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. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ a b Valkoinen peura at Elonet (in Finnish).
- ^ White Reindeer (The) AKA Valkoinen peura (1952). DVD Compare, 31 October 2013.
- ^ Blu-ray-julkaisut. National Audiovisual Institute (in Finnish).
