TheFinnishfilm’WhiteReindeer’ismarketedintheUSAandBritainasahorrormovie,butthat’snotpreciselyaccurate.Thisisastark,moodyfilmbutnotascaryone.ItpurportstobeanauthenticLappfolktaleaboutawomannamedPiritawhoturnsintoawhitereindeerinordertofeeduponmen.Thisstoryhaselementsofboththevampireandthewerewolflegend,aswellasthesuccubus.ApartfromreindeerbeingnativetoLapland,Ican’timaginewhythereindeerwaschosenasthespeciesforthisfolktale’sversionoftheshape-changerlegend.Batsandwolvesarepredators,andthereforescary.Thereindeerisadomesticatedherbivorethatserveshumans...notveryspooky,isit?Inonesequence,thewere-reindeerwomansproutsfangs.Actualreindeerdon’thavefangs,sowhyshouldthesebepartofhertransformation?Femalereindeerhaveantlers,sowhydoesn’tPiritasproutantlers?Speakingofsuperstitionsandmyths:earlyinthisfilm,ablackcatscurriesacrossthepathofanapproachingsledge,butthedirectorgivesthissolittleemphasisthatitappearstohavenosignificance.InCornwall,it’sconsidered*good*lucktohaveablackcatcrossone’spath,andthissamethingisconsidered*bad*luckinAmerica.DoLappshaveanysuperstitionsconcerningblackcats?MirjamiKuosmanen,theactresswhoplaysthecentralroleinthisfilm,isquitepretty...butherperformanceasanativeofnorthernLaplandisweakenedbythefactthatsheisclearlywearingmakeup.Duetothelowproductionbudget,weneveractuallyseePiritachangingintothereindeer...butthedirectorcleverlygetsroundthisbyhavinghisleadingladylungetowardsthecamera,thencuttingtoashotofareindeerinthesameposition.Still,Iwashopingwewouldseeashotofawoman’sshadowchangingshape...oraseriesofhumanfootprintsinthesnowabruptlybecominghoof-marks.TheLapplandscapeinthismovieisstarklybeautifulandawesomebutneverfrightening.Thephotographyisexcellent.Therearetwoimpressivedissolveshotsinvolvingflames,andasplendidmontagesequence.Iwasextremelyimpressedbyanightsequenceoverabonfire.DuringtheMidnightSunsequences,therearetwoshotsfeaturingaweirdcolonnadeofwhitepillars:theseappeartobeartefactsoftheLappculture,butweneverlearnwhattheyare.Asequenceinwhichacarvedvertrebradancesmagicallyacrossashaman’sdrumhasaneeriepaganpowerthatmademethinkofNijinsky’sstagingof’TheRitesofSpring’.Myonecomplaintaboutthisfilm--aminorgrievance--isthatweneverlearnthetimeperiodinwhichthemainactionoccurs.TheseLaplanderspossessmilledcoins,arifle,andloomedcurtains.OnesequencetakesplaceataprayerservicethatisclearlyChristian,featuringaministeringenevabands.Arewewatchingscenesinthetwentiethcentury,orsomeearliertime?I’llratethismoody,compelling(butnotfrightening)film8outof10.Oh,mydee【ZiYuanTun.Com-资源屯】!
