简介：NotladenwiththeobviousandoverstatednationalromanticisminthepictorialcompositionsasafewofitsNorwegiancontemporaries(mostnotablyRasmusBreistein's"BrudeferdeniHardanger",1926),thisfilmdisplaysacertainfreshnessunusualforNorwegianfilmstodate.PartofthisfactisprobablyduetohavingaDanedirectintherelativelyharshconditionsofnorthernNorway(mostly)duringwinter.AnotherfactoristheverylivelyMonaMårtenssonasLaila,althoughsheappearsinthesecondhalfofthefilm,whichisinferiortothefirstduetoitsrathermelodramaticturn.Slippingattimesintotheatricaloveracting,Mårtenssonstillmostlyconveystheliberating,semi-naiveandcuttothechase-attitudeofLailaonthevergeofadulthoodtornbetweentwoculturesandmindsets:Ifoneistoover-determine,thebestofherperformanceisveryliberatinginthewayitshowsLailaasanimprovisingindividualinherencounterswiththeNorwegiansatthetradingpost,puttingupthefaceofnomadicsameculturepenetratingandbreakingtheiceofthewesternEuropeanrespectively. Theeditingofthefilmalsoservesupsome(foristime,ontologically)verygooddisposingofthestory,aswetheviewersinsomevitalsituationsareheldinsuspensethroughasortofreversedramaticalirony,notbeingtoldthingsintherightchronologicalorder.Thenatureofthisisnotfilmicallycomplex,butithasapeculiar(unintended?)effectofenhancingthebroaderexistentialfeeloftheplot.AswhenthebabyLaila'scribisfirstfoundempty,suggestingtousandthemotherthatshehasbeentakenbythewolves,BEFOREwearetoldinaflashbackwhohasreallyfoundher,whichisofcourseSTILLOBSCUREtothemother. Asafinalnote,thisfilmwasrecentlyscreenedattheCinemathequeinOsloatitsrightspeedof16fps.,makingitbothcomfortablyrealisticandagood2hoursand40minuteslong,whichiscertainlyfelttowardstheend,whenmelodramapeaks.NotehowthecharacterMelletdisappearsoutofthefilm,slightlyoutoffocusinthebackofthepicture,walkingoutoftheframebehindthekissingcouple.Verysad,andatthesametimesortofreminiscentoftheimplicationsofWelles'muchacclaimeddepth-of-fieldrevolution12yearslater...…