Movies - The Juniper Tree

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	Movies - The Juniper Tree

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The Juniper Tree is a 1987 Icelandic film starring Björk, Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir and Guðrún S. Gísladóttir. It was written and directed by Nietzchka Keene and based on a tale from The Brothers Grimm. Shot in Iceland, it is also the film-acting debut of singer/songwriter Björk. Rhino Home Video released the film on VHS in 1995 and on DVD in 2002.

Cast

Björk Guðmundsdóttir
: Margit.
Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir: Katla.
Guðrún S. Gísladóttir: Mother.
Valdimar Örn Flygenring: Jóhann.
Geirlaug Sunna Þormar: Jónas.

Plot

The Juniper Tree portrays the story of two sisters, Margit and Katla who after having escaped the death of her mother, who had been burnt at the stake accused of practising witchcraft, they try to survive and arrive at a farm where Katla, the eldest sister, uses magical powers to seduce Jóhann, a handsome widowed man who has a young stepson called Jónas. Margit is a teenager and becomes friend of Jónas, who thinks Katla wants to take advantage of his stepfather and thus, is reluctant to accept her in the house. The situation worsens when Margit tells Jónas that her elder sister is a witch.
The spirit of Jónas’ mother appears to save her son, and contacts Margit. From the spirit Margit receives an amulet to protect the young boy from Katla’s anger. Now, Margit and Jónas struggle together to get rid of Katla, but they must prevail, otherwise they will die.

Comments review

Labelled as a fairy tale, science-fiction, fantasy, drama or art house film, The Juniper Tree was shot in black and white to highlight its dramatic content and as a resource to place the story in the Middle Ages. The topic by itself may not be appealing for the viewer, although this film has become famous among Björk’s admirers after she gained international renown by the early nineties. Despite some critics remarks about the protagonists performances, some reviewers consider it is a good film in terms of the screenplay and cinematography.
MPAA Rating: not rated.

Credits

Director: Nietzchka Keene.
Producer: Nietzchka Keene.
Assistant producer: Allison Powell.
Cinematography: Randolph Sellars.
Film editor: Nietzchka Keene.
Art director: Dominique Polain.
Assistant art director: Ólafur Engilbertsson.
Costume design: Nanna Luisa Zophaniasdóttir.
Sound recording: Patrick Moyroud.
Sound re-recording mix: Jeffrey Perkins.
Sound assistant: Helgi Sverrisson.
Special effects: Dominique Polain.
Special effects (makeup): Élin Sverrisdóttir.
Stunt: rider: Ásta Pálmadóttir.
Gaffer: Robert Field.
Bird trainer: Þorleifur Geirsson.
Still photography: Róbert Guillemette.
Assistant camera: Halldór Gunnarsson.
Production assistant: Nicole Hanset.
Pre-production office: Alix Jackson and Julia Parker.
Folk music collector: Helga Jóhannsdóttir.
Herbal consultant: Helga Mogensen.
Craft consultant: Elizabeth Rowe.
Catering: Solveig Gissel Stáhl.
Nursery consultant: Ásgeir Svanbergsson.

DVD’s technical data

Date of release: April 23, 2002.
Distributor: Rhino Home Video.
Region: 1.
Subtitles: N/A.
Sound: Stereo Sound.
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 of the original film presentation.
Chapter Stops: 12.
DVD packaging: Amaray Keep Case.
Extras: a 15-minute director Interview, about 3 minutes of deleted scenes accompanied by director’s comments, and about 3 minutes of slide show of promotional photographs.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for The Juniper Tree ]

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