The Juniper Tree

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DanTheMan 2 @DanTheMan2150AD Jul 21, 2026 A folk tale stripped of spectacle, returned to something primal, mysterious and unsettling, a legend whispered across centuries. A mood piece first and foremost, The Juniper Tree comes complete with a devilish sense of natural mysticism, even if it feels sluggish and redundant. Director Nietzchka Keene's eye for composition and respect for Iceland's stark geographic allure are evident, yet the dark poetic stylings all feel in service of a dream whose meaning remains just out of reach. See more

Apr 5, 2022 If you are looking for a film to match the original Brother's Grimm version of "The Juniper Tree" This movies depiction comes close but is still not accurate. Aside from the slow motion pace and bizarre images this story has little to do with Grimm's tale. Rather we get a deeper insight into ancient Witchcrafts and the repercussions of Spells used against their targets. On one hand the Icelandic scenery is captivating ,while on the other it leaves the viewer rather mystified . The rugged landscapes make it impossible to imagine how anyone could make a living among the rocky infertile Soils and Volcanic sulfur where these characters reside. After all is said and done its the closest rendition we might ever get to the Brothers Grimm tales.Unfortunately it didn't impress me much and left much more to be desired. Its close but still no Cigar! See more

May 23, 2020 A Brothers Grimm fairy story told through a feminist lens by subverting the archetype of the "evil stepmother". Although Brothers Grimm tales were collected from Western Europe, the details are reworked to fit in the Icelandic setting. Keene is doing something here with domestic scenes: we see all of the household labor being done by the women, who also have to put up with the men's fragile egos. While it turns out the little boy was right about his new mother practicing witchcraft, the film is ambivalent about whether the spells are effective or not. A lot of the scenes show people sleeping and lying in bed, which doesn't make for riveting cinema. However, it's really neat that the interiors were historically accurate since they used rooms at Icelandic museums. There's an incredibly gorgeous scene when Bjork is wandering into the spirit world down a path with waterfalls. I admit I watched this because Bjork was in it. See more

Oct 16, 2012 FINALY I HAVE THIS ONE !! See more

Sep 4, 2011 Slow paced, black and white Icelandic movie, loosely based on the Grimm's fairy tale of The Juniper Tree, in which the evil stepmother kills the young son of her husband, puts him in her soup and lets the father eat from it. The sister finds bones in the soup and buries them under the juniper tree. Eventually the boy returns as a bird (but the last part of the tale, in which the boy has his revenge, is missing in the movie). The main attraction in this film is the younger of the two sisters, played by Björk. See more

Aug 28, 2011 An Icelandic homage to just about everything in the genre, that is, other than good acting. See more

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The Juniper Tree

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