The Juniper Tree (1990)

Margit and her older sister, Katla, flee their homeland after their mother is killed for practicing witchcraft. Needing a place to stay, Katla casts a spell over a young farmer named Jóhann which makes him fall in love with her.

Director:

Nietzchka Keene

Writer:

Nietzchka Keene

Stars:

Björk, Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir, Valdimar Örn Flygenring

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Björk	...	Margit (as Björk Guðmundsdóttir)
Bryndis Petra Bragadóttir	...	Katla
Valdimar Örn Flygenring	...	Jóhann
Guðrún Gísladóttir	...	Mother
Geirlaug Sunna Þormar	...	Jónas

Storyline

Margit and her older sister, Katla, flee their homeland in Iceland after their mother is killed for practicing witchcraft. Needing a place to stay, Katla casts a spell over a young farmer named Jóhann which makes him fall in love with her, ensuring the wellbeing of herself and Margit. Jóhann's son, Jóhas, sees through Katla's plan and pleads for his father to make her go away. To help Jóhas in his struggle, Margit's mother appears to Margit in visions and provides a magic amulet of protection for the boy. Will Jóhas be able to rid his family of Katla or will she continue to control them with her witchcraft?

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Plot Keywords:

title directed by female | spell | magic | minimal cast | grimm's fairy tales | 

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Taglines:

A Twisted Tale of Witchcraft and Mysticism

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Feature film debut of singer Björk as an actress.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Margit: Where did she go?
Mother: She became ashes and left with the wind.
Margit: And her soul?
Mother: Her soul... was tied with the heart of a bird.
Margit: And the thread will hold forever?
Mother: Until the bird's heart breaks.

User Reviews

Björk, black and white, Icelandic

Margit (Björk) and older sister Katla leave their home after their mother is stoned to death for witchcraft. Katla casts a love spell on farmer Jóhann. Jóhann is helplessly spellbound but his son Jónas refuses to accept her.

It's black and white. It's Icelandic. It's brooding. There is no pale-faced death playing chess but there is some weirder stuff. I don't know what the black hole is meant to be. The movie misses an opportunity to start with a more visceral intensity by showing the stoning and the sisters being chased by the angry villagers. Of course, I stuck with this mostly for Björk. She has an intriguing charisma although her acting has limitations. This is what one can expect from an Icelandic black and white movie about death and witchcraft.

Details

Country:

Iceland

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1993 (Iceland)

Also Known As:

The Juniper Tree

Filming Locations:

Iceland

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1