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The Ice Palace (1988)

Director: Per Blom

Average user rating

3 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

In the depths of a deep-frozen Norwegian winter, two just-adolescent girls, Siss and Unn, sneak off to Unn's attic bedroom and undress for each other. Although nothing concrete happens, the following day Unn is so overwhelmed by guilt that she runs off to a nearby frozen waterfall, and wandering through caves of ice, finally lays down and dies. The rest of the film focuses on Siss' almost wordless grieving, unable to tell the town elders why her friend disappeared, becoming progressively numbed herself by her inability to understand what has happened. With little dialogue and minimal action, Blom uses the landscape of winter to express strong longing and stronger repression. A cross between Picnic at Hanging Rock and the poetic melancholia of an Ibsen play, The Ice Palace is a bitter-sweet dream of snow and shadow, beautiful to watch.

Author: RS

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

james said...

Posted on Nov 07 2009 16:59 I saw it for sale on ebay a while ago and bid for but lost.
keep in touch and i will let you know if I come across it again

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stephen said...

Posted on Nov 06 2009 15:33 A really good film that is very well thought out, but where can I buy it?

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james said...

Posted on Aug 03 2008 17:04 I saw this film on uk tv in the 1980's and found so haunting but I feen that today it could be interpreted as dare i say :child porn: due to the naked scenes but Iwould like to see it again if only to re-evaluate, thank you

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