Good start, but then it gets ruined

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I can't believe I had never heard of this movie until I happened to see it in the $3 used pile at my local video store. Being a casual Bjork fan I figured it would be an entertaining 90 mins with maybe a few decent songs.Wow, was I surprised. First of all, there aren't any Bjork songs although the soundtrack does contain some haunting vocalizations that might be her (sounds a lot like the Volta album), but I can't be sure. Secondly, although Bjork is indeed the lead character, the movie is so much more than just her.It's definitely a very artsy film, so if the phrase "artsy film" scares you, you might want to move along. If, on the other hand, you don't mind long, wordless, gorgeous b&w shots of the landscape and other photo-worthy images, read on.If I had walked into a cinema that was playing this movie, I might think it was a Bergman film or something by Carl Theodor Dreyer or Robert Bresson. It has that same dreamy, haunting quality and careful attention to visuals. This is the kind of movie that you could take a snapshot of at any minute, hang it on your wall, and people would say 'ooh cool photo'. Bjork is particularly beautiful (in a Keebler elf sort of way), the locations are breathtaking, and the authentic sets add to the film's credibility. The exteriors were shot in rural Iceland, and the interiors were shot in various Icelandic historical museums. Everything we see transports us back to a timeless, legendary world.You might have heard that this is based on a Grimm's fairytale of the same name, but the similarities end there. The Grimm's fairytale is a pretty straightforward, predictable moral lesson, whereas this adaptation is a complex and poetic experience that will linger in your mind for a long time. Also don't be misled by the DVD description; while witchcraft is a main component, the movie is not necessarily supernatural but instead shows us how belief can bend perception and influence outcomes.I have to admit it took me a while to get into this film, and many others might also have some difficulty due to its unconventional presentation and heavy pacing. But it really gets interesting in the 2nd half, and I found the ending to be unexpected and provocative.If you're a fan of the aforementioned directors as well as Jean Cocteau ("Beauty & the Beast"), Bela Tarr ("Werckmeister Harmonies"), Hiroshi Teshigahara ("Woman in the Dunes") and other surrealist masters, I think you'll really enjoy this. Oh yeah, it also has Bjork in it. How cool is that!

This is a truly beautiful movie!I'm a movie maniac AND also a big Björk fan. I got to know this movie only through Björk but I think that it's really great.The movie really feels like a fairytale (it is based on one). The feeling of it is just fantastic, the black & white creates a special atmosphere and I love the actors, not only Björk is grandiose in it! The unique Icelandic accent makes it very special to me (I'm Austrian). The story is VERY sad but at an extreme high artistic level I never expected from this little pearl.It is it really worth to buy it on DVD.Do it even if you like only Björk! You won't regret it. Björk is simply fantastic in it. She creates a huge part of the offered atmosphere. Support this movie, it's a masterpiece and I don't know anything similar to it's unique style.It's not only a fairytale, it's more... enjoy it!And something else: You can hear Björk singing even pretty often in the movie, one more reason to get it!I gave it 9/10 here on IMDb. It's a pity it isn't well-known.If you want to see one the best movies ever check out Dancer in the Dark (WITH BJÖRK). That one is probably the saddest movie I've ever seen. It's HEART RIPPING, so watch out. I think this is the only movie ever that me cry. Lars von Trier created with Dancer in the Dark such a great masterpiece it's nearly unbelievable. And I tell you, that one is really hard and worth gold.Hey, if you enjoyed Juniper Tree and like Björk, let me know please!

The Juniper tree is a tale based on whether or not witchcraft exists, and its also based on a tale by the same title written by the Brothers Grimm. It's a pretty nifty little movie, unknown by many, found by only Björk fans most likely, but its really good, and a great insight into Icelandic living. In fact, it was Bryndis Petra Gradadóttir who told director Nietzchka Keene that this movie captured pure and realistic Iceland culture.Its a film about two daughters who flee their homeland after their mother is stoned and burnt for being a witch. Margit (Björk) and Katla (Bryndis Petra Gradadóttir) find a man by the name of Jóhann (Valdimar Örn Flygenring) and casts a spell on him that will make him fall in love with Katla. Jónas (Geirlaug Sunna Þormar), the son of Jóhann gets suspicious that Katla is a witch, and thinks Katla is trying to destroy the everlasting spirit of the deceased mother to Jónas spirit inside Jóhann. Meanwhile Jónas befriends Margit, and Margit is seeing visions of her mother's ghosts. Trust me, if the names were like John and Beth it would be a lot more coherent than what I just wrote.Performances from the entire cast are great, well not astonishing but good enough for such a low budget film. Björk, Bryndis and Jónas particularly do great performances, of course the lovely Björk is a little weird in this movie, but isn't she always in real life too? So there is no difference between reality and this film when it comes to Björk's personality. Which is funny, because when asked about this she says it was much of a dream because she was just two weeks after pregnancy with Sindri, and her "out of it" self at the time works well with her character of Margot. So her character is somewhat incidentally made into a mysterious young, kind hearted witch because she was so deluded at the time.It is also really well written, not so much the pacing but dialogue and characters are well placed in the film. I like the simple lines used when the entire cast has conversations with one another, as they are simple and atmospheric lines, and Björk does a great job on making her sad lines sound as they are supposed to "She didn't mean to hurt him, let her go" which is pretty eye watering.The tale, in a way, ends in tragedy, but it doesn't leave you completely bleak. It is a confusing movie, it took me three viewings before I completely understood this film, but I love it either way. It's a bit muddled mainly because we as the western world are so unfamiliar to such culture and witchcraft like this. Either way, the movie is very good and works well with what it orbits around.Although this is a quite film and its only recognition is Björk, it is a great movie, although will bore some with it's slow pace movement, but it is a very beautiful country it is filmed in, Iceland, and deserves everlasting shots on such a wonderful country. I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes Björk, because whether or not you're bound to like it with her acting.

I originally bought the movie because I was a huge Björk fan. But after watching it several times, I see that the movie stands on its own and would be almost as good without Björk (not quite though). The plot was a little hard to follow at first, but after seeing it around 5 times I think I've caught everything. This movie is by no means a blockbuster or high budget. In fact, it's more like something you'd see on the Independent Film Channel. Juniper Tree is based on a Brothers Grimm tale and was filmed in Iceland. The scenery is rather barren (unlike some really beautiful landscape I've seen in books about Iceland) and the black and white photography doesn't help much to brighten the mood. All of this, however, adds to the film and the plot.I agree that this movie will appeal to a very small percentage of the public, but if you fit into that category, you may have just found what you're looking for.