Norway ..."Man is surrounded by darkness"

De dødes tjern , Lake Of The Dead (1958) Norwegian directed by Kåre Bergstrøm

Mysterious, supernatural, psychological, thriller, horror, noir, are labels that have been attached to this engaging little gem of a film, voted one of Norway's best.
A group of adult friends travel from their homes in Oslo to an isolated cabin that sits beside a lake in the Østerdalen forests.
From the opening credits a sense of foreboding takes hold, stark shots of an isolated environment are accentuated by the music an unstable tone combination, dissonance, its tension has already put us at unease.

The natural beauty of the lake and surrounding forest as portrayed is claustrophobic, there is an unsettling eerie atmosphere, bathed in impenetrable darkness and moonlight, the stunning cinematography confines our attention to the unfolding unknown drama.
The six friends have come searching for a missing brother, they learn from a local detective of a curse, an unexplained mystery, a possible ghost that haunts the lake and cabin. Speculation is rife, some of the group take the rational approach some believe in the supernatural...

"Man is surrounded by darkness"...

Highly Recommended