Lake of the Dead

Lake of the Dead (Norwegian title: De dødes tjern, also known as Lake of the Damned) is a 1958 Norwegian mystery horror film directed by Kåre Bergstrøm. The film stars Henki Kolstad, Henny Moan and Georg Richter. In 2019, a remake named Lake of Death was released written and directed by Nini Bull Robsahm.^[1]

Lake of the Dead De dødes tjern
Norwegian theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kåre Bergstrøm
Written by	André Bjerke Kåre Bergstrøm
Starring	Henny Moan Henki Kolstad André Bjerke
Narrated by	Kåre Bergman
Cinematography	Ragnar Sørensen
Edited by	Olav Engebretsen
Music by	Gunnar Sønstevold
Production company	Norsk Film
Distributed by	Norsk Film
Release date	December 17, 1958 (1958-12-17)
Running time	76 minutes
Country	Norway
Language	Norwegian

Plot

The film takes place 20–23 August 1958. Crime author Bernhard Borge and his wife Sonja, psychoanalyst Kai Bugge, magazine editor Gabriel Mørk, lawyer Harald Gran and his fiancée Liljan Werner are six Oslo people who will visit Bjørn Werner (Liljan’s brother) in his cabin deep in the Østerdal forests. But, when the guests arrive, Werner is missing and his dog is found dead at a lake nearby. It's not long before they begin to ponder the old legend associated with the place: a man is said to have killed his sister and her lover and then drowned himself in the lake. It is said that anyone who stays in the house—the murder's cabin—would be possessed by a strange attraction: They would be forced to drown themselves in the lake. The company decides to solve the mystery, but soon it appears that they are exposed to the mysterious powers that are tied to the lake.

Cast

• André Bjerke as Gabriel Mørk
• Bjørg Engh as Sonja, Bernhard's wife
• Henki Kolstad as Bernhard Borge, crime writer
• Per Lillo-Stenberg as Bjørn Werner, Liljans brother
• Erling Lindahl as Kai Bugge, psychologist
• Henny Moan as Liljan Werner
• Øyvind Øyen as Bråten, policeman
• Georg Richter as Harald Gran
• Leif Sommerstad as Tore Gruvik, the ghost
• Inger Teien as Eva, Bjørn's girlfriend

Production

De dødes tjern was co-written and directed by Kåre Bergstrøm.^[2] The film itself is an adaption of Andre Bjerke’s 1942 novel of the same name.^[3][4]

Release

Critical response

De dødes tjern remains relatively obscure outside its home country. Reviews of the film have been mostly positive, with critics praising the film's atmosphere, cinematography, and soundtrack. Author Barry Atkinson praised the film, stating that the film "benefits from eerie location work and Gunnar Sønstevold's ominous score."^[2]

Legacy

The success of De dødes tjern was a turning point in Norwegian cinema, becoming director Bergstrøm's breakthrough film.^[5] It was later nominated as the fourth-best film of all time in Norway in a test developed by Dagbladet in 1998, where 101 movie critics gave Norwegian movies points.^[6]