In a small Finnish seaside village, the town awaits for a maiden (Eve Kivi) to fall in love because it is foretold when she marries then the village will received a magic mill that makes gold, flour and salt. But an evil witch (Anna Orochko) in a far away land wants the mill so she kidnaps the girl as ransom. Her fiance (Andris Oshin) and brother (Ivan Voronov) go to recover the girl. This Russian-Finnish co-production is apparently based on a well known Finnish folk tale. The version I saw is an American dubbed version retitled
THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE and eliminates almost a half hour from the film and the transfer was bad so it's perhaps unfair to call it dreadful. But honestly, I can't imagine a pristine restored print would change my mind. It's just a lame, heavy handed fantasy that makes little sense even for a fairy tale. Okay, a mill that makes gold, sure, but flour ... and salt (and they live on the sea!)? Directed by Aleksandr Ptushko.
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