Tales from the Ironwood

I wrote this review of Midsommar during the morning of 9 December 2019. I had become aware of the film during the summer of 2019 but never had the opportunity to watch it. I was very pleased when Amazon Prime offered it for viewing. The review developed in my mind that night while sleeping and was in nearly complete form when I rose from bed the following morning. ********* I attempt to stay current with depictions of traditional Nordic European culture in popular and mainstream media. When I saw the trailer for Midsommar , a new film directed by Ari Aster and starring the up and coming Florence Pugh, I made a mental note to check it out. The trailer piqued my curiosity by revealing a group of twenty-something Americans vacationing in Sweden and visiting natives who are planning an elaborate celebration of the Midsummer holiday. Images included Swedes dressed in white gowns adorned with runes with bouquets of flowers in their hair. It was clear to me from the start that this lovel...