The film is based on the classic Swedish novel Magnetisorens Femte Vinter by Per Olov Enquist. Set in a Swedish town in the winter of 1819, we are introduced to Dr Selander, who runs the only medical practice in the small town.

Respected by the townfolks and held in high esteem, Dr Selander is a strong and quite man. But underneath the exterior, he is lost in his helplessness to cure his daughter Maria who has been blind since she was 10. She lives in lonely isolation refusing anyone to come near her but her father. Worried about her future, Dr Selander wants to marry her to his assistant, Dr Stenius, who is in love with her. But his love is not reciprocated.

One day a magnetist arrives. He is Friedrich Meisner; mysterious, enigmatic, charismatic… a quack and a witchdoctor too, perhaps? Amidst great skepticism from the townfolks, he successfully cures Maria, and the joyous Dr Selander agrees to be the magnetist's assistant to 'scientifically record' his phenomenal powers.

The town's sick and infirm now flock to the magnetist's healing seances. A background orchestra plays as the magnetist waves his hand and tells his patients to be cured by having faith in him. He is elevated to divine status, only Dr Stenius remains hostile. But too late, for Maria has fallen for the magnetist's charms.

Though the running time is over two hours, the film is never draggy. The director weaves into the film a mysterious and enigmatic 'feel', and situations/answers are never revealed to us too soon or too fast. It leaves a question in our mind, urging to think and comprehend, is it really so? And if so, how could it be possible?

It is a 'mystery' how Maria lost her sight, which we are enlightened in due time. But even towards the end (which I won't reveal), we are not really sure if Meisner is a healer with phenomenal powers or simply a fraud. We see him going about his "modus operandi' to prove his powers to the townfolks, instructing his man-servant to spread word about his powers, that he can bring the rain and even heal pigs. He healed a girl whose face is covered in warts in the market square, a conspicuous place for all to see, and to marvel in his 'powers'.

What I appreciate here is that it is not handed on a platter to us what the magnetist really is. My only disappointment that the film did not take advantage of the sweepingly beautiful Swedish winter countryside. That would have been a cinematographic sight to behold.

The magnetist contends that healing is in the mind, and that we believe in what we can see. But what we do not see or understand, we do not believe. But the film's ending does not answer our questions as to who and what he is. Perhaps he is a man caught in a period when people are not ready to what is not the norm, perhaps he is ahead of his time, perhaps he is just a plain fraud.