Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages
1922 ‘Häxan’ Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Synopsis
Is a 1922 Swedish/Danish silent horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Based partly on Christensen's study of the Malleus Maleficarum, a 15th century German guide for inquisitors, Häxan is a study of how superstition and the misunderstanding of diseases and mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. The film was made as a documentary but contains dramatized sequences that are comparable to horror films. (Wikipedia)
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as it turns out, witchcraft is a self-perpetuating concept; a concept created and exacerbated, it seems, by religion. the film doesn't deal with a tangible, singular witch or craft, but rather with how the idea of them was formed and reacted to within society. haxan is a thought-provoking look at social paranoia, and what might today be called media frenzy.
it also, ironically, raises questions about human sadism. if society's reaction to the hysteria surrounding witchcraft was partially sadistic, in today's sense of the word, then it is still part of our world. if it was not sadistic, then it is a marvel how much we as a species have changed; so much so as to cause an immense feeling…
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About as essential to lovers of provocative cinema as water is to living.
A right fucked excursion through bloodthirsty and superstitious history.
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If you're interested in viewing what feels like an artifact from the 1920s, Haxan is your movie. Despite being made close to 100 years ago, this film has more creativity in it than most modern-day Hollywood Blockbusters that cost upwards of $200 million dollars. This one probably cost about .39 cents and is more creative and inspiring - on top of that, for any budding filmmakers out there, here's the proof you don't need a huge budget to do something really innovative and interesting.
In a nutshell, this film takes a chronological look at witchcraft throughout history (starting in the 1400s) and begins by discussing some of the misinterpretations we have made historically about the earth's place in the universe,…
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Ends a bit on the nose, but filled with terrifying, shocking imagery. Benjamin Christensen is a clear influence on other Danish filmmakers, especially his contemporary Carl Theodor Dreyer (THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC), and particularly Lars Von Trier, whose ANTICHRIST draws on a lot of the ideas about the subjugation of women that Christensen confronts in this film.
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Forty-sixth film of my "31 Days of Horror"-project.
I... don't know what to say about this one. It's not quite a movie, more a presentation that uses dramatizations and animations to make its points. It's a very interesting film, raising incredibly shocking points that I'd never thought about before, especially towards the end when it takes a look at "modern witches".
The whole thing is shocking, interesting, educational and actually, very entertaining. You'll laugh at the idiocy of those old-times before watching in horror at some of the things they did.
A very interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining film. Highly recommended.
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This film was one of the House Favorites at Video Americain, the Baltimore video store where I once worked. I picked it up from a Criterion sale several years ago but never got around to watching it until now. Wow! What a delightfully macabre and goofy silent film. Plenty of devils dancing around, tongues-a-wagging!
The film's ultimate thesis is laughable (women were once labelled "witches" if they showed signs of insomnia, anxiety and other symptoms - now we know they simply suffer from HYSTERIA!), but the rest is great occult fun.
As a side note, I was completely surprised to see the use of stop-motion animation, reverse motion, and superimposed images in a 1922 film!
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This film was one of the House Favorites at Video Americain, the Baltimore video store where I once worked. I picked it up from a Criterion sale several years ago but never got around to watching it until now. Wow! What a delightfully macabre and goofy silent film. Plenty of devils dancing around, tongues-a-wagging!
The film's ultimate thesis is laughable (women were once labelled "witches" if they showed signs of insomnia, anxiety and other symptoms - now we know they simply suffer from HYSTERIA!), but the rest is great occult fun.
As a side note, I was completely surprised to see the use of stop-motion animation, reverse motion, and superimposed images in a 1922 film!
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If you're interested in viewing what feels like an artifact from the 1920s, Haxan is your movie. Despite being made close to 100 years ago, this film has more creativity in it than most modern-day Hollywood Blockbusters that cost upwards of $200 million dollars. This one probably cost about .39 cents and is more creative and inspiring - on top of that, for any budding filmmakers out there, here's the proof you don't need a huge budget to do something really innovative and interesting.
In a nutshell, this film takes a chronological look at witchcraft throughout history (starting in the 1400s) and begins by discussing some of the misinterpretations we have made historically about the earth's place in the universe,…
-
Ends a bit on the nose, but filled with terrifying, shocking imagery. Benjamin Christensen is a clear influence on other Danish filmmakers, especially his contemporary Carl Theodor Dreyer (THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC), and particularly Lars Von Trier, whose ANTICHRIST draws on a lot of the ideas about the subjugation of women that Christensen confronts in this film.
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This is another revolutionary approach to storytelling on film. HAXAN takes a look at how witchcraft and its place and impact on society across time. The film has a documentary look at times. It goes as far as to have the title cards be the directors narration.
The film uses more cinematic trickery than any of the other silents that I have watched so far. I think this is the first inclusion of stop-motion-animation that I have seen. There are double exposures, and superimposition used to great effect in this movie.
The film is told in a series of chapters. Each chapter covers a different period in history. The audience gets to see how witches behaved and sometimes how society…
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Kind of like a documentary with scenes played out with actors. What is this witchcraft?
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Interesting plot concerning the use of witchcraft in the medieval ages, the reasons of why a woman would be considered as a witch, and a logical and psychological explanation, as to how we see today, all those things that would make a person look as the servant of the Devil. Interesting use of color as well (well, if i really watched the original one), as i could see a clear difference between night (where they used a blue filter), and the inside of the huts, where the potions were made, thus, there was light and warmth (orange/red filter)
Overall interesting
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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Unusually well produced for the time period and relatively uncomfortable. Overall, great horror movie with superb atmosphere.
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as it turns out, witchcraft is a self-perpetuating concept; a concept created and exacerbated, it seems, by religion. the film doesn't deal with a tangible, singular witch or craft, but rather with how the idea of them was formed and reacted to within society. haxan is a thought-provoking look at social paranoia, and what might today be called media frenzy.
it also, ironically, raises questions about human sadism. if society's reaction to the hysteria surrounding witchcraft was partially sadistic, in today's sense of the word, then it is still part of our world. if it was not sadistic, then it is a marvel how much we as a species have changed; so much so as to cause an immense feeling…