Häxan (1922)

ridiculous rating

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It is amazing how so many of the modern documentaries available on Netflix strive to hold my attention yet something that's almost 100 years old still strikes a chord as to its relevance today.Haxan helps disperse the notion that silent films from the bygone era are but only an oddity when it comes to showcasing real life on the screen. The silent film interspersed by the dialogue cards actually aid in conveying the story of witchcraft from the point of view of a historical narrative. Having instead inserted dialogue with the still inferior audio quality in films to follow soon after would have taken away the verisimilitude of the dramatised scenes for the documentary. Also the the different color tones sprayed over the monochrome film ( blue for night scene, sepia for fire , establish a grim slightly surreal atmosphere. The montage of images depicting gruesome times in Medieval life interspersed with vignettes of Devil Worship and Inquisition Torture had a very unsettling effect . There is a lot of skin shown along with a woman's bare bottom at a certain point. Ofcourse modern audiences are desensitized to such artistry but it must have been a daring execution back in the 1920s. I am especially confident this would have caused a lot of controversy had it been made in the US instead of Sweden.In any case, Haxan is definitely worth remembering

Well this is more a piece of documentary and lecture about witches and witchcraft than an actual movie with a story. Sure there are sequences with narrative elements but their only purpose is to show the audience how during Middle Ages people looked upon the unknown which was labeled quickly as witchcraft. The story is told in 7 chapters of which the first only consists of texts and drawings explaining things. Interesting without doubt but it felt much like being schooled. The next chapters shows us concrete situations with actors and a great setting. Images are shown of the bad things that witches would do, how they brew potions, how they were flying on broomsticks and celebrating in the woods with devils. The fantasy aspects were pretty impressive even though it's obvious the devils are wearing suits, yet the horns, tail, sharp claws and teeth it's all there. Much attention goes to how innocent people were accused of witchcraft, how they were tortured (the instruments really look gruesome) and thus forced into a confession. In the end there is also made a connection with the current time (which is 1922) which I thought was a bit off. Nevertheless an enjoyable piece of cinema even if it's only for a one time view.

This is one of the only silent horror films and documentaries that I really like and I'm not the biggest fan of either. This film to me is great because it was one of the most daring and really ahead of it's time a whole documentary on Witchcraft. It was amazing that a film like this exists at all though if you think about it makes sense, back them just when filmmaking was really young there weren't really any rules created, you could make a film of just about anything you wanted and put it out there (hopefully we can get that kind of privilege back once more).There are actually two versions of the film, one the silent film version and the other with Narration by writer William Buroughs (which is cool since that's a writer I actually like) and has a jazz score. I think both versions are good in their own way, though I like the second version more since I saw that one first and it really keeps the momentum of the film going. Plus I really like the jazz score which at times was fun and fit the film (well OK some parts of the score didn't fit in places but what are you going to do). However for the silent film version I like that one because it gives the film a more moody sensibility and it's orchastratic score I think is fantastic.I really like some of the matter your being educated in, like the first part which is strange since it's based on some of the old and ancient theories in Astronony, like the planets revolving around the sun and stars are held up by some invisible poles. But in a way this just really helps set up the tone, making you feel almost like you've traveled back in time to a class to be educated in the ancient ways. But you really get a lot of insight on the origin of this subculture, which I personally find fascinating.And of course we get the scenes that I feel are the most memorable visuals I've ever seen in a silent film. Like the portrayal of the witches that don't look stereotypical but most look like old ugly cronies with the nasty manners to boot. However to me the highlight was in the scenes with Satan himself whom of course was played by the director himself.The scenes can be a little unsettling but at the same time almost kinda funny, could be in a bit of the overacting of the director or those scenes weren't meant to be taken to seriously. But all the same I like the Satan is portrayed as a mischievous, scary, manipulative brute; misleading mortals to his own gains.One scene that always stood out was this strange ritual scene where one witch transports herself to. It's a really surreal and unsettling scene as if were looking into a nightmare. As we see each of the members of the ritual are inhuman and their all doing some sort of ceremonial dance and a lot of other bizarre creatures are just popping up.I know this was short review but I don't want to give too much away this is just one of those films you have to just see for yourself to believe. If your curious about the Wicken culture or are looking for any other gems from a bygone era then this film is worth a look.It's one hell of an education.Rating: 4 stars

Part documentary, part surreal horror film, "Haxan" purports to show the history of witchcraft throughout the world, up to the then modern era. Broken into seven parts, each one discusses a different aspect of the belief. Part one discusses pre-Christian conceptions of evil spirits and the universe before talking about what supposedly happens during a witch's Sabbath, which will be important later. This information is given to us through a rather flat combination of still images and intertitles. The second half shows witches boiling potions and reveals various superstitions concerning the devil. The third is a dramatization of the accusation of a witch, while part four shows her torture, trial, and coerced confessions. Five is a similar story, this time showing a young woman being convicted of witchcraft because her appearance aroused a monk. Part six discusses the medieval torture devices in more detail before moving on to stories of nuns driving mad by Satanic apparitions. Finally, the final part connects feudal stories of witches and demonic possession with modern conditions such as sleepwalking, kleptomania, or "hysteria." While the historical information presented in "Haxan" is fascinating, and sometimes horrifying, the movie is most valuable for its striking and surreal horror imagery. The devil himself, played by director Benjamin Christensen, leaps out from behind a priest's pulpit. A nude woman is lured out of her bed at night by demons. A stop-motion demon claws it way through a door while piles of gold dances on a bed. During the old woman's confession midway through, "Haxan" truly impresses. She gives birth to strange creatures wearing bizarre masks. She and her coven fly through the sky, greeted by black-silhouetted demons. The devils dance with the women, the witches lining up to kiss the dark lord's butt. A skeleton horses walks around. A large demon spreads his arms, other creatures walking out from under him. Demons excitedly pump butter churns, pantomiming masturbation. Hundreds of different demons contort with their female companions. If a picture is worth a thousand words, "Haxan" must be worth several million.The film has a subtle thread of dark comedy flowing through it, which help diffuses some of the cruelty on-screen. Priests snicker and laugh as they watch a young woman struggles with her confession. A friar being tempted by a love potion is blatantly comedic. Later on, a nun tells Satan to get behind her, which he takes very literally. The demons, with their flicking tongues and wild expressions, are just as likely to get laughs as chills. "Haxan" is ultimately weird enough to inspire either reaction.The reaction to the other elements of the film are less conclusive. The discussion of medieval torture devices and self-flagellation are fascinating morbid while the business with the nuns remind me of "The Devil." However, the procedures and trials of convicted witches go on far too long. After the impressive, extended black Sabbath sequence, the storyline revolving around the young woman's trial drags terribly. The final chapter, which takes the film into the modern day, is also slightly extraneous. The kleptomaniac's sob-story about loosing her husband is hopelessly melodramatic while all the talk about "hysteria" is likely to get a couple chuckles from modern audience. Christensen is obviously coming down on the side of science and against superstition. This moral is undermined a bit by the demonic sequences being far more captivating then the historical ones.The film was rereleased in the sixties with an abbreviated runtime, an experimental jazz score, and additional narration provided by William S. Burroughs. While Burroughs' gravelly intonations are quite amusing, I have a low tolerance for the erratic, chaotic jazz of that era. Aside from that, the alternate version is almost preferable since it moves at a slightly snappier pace. Even with its flaws, "Haxan" is amazing at times. It's hard to say how influential it was on later horror films since, even today, there's still nothing else quite like it.