A hybrid of documentary and fiction, this silent film explores the history of witchcraft, demonology and satanism. It shows representations of evil in a variety of ancient and medieval artworks, offers vignettes illustrating a number of superstitious practices and presents a narrative about the persecution of a woman accused of witchcraft. The film ends by suggesting that the modern science of psychology offers important insight into the beliefs and practices of the past.
It’s bracing how beautiful “Häxan” is almost a hundred years after it was released. Watching it on its Criterion, it’s a gorgeous movie, and one filled with a still relevant message to this day. Benjamin Christensen’s horror hybrid documentary is a wonderful film that is deep down about the horror of humanity, and the cruelty we’re capable of thanks to our ignorance. Allegedly Benjamin Christensen read about everything that he could about Witchcraft when entering in to “Häxan” and it shows big time. The horror aesthetic cleverly acts as a means of conveying the message about the awful treatment of women, ignorance of science and so much more.
You’d be hard pressed not to think this movie is also a celebration of witchcraft, as Christensen seems to have a true fascination and adoration for the religion. Whether you believe it or not, the concept of Witchcraft is an intriguing topic and he delves in to all of the more engaging rituals and whatnot. Everything from Sabbaths to the Devil, potions, and the concept of Witches riding by night are all present and rather thoughtfully explored. The scene of the Witches riding through the sky at night is a marvel, especially considering how much special effects in film were in its infancy.
Director Christensen doesn’t really criticize the subject matter, but he doesn’t seem to be all to intent on proselytizing the audience. “Häxan” is a lot more about the understanding and the heinous fallout from failing to and or refusing to understand. The cinematography from Johan Ankerstjerne is abundantly gorgeous and he treats every scene like a work of art. The various colorful flourishes really punctuate the sense of dread or mania, and pays off in such a brilliant method. “Häxan” surely is a great horror film, and it’s also a very important one.
Featured in the new release from Criterion is a nine minutes Introduction from director Benjamin Christensen, who filmed this short introduction to Häxan in 1941, in Danish, with optional English subtitles. There’s information about the recent score that film music specialist Gillian Anderson recorded with the Czech Film Orchestra in Prague in June 2001. It’s in text format. There’s the seventy seven minutes Witchcraft Through the Ages, an alternate version of Häxan which was released in 1968, that represents one of several cinematic collaborations between Antony Balch, Brion Gysin, and William S. Burroughs, who performed the voiceover narration of the film. Daniel Humair composed the jazz score.
There’s the fifteen minutes program “Bibilioteque diabolique,” with film scholar Casper Tybjerg, who focuses on some of the historical sources that Benjamin Christensen used while preparing Häxan. The program was produced for Criterion in 2011, with text description in English. There are five minutes of Outtakes, with footage that comes from a reel of test shots for various Benjamin Christensen films which was collected by cinematographer Johan Ankerstjerne. There’s also a twenty one chapter commentary with film scholar Casper Tybjerg, who recorded this audio commentary for Criterion’s DVD release of Häxan in 2001. Finally this edition comes packed with a thirty four page illustrated Booklet featuring an essay by critic Chris Fujiwara, remarks on the score by Gillian Anderson, an essay by scholar Chloé Germaine Buckley, and technical credits.