VividSimon Simply Perfect

BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

InformationRap 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.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Woodyanders This truly singular and fascinating quasi-documentary centers on the harsh persecution of women who were found guilty of committing sacrilegious acts and worshipping Satan back in the Middle Ages. Writer/director Benjamin Christensen gives the absorbingly dark and macabre premise an extra potent sting by ingeniously grounding it in a thoroughly plausible and persuasive factual historical context. Moreover, by presenting the persecuted elderly and/or hysterical women as unfortunate wretches who have been cast aside by society he manages to make said women pitiable figures instead of hateful grotesqueries. Christensen's astute pointing out of modern society's treatment of the mentally ill being similar to the past's vicious punishment of witches and heretics articulates a chilling statement that our more knowledgeable contemporary world isn't much of an improvement over the previous more benighted one. In addition, the artful use of beautiful paintings and brooding classical music along with the vivid reenactments of various blasphemous rituals -- one black mass held in the woods climaxes with the participants literally kissing the devil's behind! -- and the church's savage condemnation of those perceived as sinners merge together to create a damning indictment on mankind's shocking capacity for extreme cruelty. Essential viewing.

samkoseoglu That title, up there, is not a sentence to vitiate movie's artistic sense of creation or aesthetic concerns, as it puts this great narration into something creative and aesthetic naturally, that which we call art. What the title explains is simply the social assistive part of the movie as Christensen himself is aware of the fact that society needs explanations and corrections about some important matters still affecting people's lives negatively as shown with an exemplary scene describing old actress' fear and delusive visions. Directing method is expressive and presentation of certain tools are very clear and explanatory visually; therefore, it is not hard to follow the scenes.The narration helps to compare scenes from past and present. For a time period like we have now some points could be seen repeated over and over with explanations, but for its own time, and for the great majority of today's audience I think, they are absolutely efficacious. One can feel Christensen's concerns and can easily empathize with him throughout the movie. The most important part of this movie, which can be categorized as a documentary, is that it never loses it dramatic flavour even if it tries to serve a certain purpose which is providing knowledge about people's ignorance, narrow mindedness throughout the centuries and its fatal consequences. With this power art creates an influence to persuade people of its arguments with artistic, dramatic, and creative sense of demonstration unlike platitudes of other narrations like history, philosophy, or science.

sol- Sometimes released with the subtitle 'Witchcraft Through the Ages', this Swedish documentary sets out to illustrate the history of sorcery, witchcraft and Satanism. The film gets off to a slow start with an overload of title cards and mundane still images as humanity's longtime fascination with the supernatural is shown, however, things soon become very interesting after around fifteen minutes as the film switches to reenactment mode. There are some truly bizarre sights to see, with discreetly filmed naked witches, dissolve edits for drifting spirits and an appearance by the film's director, Benjamin Christensen, playing the Devil. The best part of the film though comes around halfway in as the witch hunt trials of the 1600s are reenacted in harrowing detail. There are also several graphic shots of torture instruments used in the trial process. As far as documentaries go, 'Häxan' might not be the most enlightening film out there, particularly with the way it blurs Satanism and witchcraft together, but between the intense witch trial section of the movie and several weird shots of witches engaged in rituals with Satan, the project has enough going its favour to rate as an undeniable curio. The lack of spoken dialogue only makes the trials and sorcery shots creepier and more otherworldly, plus the colour tinting (at least in the version on the Criterion DVD) adds loads of atmosphere.

Johan Louwet 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.