Day 7: Häxan
With the title being Swedish for "Witch", this is a notorious cult classic which was originally released in 1922, and my first silent film of the month.
Following a longtime ban of the film, a shortened, censored version was released in America in 1968, titled "Witchcraft Through the Ages" with narration from beat author William S. Burroughs, then the good people of the Criterion Collection restored the original film print and released the full version of the film on DVD in 2001.
Not only does the movie hold up in terms of being consistently engaging and creative, it's genuinely creepy and would still be considered controversial if it were released today.
Taking on the form of a "documentary", director Benjamin Christensen tells the story of how women who were accused of being witches were treated from the Middle Ages to current time (1922). He also gave himself the role of The Devil, which he does quite convincingly. It's full of all sorts of eerie, surreal imagery that is sometimes shockingly violent, sacrilegious, and sexual, especially considering how long ago it was made.
The only part that doesn't really hold up, but in a way makes it all the more fascinating, is that it depicts some modern women having "hysteria" and how they would simply be taken to a mental institution, or a clinic if they were wealthy, as opposed to being burned at the stake. It seems to take the bizarre stance of women needing to be thankful that this is how they're treated now, as if it's a privilege not to be murdered for a made-up mental illness.
But with that aside, this is absolutely a classic that should be seen by any fan of film, horror, or history.
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