Häxan is a real curiosity. It's a study of witchcraft that is surely one of the first examples of docudrama. It combines non-fiction elements with dramatized sequences illustrating various aspects of witchcraft through the ages. It's not story-based but instead is made up of a number of mini-narratives alongside the non-fictional pieces.
Presented in various colour filters, Häxan is a very beautiful looking film. Its use of models, variety of costumes, elaborate make-up and inventive special effects is exemplary. The film often enters the realm of the surreal and its conception of Hell and its minions is really very good; the witches Sabbath being a great example of imaginative visual film-making. Häxan is a film that has aged better than most silent movies. This is probably due to the fact that it focuses less on dramatics than was normal at the time; as a result there is a reduction in the type of melodramatic over-acting that typified, and dated, so many films from this period. The insertion of non-fictional elements into the flow comes across as quite a bold move and somewhat experimental for the time. The inclusion of shock content such as nudity, severed hands and torture, also puts the film ahead of its time. And what other film dares to include a scene showing witches kiss the Devil's behind? Or the black humour and surreal imagery of the procession of cats exiting the church guarded by the animal-men (this bit is seriously in David Lynch territory).
If Häxan has a weakness, it's that it's overlong. Some of the dramatized scenes do drag on a bit and lessen the impact of the film as a whole. But, that aside, it's a very impressive and daring film with some pretty formidable imagery. Like the best silent films, Häxan derives its power from its imagery. In many ways it's one of the least dated 1920's films and comes highly recommended for fans of the silent era and/or weird cinema.
Presented in various colour filters, Häxan is a very beautiful looking film. Its use of models, variety of costumes, elaborate make-up and inventive special effects is exemplary. The film often enters the realm of the surreal and its conception of Hell and its minions is really very good; the witches Sabbath being a great example of imaginative visual film-making. Häxan is a film that has aged better than most silent movies. This is probably due to the fact that it focuses less on dramatics than was normal at the time; as a result there is a reduction in the type of melodramatic over-acting that typified, and dated, so many films from this period. The insertion of non-fictional elements into the flow comes across as quite a bold move and somewhat experimental for the time. The inclusion of shock content such as nudity, severed hands and torture, also puts the film ahead of its time. And what other film dares to include a scene showing witches kiss the Devil's behind? Or the black humour and surreal imagery of the procession of cats exiting the church guarded by the animal-men (this bit is seriously in David Lynch territory).
If Häxan has a weakness, it's that it's overlong. Some of the dramatized scenes do drag on a bit and lessen the impact of the film as a whole. But, that aside, it's a very impressive and daring film with some pretty formidable imagery. Like the best silent films, Häxan derives its power from its imagery. In many ways it's one of the least dated 1920's films and comes highly recommended for fans of the silent era and/or weird cinema.