Hitchcoc Produced in 1922, this puts forth what is supposed to be an authoritative view of the history of witchcraft. It succeeds to some extent, though what isn't mentioned is as obvious as what is. We get a look at a series of woodcuts that show the devil in all his incarnations and women being had by him. There must be a mythology that stands out that is ultimately embraced. The whole thing wanders all over the place. The story is quite repetitive, trying to get us to look at things from a single point of view. It does show how cruel stupid people in power can be, taking the lives of others into their own hands over some mythology perpetrated by the religion of the day. I won't get into my rant over the harm that religious zealots have done over the centuries, event to this day, but it becomes obvious here that these fairy tales have great force.

Leofwine_draca HAXAN: WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES is the famous Swedish/Danish documentary exploring the history of witchcraft through to the modern day. It's a stark and unsettling film packed with the kind of horrific imagery that has since become clichéd in the cinema, and yet some scenes retain their brutal power and feel surprisingly fresh and terrifying.The documentary begins on a slow note with lots of description and not much in the way of life, but after a time the staged dramatisations begin and this is where HAXAN comes to life. The whole "witch hunt" subject has been done to death, yet the storyline which plays out here is never less than engrossing. It's also surprisingly strong stuff, with explicit sequences of torture and black masses which are still tough to bear even today.Danish director Benjamin Christensen elicits strong performances from his cast members, particularly from Maren Pedersen who gives a haunting turn as the condemned witch, and the 1920s-era special effects are a lot of fun; strange how the flying broomstick scene looks better nowadays than the lamentable CGI of the Harry Potter franchise. It's interesting to watch how political sentiments - pro-feminism, anti-religion - creep into the finished film. HAXAN is a must for both horror fans and cinema fans in general.

utgard14 Fascinating silent film about witchcraft. The first part of the film, and the most boring, is a slide show about the history of witchcraft. This is fairly dull stuff but thankfully the film picks up afterwards. The rest of the movie is made up of dramatic illustrations of cases of witchcraft throughout the ages. I think there's a lot here for to maintain your interest. Historically, psychologically, dramatically -- there's a lot to chew on. It's definitely one of the weirdest silent films I've seen. It has nice sets and makeup for the period. Lots of striking images, some of which are unsettling even today. I'm not sure how to categorize it. Is it a documentary, a docudrama, or something else? Whatever label you put on it, one thing is for sure: it's worth your time to try it out. The version I saw is the longer DVD version, not any of the shortened versions so I can't comment on those.

LeonLouisRicci A Wow Inducing Silent Movie that was, to say the least, Ahead of its Time. A Docu-Drama Study/Presentation of Witchcraft. It Presents in Wild Abandon, Bizarre, Sharply Defined, Horrific, and Surrealistic Images of Satan and His Dominions Performing Diabolical Acts that were and are Impressive, Repulsive, and Highly Entertaining. Things on Screen Rarely Seen and were Never Remotely Approached after the Code.It Adopts a Back and Forth Style of Title Card Information on the Subject, Combined with some Straight Forward Dramatizations of Witches, Clergy, and the Inquisition. Heavily Stylistic Scenes with Pseudo-Animation and Tons of Makeup combine with Disturbing, Ugly, and Pathetic People. There is some Artful Model-Work with Broom Flying Witches that was Liberally Cribbed by Disney in Fantasia (1940).Incredibly Influential and a Phantasmagorical Treat that has been Restored and can be Enjoyed by those who Normally Stay Away from Silent Films. It is a Halloween Perennial for Hipsters and it is one of those that Defies Description. The Criterion Collection Contains two versions that are Equally Inviting with many Insightful Extras.