16. Haxan (1922)

Directed by Benjamin Christensen



Synopsis

Haxan is a genre defying film, it starts as a documentary on Witchcraft, and it goes from there to an "historic" re-enactement of some witch trials and ends with an almost academic consideration of the factors that led to the phenomenon of the witch trials.

Review

Do you know those new-fangled documentaries where there is a narration by some historian bloke who introduces the subject, and then the documentary suddenly turns into a novelised re-enactment of the building of the pyramids, or something, while sometimes the voice-over of the historian explains some of the elements of the scene? Well, this is it. Only 80 years before these new BBC things.

This is not surprising as this is an extremely influential film. Not only on documentary makers but on surrealists and even the Beat Generation, the DVD that I own of Haxan has a version narrated by William S. Burroughs for example. The film is a tour de force of imagination, the visuals are just amazing and the special effects are pretty damn good. There is of course an element of shock here, and the impression is that Benjamin Christensen was at times just trying to stick as many shocking images as possible. The sacrifice of babies, an old woman being tortured, the same woman giving birth to demons, lots of nakedness (no boobage though, damn ), crazy dancing nuns, spitting on the images of Christ, stepping on crosses and such. This doesn't detract however from the quality of the film.

Haxan is more than a shock documentary, it has serious pretension to be a teaching tool, particularly in the framing segments. It starts with an explanation of the conceptions of the universe of earlier peoples and ends with an exploration of the role of hysteria in the accusations of witchcraft. Of course most of the affirmations in the film are bollocks, but we have to report ourselves to 1922 and both the study of witchcraft and mental disease have come a long way since then.

The most important thing in the film is, however, its imagery. It is pretty amazing. I've read somewhere on the Internet that it wouldn't be out of place being projected in a rave party and this is indeed true. It is fucking trippy, the devils are particularly well created and some scenes like that of Maria the weaver being tortured or even just eating soup are pretty disturbing.

Well, I fucking loved it. It's available on Google Video and on Amazon US or UK.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

FREAKY SHIT MAN!

From Wiki

In addition to playing Satan, Christensen shows up briefly as Jesus Christ during a scene set in a convent. He also appears as himself in the film's opening credits.

Most of the film was shot at night, ostensibly to enhance the sinister mood of some of the scenes. Such a technique was unheard of at the time of filming.

Haxan Films, the studio that produced The Blair Witch Project, took their name from this film.