…by all the buzz (positive and negative) that THE WITCH has received. It is not at all what the trailers would lead you to believe. Instead of a 17th century BLAIR WITCH PROJECT or the standard jump cut, sound cue, blood bath that constitutes most horror movies today, it is a poetic meditation on what 17th century people believed witches were capable of. In that sense it recalls a Swedish silent film from 1922 called HAXAN (The Witches) which explores legends of witchcraft from Medieval times through the present day (ca.1922). The subtitle “A New England Folk Tale” is accurate and appropriate as, even though it unfolds in real time, it tells the story of what happened to one 17th century family who were exiled (ban-ish-ed) from their community for being overzealous.
The re-creation of a 17th century setting complete with costumes, settings, and characters speaking King James English was remarkably well done. The performances by all the actors were all spot on. Utilizing little known performers helped to enforce the illusion that these were real people that we, the audience, happened to time travel back to. The cinematography was stunning and the disturbing, period sounding score was remarkably effective enhancing the doom laden atmosphere of the surroundings and the story being told. Special mention should be given to two performers whose characters are deeply affected by what happens to them. They are Kate Dickie as the mother and especially Harvey Scrinshaw (great name!) as the oldest son Caleb.
First time feature director Robert Eggers also wrote the original and disturbing screenplay. A lot of it seems taken from an anthology of witchcraft folklore called WITCHES, WRAITHS & WARLOCKS by Peter Haining which reproduces folk tales from England & New England. It is also written in archaic King James English,which makes it hard to understand. Fortunately the DVD/Blu-Ray comes equipped with subtitles so that you can fully understand what you are hearing. It helps to clarify not only what the actors are saying but what is going plotwise. THE WITCH is certainly not for your average horror film fan but for a more demanding audience that is willing to spend time with it and let it develop. When the big payoff finally comes, it is worth hanging around for. All in all, a remarkable effort which I’ll be revisiting on a regular basis.
The Capsule Critic 