Director: Benjamin Christensen
Screenplay: Benjamin Christensen
Starring: Benjamin Christensen, Elisabeth Christensen, Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan, Elith Pio, Oscar Stribolt, Tora Teje, John Andersen
Country: Sweden, Denmark
Running Time: 106 min (original version + shorter versions listed near the bottom of the page)
Year: 1922
BBFC Certificate: 15
Benjamin Christensen’s first two feature films, The Mysterious X (a.k.a. Sealed Orders or Det hemmelighedsfulde X) and Blind Justice (a.k.a. Hævnens nat), which he wrote, produced, directed, edited and starred in, were hugely successful. This helped the filmmaker justify using enough resources to take two years to make Häxan, a production in which, once again, he wore many hats (there’s no doubt these were the works of an auteur).
Häxan was made with Swedish money and shot in Denmark, and did very well in those countries but proved too controversial elsewhere. Its unflattering look at the clergy, depictions of torture and sexual content shocked authorities and exhibitors around the world, so it never received the release it deserved.
Häxan was highly regarded though and its reputation only grew once various alternative versions of the film began to materialise. The most famous of these was the 1968 release of the film, renamed Witchcraft Through the Ages, which featured narration from William S. Burroughs and a soundtrack by Jean-Luc Ponty. This gradually growing respect and love for the film, on top of its controversial subject matter, helped Häxan become one of the earliest examples of a ‘cult’ film.
Well, Radiance Films are turning their attention to the 1922 classic, releasing Häxan in a lavish 2-disc set with a grand total of 5 different versions of the film (though I’m not clear what the difference is between the 2k Svensk Filmindustri restorations on each disc) and three different scores to the two original theatrical cuts.
I must admit, I hadn’t yet got around to watching Häxan before now, despite having the old Tartan DVD on my shelf. So being offered this new Blu-ray set to review gave me the perfect excuse. My thoughts follow.
Häxan is a silent documentary/essay film that delves into the history of witchcraft and the persecution of those suspected of the practice throughout the Middle Ages. It presents this through a blend of archival illustrations and historical reenactments, as well as some other cinematic tricks.
The film begins by exploring the ancient beliefs in supernatural forces and the fear of the unknown. It then transitions into the Middle Ages, portraying the rise of the Inquisition and the subsequent witch hunts. Häxan depicts the accusations, trials, and brutal tortures inflicted upon those suspected of witchcraft.
Later on, Christensen looks at parallels to witchcraft in the present day and how such women are now treated.
Well, I don’t know why I’d waited so long to watch Häxan because I thought it was fantastic. At least it meant my first viewing was of this magnificent 2k restoration.
What amazed me was the sheer quality of craftsmanship on display. It took a long time to make the film and it cost a lot of money for the time and place but this shows on screen. The production design is impressively earthy and realistic. The costumes and makeup of the devil and demon characters look as creepy as hell too and the lighting is incredibly atmospheric. There are a lot of special effects used too and most of these hold up remarkably well.
This exceptional cinematic craftsmanship is used to create a film that remains visually stunning and often quite unsettling a whopping 102 years after it was first released.
Christensen was an incredibly inventive and creative filmmaker and he should be a much bigger name from Häxan alone (though, by all accounts, his first two features are also impressive). He even reportedly invented the boom mic in later years. After Häxan failed to reach its audience overseas though, he sadly struggled to find the resources to make the boldly ambitious films he made in his initial years as a director. He did get called over to Hollywood but was never allowed the freedom to expand on his early promise.
On top of the technical prowess on display in Häxan, Christensen can be praised for making a horror film and a documentary before they were even categorised as such, let alone for fusing them together. There were other examples of the two genres/formats around at this point but they weren’t clearly categorised as such yet. You could also call this the first ‘nunsploitation’ film if you really wanted to get into it.
Häxan is truly unique though, as it doesn’t even quite fit into those brackets of documentary or horror. It’s an essay film that branches off into lengthy, disturbing reconstructions.
It’s through this essay approach that the film becomes something a little more thoughtful than you might expect. Despite the backlash faced on the film’s release, Häxan isn’t merely out to shock. Christensen damns the witch hunts of the middle ages and attempts to draw modern-day comparisons with women diagnosed with ‘hysteria’, to make audiences think about how women who don’t fit into the ‘norm’ are treated in the present day. Whilst the idea of ‘hysteria’ is sorely outdated now, the idea of sympathising with and looking at why some of the women of the Middle Ages might have been considered witches is humane and forward-thinking for the era.
Silent films often have to be viewed with an eye for how influential they were or how well they work ‘for the time’. However, Häxan still stands tall over a century later and remains remarkably unusual in its approach. It still has the power to unsettle, engross and astonish, making for a true masterpiece.
Film:
Häxan is out on 28th October on region-free Blu-Ray, released by Radiance Films. The transfer is gobsmackingly good. I haven’t got the Criterion edition to check whether it’s the same, but the film looks brand new here. It’s incredibly detailed, with exceptional depth and pitch-perfect contrast. I’ve used screengrabs throughout this review to give you an idea of how it looks, though these have been compressed.
On top of having multiple versions of the film to watch, you have numerous choices of scores and soundtracks to accompany the film (see below for full details). Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to work through all the versions, so I opted for the original cut of the film with the Matti Bye score. I thought Bye’s music was an excellent fit. It begins in an atonal, experimental fashion, using drones and ‘twangs’ (the technical term, I’m sure) alongside unsettling sound effects. Then, later, it has some eerily beautiful passages. I loved it.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
Disc 1:
– 2K restoration by Svensk Filmindustri, presented with a score by Matti Bye (2006)
– Witchcraft through the Ages – an alternate cut of the film featuring narration by William S. Burroughs and soundtrack by Jean-Luc Ponty, newly transferred in 2K from a 16mm dupe negative (1968, 77 mins)
– Introduction by director Benjamin Christensen (1941, 8 mins)
– Outtakes – a reel of test footage shot by Benjamin Christensen featuring scenes for Häxan, Hævnens Nat [Night of Revenge] and other work by the filmmaker (1922, 12 mins)
– Recently discovered costume screen test (1922, 2 mins)
– Appreciation by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (2024, 14 mins)
– For Satan: The Convert’s Guide to Häxan – A visual essay by Vito A. Rowlands, author of the BFI Film Classics edition of Häxan (2024, 12 mins)
– Audio commentary by horror experts Guy Adams and A.K. Benedict (2024)
Disc 2:
– 2K restoration by Svensk Filmindustri, presented with scores by Bronnt Industries Kapital (2007), and Geoff Smith (2007)
– Häxan – The Esoteric Cut – an alternate cut of the film featuring English intertitles and soundtrack by Lawrence Leherissey (Date unknown, 84 mins)
– Witchcraft through the Ages – a French version of the film featuring narration by Jean-Pierre Kalfon, sourced from the best surviving VHS (1990, 82 mins)
– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
– Six postcards of original promotional stills
– Limited edition 80-page book featuring new writing by Pamela Hutchinson, Daniel Bird, Kat Ellinger, Brad Stevens plus archival writing by Tom Milne and extracts from the press book
The multiple cuts of the film will be a big selling point for many, so apologies for not covering those in any detail, but I must praise Radiance for going out of their way to include as many versions as possible in this wonderful release.
As for the other extras, Guy Adams (who has been known to write for Blueprint: Review now and again) and A.K. Benedict provide a fascinating commentary track. They talk about some of the records of witches that Christensen likely used to inform and inspire his film. They also talk about the director’s career and the release of Häxan.
The disc also includes an introduction by Christensen. He talks about the difference between sound and silent cinema as well as discusses witches in the Middle Ages and their present-day equivalents. This includes an amusing but likely fabricated anecdote about a woman who tried some ‘witch’s salve’.
‘For Satan’ is a modern silent essay on the film. It looks at the unique and groundbreaking nature of Häxan as well as its history. It also delves into the worlds of psychology and witchcraft Christensen explored but with a modern, feminist eye. It’s a fascinating and surprisingly humourous piece that I enjoyed a great deal.
Guillermo del Torro gives his thoughts on the film in an interview. He speaks very highly of the craftsmanship on display and the film’s effectiveness as an early example of horror cinema, albeit a wholly unique one.
You get a series of outtakes from several of Christensen’s films too, including Häxan. Without context, this material is rather random but I did find it fascinating to see these glimpses into the past with such clarity.
Also included is a short costume test film. This archival footage allows you to see the actor (I don’t think it was Christensen on-screen, but I might be wrong) experimenting with movements as well as seeing what the costume looks like.
I didn’t receive a copy of the booklet to comment on that, unfortunately.
Overall, Radiance have pulled out all the stops to compile a wonderful package for an exceptional piece of cinema history.
Disc/package:
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