Haxan [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Director: Benjamin Christensen Benjamin Christensen

Overview

Danish filmmaker Benjamin Christensen's obsession with bizarre lighting effects reached its apotheosis with his 1922 masterpiece Häxan. Beginning in a deceptively sedate fashion with a series of woodcuts and engravings (a technique later adopted by RKO producer Val Lewton), the film then shifts into gear with a progression of dramatic vignettes, illustrating the awesome power of witchcraft in the Middle Ages. So powerful are some of these images that even some modern viewers will avert their eyes from the screen. Though obviously a work of pure imagination, the film occasionally takes on the dimensions of a documentary, a byproduct of the extensive research done by Christensen before embarking on the project (incidentally, the director himself can be seen in the film in a dual role as Satan and the Doctor). Häxan marked a parting of the ways for Christensen and the Danish film industry; thereafter, he confined his activities to the German cinema, before answering Hollywood's call in 1928. A separate version of this film exists, with a shorter running time, retitled Witchcraft Through the Ages and released in 1968. It features narration by the legendary Beat writer William S. Burroughs (Naked Lunch) and a score by Jean-Luc Ponty.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/15/2019
UPC:	0715515235617
Original Release:	1922
Rating:	NR
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Language:	English
Time:	1:45:00
Sales rank:	3,836

Special Features

New 2k digital restoration + music from the 1922 Danish premiere, arranged by film-music specialist Gillian B. Anderson and performed by the Czech Film Orchestra in 2001, presented in 5.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio; Audio Commentary from 2001 featuring film scholar Casper Tybjerg; Witchcraft Through the Ages (1968), a seventy-six minute version of Haxan narrated by author William S. Burroughs, with a soundtrack featuring violinist Jean-Luc Ponty; Director Benjamin Christensen's introduction to the 1941 rerlease ; Outtakes; Bibliothèque diabolique, a photographic exploration of Christensen's historical sources, created in 2001; Plus: Essays by critic Chris Fujiwara and scholar Chloe Buckley, as well as remarks on the score by Anderson

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Clara Pontoppidan	Nun
Maren Pedersen	Witch
Oscar Stribolt	Doctor
Benjamin Christensen	Satan/The Doctor
Astrid Holm	Anna
Elith Pio	Young Monk
Tora Teje	Modern Hysteric
Gerda Madsen	Nun
William S. Burroughs	Narrator

Technical Credits

Benjamin Christensen

Benjamin Christensen

Director,Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Häxan is a fictional horror film in the form of a documentary, featuring crude black-and-white cinematography, a nonlinear structure, and grotesque imagery. If this reminds you of The Blair Witch Project (1999), it's no coincidence -- the makers of that film named their production company "Haxan" as a tribute to Benjamin Christensen's film. Häxan's inconsistent production values and rough visual motifs enhance its effectiveness, adding a sheen of authenticity to the film's passively voyeuristic approach. Multiple versions exist, including sound releases in the 1940s and 1960s. The latter features narration by Beat generation icon William S. Burroughs, though his interesting commentary is somewhat offset by a distracting and inappropriate modern jazz score. Despite censors' efforts to ban it, Häxan was a persistent influence on 20th century filmmakers, in particular on the works of Val Lewton.

All Movie Guide - Richard Gilliam