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Should you watch Häxan?

Who it’s good for, who it isn’t, and what’s in it. No ratings, no scores.

Häxan

Documentary · 1922

Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious-- instead it's a witches' brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.

The sides of Häxan

  • A silent essay on witchcraft and the devil
  • Staged scenes of torture and confession
  • A witches' sabbath reenacted

Häxan is good for you if…

  • you like devils, flying brooms and a sabbath staged in 1922.
  • you want images that still unsettle a hundred years later.
  • you like the Middle Ages shown through a trial and a confession.

Häxan is bad for you if…

  • a silent black and white film feels dated to you.
  • you can't watch torture shown on screen.

About: superstition · witch hunts · madness

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