Häxan

May 27 1929 Not Rated 1h 31m
Fantasy, History, Horror

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.

Plot

Part history lesson followed by re-enactments with actors, this film depicts the history of witchcraft from its earliest days through to the present day (in this case,1922 or thereabouts). The result is a documentary-like film that must be among the first to use re-enactments as a visual and narrative tool. From pagan worship to satanic rites to hysteria, the film takes you on a journey through the ages with highly effective visual sequences.

Written by

Benjamin Christensen

Directed by

Benjamin Christensen

Cast

Benjamin Christensen, Elisabeth Christensen, Maren Pedersen

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Sweden

Production Companies

SF Studios, Aljosha Production Company

Languages

No Language

Awards

N/A

Trailers
Häxan Trailer
Featurettes
Mark Kermode reviews Häxan (1922) | BFI Player
Streaming Review: Haxan: Witchcraft through the ages.
Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1968)
Scores
# of Votes
17,849
Average Rating
7.6 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA