![]() This already makes the film unique, but the use of ahead-of-its-time costuming and special effects in order to film a demonic panorama right out of Bosch or Bruegel, and Christensen’s irreverent sense of humor as he does it, is what makes it truly weird. In making HÄXAN, Christensen dismissed the then-nascent rules of classical filmmaking and turned it into a sprawling, tangent-filled lecture based on real historical texts. 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. ![]() Burroughs, as well as an original music score by jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. 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). Hxan (English title: The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 Swedish/Danish silent horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. In 1968, a new edition of Hxan was released, using the alternate title Witchcraft Through the Ages this reissue was shorter than the original silent presentation, but featured a new narration from novelist William S. So powerful are some of these images that even some modern viewers will avert their eyes from the screen. Witchcraft Through the Ages is a recutting of the excellent 1922 pseudo documentary Haxan. Beginning in a deceptively sedate fashion with a series of woodcuts and engravings, the film then shifts into gear with a progression of dramatic vignettes, illustrating the awesome power of witchcraft in the Middle Ages. And that is why unusual things were believed to be true.”ĭanish filmmaker Benjamin Christensen’s obsession with bizarre lighting effects reached its apotheosis with his 1922 masterpiece HÄXAN. Release Date (s) SeptemRuntime 122 minutes Country United Kingdom Language Silent Gross S22 Images of Häxan Haxan (Danish title: Heksen English English title: The Witches or Witchraft Through the Ages) is a 1922 Swedish-Danish documentary-style anthology silent horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. 501 Movie Directors, Steven Jay Schneider, B E S Pub Co, November 2007. Notes: Haxan: The Real Unreal by Chris Fujiwara, Criterion, Oct. ![]() “Such were the Middle Ages, when witchcraft and the Devil’s work were sought everywhere. Overall, Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages(104 minutes) is a groundbreaking hybrid of Gothic horror imagery and informative documentary. BiZz-R-O Cinema Presents: HÄXAN: WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES
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