Häxan (1922)
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Physical Media
Banned in the United States and censored throughout Europe for its depictions of demonic orgies and possessed nuns, this was the most expensive Scandinavian silent film ever made - a documentary about witchcraft in which the director played the Devil.
HÄXAN (1922) took Benjamin Christensen four years to complete. He spent three years researching it - working from the Malleus Maleficarum, the 15th-century inquisitors' handbook he had found in a Berlin bookshop, as well as woodcuts, paintings, and ecclesiastical records .
He obtained funding from Svensk Filmindustri by promising them complete artistic freedom would produce something worthy of the Swedish cinema's golden age.
Christensen bought and refurbished a studio in Hellerup, Denmark, filmed only at night or behind closed doors. Rumors circulated about what was happening inside, and he did nothing to discourage them.
The flying witch sequence required 75 witches filmed separately against airplane engines while Christensen's cinematographer constructed a rotating carousel holding over 250 miniature houses, each roughly six feet tall, turned by 20 men. The shots were combined using an experimental optical printer Christensen designed himself.
Christensen, who seemed to enjoy playing Satan, later lamented: "I never managed to escape the stamp that Häxan put on me."
In 1968 it was re-released in the US as Witchcraft Through the Ages with narration by William S. Burroughs and a jazz score featuring Jean-Luc Ponty on violin.
About the Film
But isn’t superstition still rampant among us?
- Directed By
- Benjamin Christensen
- Runtime
- 105 minutes
- Released
- September 18, 1922
- US Theatrical
- May 27, 1929
- Certification
- U
- Country
- Sweden
- Starring
- Benjamin Christensen, Ella La Cour, Emmy Schønfeld, Kate Fabian, Oscar Stribolt
More Credits
- Genres
- Documentary, Horror, History
- Language
- No Language
- Origin
- DK, SE
- Studios
- Aljosha Production Company, SF Studios
- Written By
- Benjamin Christensen
- Cinematography
- Johan Ankerstjerne
- Music
- Launy Grøndahl, Ludwig van Beethoven
- Also Starring
- Wilhelmine Henriksen, Elisabeth Christensen, Astrid Holm, Karen Winther, Maren Pedersen
- Budget
- $220,000
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Will Mac Fabio Marinaro
I like old movies . I never heard of this one. I may have to check it out
Kelly Lucille Lindsey it’s Excellent!!
Kelly Lucille Lindsey It’s pretty amazing.
I think it shows up occasionally on TMC.
The U.S. must’ve gotten over the fear of devil movies, cause Shudder on Sling has one called “Devil’s Rain”, starring William Shatner, Tom Skerrit, a young John Travolta, Ernest Borgnine, and even Anton LeVey (he’s in heavy makeup, so he’s unrecognizable).
It’s one of those cheesy 70s movies where you’re not sure if you like it or not.
Michelle Cunin The Devil’s Rain is a great flick!
My favorite part is when the Satanists all start melting away
Ronny Von Frankenstein
Kalli Verdun
Bauhaus uses this film as the video for thier song Volcano King. Check it out
King Volcano, but yes.
I find Haxan a big yawn.
Mark Newbold
I rented this on vhs years ago and found it very interesting. Criterion sells a nice Blu-ray of it with extras. 💖
Monster Magnet used this movie in a video. It’s an interesting flick
This is one we watch every Halloween. Classic!