WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES (1922)
(a.k.a. HAXAN)
Article #144 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 8-7-2001
Posting date: 12-21-2001

This movie is partially a documentary on witchcraft, and partially a fictional account of a woman accused of witchcraft.

For some reason, I can’t really think of a lot to say about this strange mixture of documentary and fiction, despite the fact that I’d wanted to catch this movie for years due to what was written about it in various books about horror movies. It’s packed full of creative and shocking imagery, and most likely would offend the devout with its portrayal of corrupt clergymen, but considering the subject matter, this is unavoidable. It’s quite fascinating, and the subject matter alone makes it of interest to horror fans, but what I found most striking was when it took the theme into the twentieth century and discussed the nature of hysteria. The director plays the devil, which I find quite amusing. There’s a version narrated by William Burroughs, but that’s not the one I’ve seen; though I suspect it would be interesting to watch, I also suspect it wouldn’t be the way the movie was originally intended to be seen.