Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen’s legendary 1922 silent film Häxan 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.

In 1968, Antony Balch prepared an abbreviated 77-minute version of the film titled Witchcraft Through the Ages. Balch had previously worked with William S. Burroughs in making the films Towers Open Fire (1963) and The Cut-Ups (1967), and this version features Burroughs’ dramatic narration, delivered as an incantation in droning monotone. Daniel Humair’s chaotic jazz score for the ’68 release was played by a quintet that included Jean-Luc Ponty on violin and Humair on percussion.

1.71GB | 1h 16m | 768×576 | mkv

https://nitro.download/view/0E713CED68B3B5B/Witchcraft.Through.the.Ages.William.S.Burroughs.version.1968.BDRip.576p.x264.AC3.mkv

Language:English
Subtitles:None

The post Benjamin Christensen – Witchcraft Through the Ages AKA Häxan [William S. Burroughs version] (1968) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

Quote:
Fictionalized documentary showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in modern Europe. Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen’s legendary silent film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages and early modern era suffered from the same ills as psychiatric patients diagnosed with hysteria in the film’s own time. Far from a dry dissertation on the topic, the film itself is a witches’ brew of the scary, the gross, and the darkly humorous. Christensen’s mix-and-match approach to genre anticipates gothic horror, documentary re-creation, and the essay film, making for an experience unlike anything else in the history of cinema.

2.05GB | 1 h 45 min | 776×576 | mkv

https://nitroflare.com/view/084CC51B4EFD2C5/Benjamin_Christensen_-_%281922%29_Haxan_Witchcraft_Through_the_Ages.part1.rar
https://nitroflare.com/view/18E73725DA6AAEB/Benjamin_Christensen_-_%281922%29_Haxan_Witchcraft_Through_the_Ages.part2.rar
https://nitroflare.com/view/995F252796B4D80/Benjamin_Christensen_-_%281922%29_Haxan_Witchcraft_Through_the_Ages.part3.rar

Language(s):Silent
Subtitles:English

The post Benjamin Christensen – Häxan AKA Häxan Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922) first appeared on Cinema of the World.