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Transfer from NGA Introduction
Garett 2022-08-16 20:44:03
One of the most fascinating works in the history of cinema is Christensen's visually stunning study of witchcraft, a blend of fictionalized vignettes and nonfiction texts exploring medieval sorcery practice. Frequently evoking paintings by Bosch, Häxan conveys a sense of dark emotion let loose on a naive world. Accompanied by a live performance of the original 1922 musical score under the direction of Gillian B. Anderson. (Benjamin Christensen, 1922, 35 mm, Danish and Swedish with soft-titles, 110 minutes)
Extended Reading
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Lovelorn Woman: Karna, can you perchance get me a love potion that has power over a pious man of the church?
Karna - the Witch: Here, young maiden, take a potion of cat feces and dove hearts, boiled during the full moon. A drop of this in a man's drink will soften his heart at once.
Lovelorn Woman: Karna, can i have an even stronger potion?
Karna - the Witch: If the maiden wishes to drive the man out of his wits for love... I have a potion boiled in May from a young and playful male sparrow. Hold your coins, maiden! First smell my ointment! This ointment is good, should you wish to travel to Brocken one night. Secretly smear this ointment on and the pious monk might come directly to your chamber. You will then fly high up in the night air together and he will bestow upon you many hungry kisses.
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Chief Inquisitor: Listen, Maria the Weaver, did you also see the devil put his mark on the witches' foreheads?
Marie, the Seamstress: Oh, learned men, I saw the witches kiss the evil one on his behind. And the mother of Anna, the printer's wife, wished me a scalding death - that damned woman, I saw her kissing the evil one so tenderly...