• It’s an ambitious work- both thematically and stylistically- from Christensen—Denmark
  • Story told in 7 chapters
  • In told in an essay style- I think Christensen sees himself almost as an educator- very didactic—he’s literally pointing things out (with a pointer) as we go through. It’s utterly fascinating stuff so that helps with his approach which is so pragmatic
  • Artwork photographed, we also have the use of drawings and ornately designed miniatures
  • Busy and beautiful mise-en-scene—animal skeletons and witches pot brewing
  • No more a documentary than oliver stone’s JFK really—maybe slightly with sections where he’s it feels like he’s cataloguing different torture weapons and devices
  • The imagery really jumps off the screen at you—very strong film from a mise-en-scene standpoint
  • A unique film- not just in the subject matter and how frank it is- but the style of Christensen’s voice—fictional recreations
  • Photograph special effects manipulation (coins sequence and a few others)
  • Cuts to close ups of the grotesque and those in horror both—does so frequently and effectively- both those doing the horrifying and those victim to it
  • It’s a series of connected (through time) vignettes
  • Meditation on the abuse of religion—there are some pre-dreyer passion of joan of arc-like sequences
  • The superimposed flying witches in the background with shadow (boy and owl in foreground) shot and sequence is a stunner
  • Christensen is witty- I think many of the laughs (woman giving birth to ridiculous monster) is intentional—and some of the ridiculousness of the claims during the medieval era where we could have made it scary if he was going for the straight horror play
  • Superstition turned horror
  • Energetically edited- briskly told
  • I do absolutely hate all the summarizing by Christensen—it’s 1922 but he should’ve had more faith in the audience—he does, though, have a good sense of humor which is odd how much it comes through given the subject
  • Gorgeous final shot of witches/women burning
  • HR for now- highly recommend- top 10 of the year quality film