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Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages

Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages

1922
Documentary
Horror
1h 31m
A documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slideshow to dramatised events of alleged real-life events, right up to the early twentieth century (when the film was made). Depending on which version you're watching, the commentary is either in the form of intertitles or narration by William S.Burroughs, recorded in the mid-1960s. (imdb)
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Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages

1922
Documentary
Horror
1h 31m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 67.27% from 825 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(825)
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Rated 25 Jan 2009
98
98th
One of the most effective silent films I've ever seen, and notoriously underrated. Does it really dismiss spirituality away with reason in its final chapter? Or does the whole film basically enchant its audience anyway? ~ One circular joke that can be viewed many times with differing and wholly legitimate interpretations.
Rated 25 Oct 2020
83
87th
Surprisingly engaging silent documentary/video essay on the history of witchcraft. Full of both unsettling/laugh inducing imagery, like watching the devil furiously "churning butter". Although, the ending linking witchcraft hysteria with "modern medicine" and hysteria, at a time when doctors were using mechanical medical vibrators on women to treat their "hysteria", felt a bit odd. Then, like all these silent Swedish films, the movie called me a "Slut", which felt really weird given the context.
Rated 04 Feb 2013
88
96th
Haxan is so apparently haphazard that its very greatness is a mystery. It teeters between segments of detached documentary, personal inquiry, dramatization and scripted period horror, between dismissal of sorcery as superstition and the portrayal of it working, between discrediting inquisitors and conjuring incarnate demons. The ending summarizes Foucault before Foucault was even born. Haxan's influence on Dreyer, and in its gorgeous fantasy scenes on German Expressionism, is eminent.
Rated 01 Sep 2009
4
74th
Really something unique. It wouldn't be entirely accurate to describe this as documentary or fantasy, as it is something more akin to an essay. Christensen investigates all things macabre from a perspective that is frankly non-spiritual, which helped me to appreciate this. The one sore spot is the editing. While there are several neat little tricks, I think the episodic structure deprives the film of some fluidity, and each segment drags on for a bit too long.
Rated 04 Apr 2015
95
95th
Metal as Fuck!
Rated 13 May 2021
90
92nd
A stunning achievement, it’s just just about two hours and doesn’t feel it at all, the sets and the majority of the scenes are wild. Haxan is a terrible entry point into silent cinema, nothing else is like it, it’s so good, gonna be always chasing that dragon.  You sometimes forget nudity existed in 1922. “Hey did that movie just call me a slut?”
Rated 31 Jan 2009
77
66th
Bizarre and usually fun to watch. Has some dull moments, but the witch-party segments and any scenes with the devil in them more than make up for it.
Rated 29 Oct 2014
10
96th
Hypnotic and beautifully made, with an episodic structure that allows for a multitude of distinct films within a film, ranging from documentary to animation to fictional narratives and more.
Rated 12 Sep 2009
100
95th
Try to see the version with the William S. Burroughs narration. This is one of the most insane documentaries ever made. It makes no bones about the fact that millions of people were murdered by the Christian church over some total bullshit, but it's also riotously funny. There are things here I bet you think you'd never see in a film this old. In all likelihood, the least boring silent movie ever made
Rated 25 Jan 2015
73
90th
An odd hodgepodge: human cruelty, rampant silliness, naked prurience, and the the birth of the docudrama, all in one lumpy, misshapen package. There's so much (literal) tongue waggling and (metaphorical) winking at the camera it's a bit hard to know how seriously our devil-clad writer-director-etc. takes his message, though it's sympathetic enough overall.
Rated 06 Feb 2023
80
69th
Strikes a good balance between scholarly narrative and fun, creative interpretation. It runs a tad long but for a century-old effort it's surprisingly watchable.
Rated 19 May 2010
88
95th
A blast to watch throughout, and keeps a decent pace as well. From medieval scenes of hellish torture to witches kissing the devil's ass to skeletal horses; there is a lot of stuff here that's visually interesting. I enjoyed the personal approach of the intertitles, and every scene with Ol' Satan himself is great thanks to the mannerisms and impressive make-up used. The inquisitor scenes were surprisingly effective in making me emotionally invested in the subjects.
Rated 16 Apr 2012
70
65th
He's not Tim Curry in Legend, but the Devil that does appear is a really really close second.
Rated 10 Mar 2009
90
79th
An intriguing look at modern satanism and the cruel skin-crawling, revolving hatred for its practicings and also a astounding resource for the long evolutionary growing of beliefs of witchcraft. The small devil segments are worth the price of admission alone. Spiritually frightening and effective silent film from Christensen that will surely open more than a handful of eyes from viewers.
Rated 15 Oct 2012
90
94th
While not all of it is engaging it's mostly fantastic. There's stuff here that I'd be amazed to see in a modern age let alone a film from the 20's. Totally stands alone in the world of cinema, full of equally hilarious and disturbing content and pretty much attacks religion, but it's just so good. Must have been a hoot to shoot those scenes with devils and other weird creatures.
Rated 21 Dec 2023
65
26th
Very innovative slideshow by a proto redditor
Rated 06 Sep 2012
93
82nd
In true form for a film of this caliber, Häxan possesses the rare distinction of pioneering the documentary genre whilst simultaneously transcending its limitations and bleeding into the fabric of various other cinematic forms. It's often categorized as silent horror noir, but it would be foolish to neglect its scientific roots in analyzing the psychological and historical underpinnings of witchcraft. Very few films can balance such a marvelous panoply of influences.
Rated 20 Nov 2012
85
87th
A so-so story, but the sets, costumes and Satan himself are classic images. I like this movie.
Rated 24 Sep 2012
70
57th
More curiously interesting and weird than really good.
Rated 08 Mar 2019
70
75th
A really interesting Documentary about witches, witchcraft, and witch hunts. The reenactments were the best part and had some really striking imagery. The special effects were especially impressive for the time period.
Rated 28 Jul 2019
73
78th
Was ahead of its time and an early example of an essay film rather than a documentary. Christensen's blunt analogies are undoubtedly heavy handed, and some of the episodes overstay their welcome, producing a sluggish rhythm that could have easily been avoided, but the images are distinctive and strong, and many scenes are imaginately staged and clearly influenced future film makers. As a result, it's often more enjoyable as a piece of celluoid history than a great work in its own right.
Rated 15 Mar 2010
90
90th
Excellent surreal silent "documentary" that's worth a watch regardless of whether you find its subject matter interesting if only for the bizarreness of it all.
Rated 16 Sep 2013
100
88th
The music is poignant. The performances are emotional. And the visuals are some of the most memorable in the film, as Christensen moves from the fictional horror of the first 90 minutes into a more disturbing, and enlightening, look at real-life dangers that plagued society at that time. These moments alone make "Haxan" one of the most important and intriguing films in all of world cinema.
Rated 07 May 2017
55
39th
A passable presentation of a very interesting and disturbing subject. Someone should do a special cut of this where the best scenes are intercut with the great 1941 introduction by the director.
Rated 21 Jul 2009
77
53rd
An odd movie, no doubt, but a fascinating one. Part documentary, part history lesson, part fiction narrative, the movie attempts to explain the "truth" behind satanism, the occult, and witchcraft. Of course there's no way to take the film seriously, but it's hard not to love its naive charm, not to mention its great makeup and creative sequences. Ultimately a very entertaining oddity.
Rated 23 Jul 2009
90
50th
A surprisingly hilarious take on one of the most ridiculous phenomenons in history. You should definitely watch it.
Rated 25 Oct 2023
89
86th
One of the most imaginative, complex, nightmarish silent films I've ever seen.
Rated 02 Apr 2008
80
81st
Weird. One of the weirdest.
Rated 28 Jan 2014
48
33rd
It's neat but my modern attention span could not make it through. I also feel as though I've seen most of the imagery and have heard most of the points being made. It's nice that this exists but I couldn't see it being more than a moving piece of art to hang up on the wall and leave playing in some museum rather than something you would sit down and watch the whole way through unless you have really exhausted all of your other options or are that intrigued by these kinds of things.
Rated 24 Feb 2012
61
26th
Extremely intriguing and pretty entertaining, and while I think this is a good film, it fails, for me anyway, to live up to its reputation as one of the absolute best films of the silent era. Also, I would suggest watching the version with the William S. Burroughs narration.
Rated 13 Dec 2009
77
51st
Not the most consistently paced but one that's interesting enough to overcome its issues. Some scenes come off as more amusing than creepy but the entire subject matter is haunting on its own terms.
Rated 16 Dec 2023
90
95th
One of the most wild, imaginative, and fun silent films that I've seen. Moreover, It manages to walk the line between fact and fiction brilliantly.
Rated 19 Aug 2009
77
50th
A great look at filmmaking from the 1920's. I was fascinated with the use of special effects and makeup. I first saw pieces of this film projected behind Murder By Death at a concert and had to see the entire thing. Personally, I enjoyed the 1960's recut on the Criterion release more than the original due to more appropriate music and the presence of narration. What this "documentary" lacks in history it makes up for in fun!
Rated 13 Sep 2022
60
44th
The documentary style and basic plot are only mildly engaging, however the effects are pretty cool, the imagery is memorable and probably daring for its time, and above all it's really interesting to see a film made a hundred years ago express ideas still relevant to this day about how societies turn their old, poor, mentally ill, weak and different into scapegoats, forced confessions, how superstition survives through the ages and how life's mysteries have been and will be explained by science.
Rated 02 Jul 2011
55
67th
Visually fantastic, but the lecture comes across as parody more often than not. I can't tell whether that was intentional. Likewise, and this might be irrelevant for other versions, I watched it in Swedish and the 'archaic' language seemed inconsistent and inauthentic (even for 1922!) lending the narration a very pretentious feel.
Rated 07 Jun 2009
79
85th
Rewatched in 2021. No score change.
Rated 19 Feb 2023
45
57th
#23#, exp3, rw2, story, ratings, "Project 100-80-60-40-20"-1922#5
Rated 05 Apr 2012
60
15th
I find it baffling that in the fledgling movie industry, and the even less mature documentary genre, Christensen decides to make a documentary on witchcraft. It's got some interesting stuff in it, but Christensen's detached rationalizing sucks a bit of life out of an already lifeless movie.
Rated 30 Dec 2010
85
47th
surprisingly perverse. watch that demon churn that butter!
Rated 15 Jan 2021
87
65th
A-
Rated 31 Oct 2022
95
86th
Thanks for the reminder that humanity justifies awful behavior in the name of superstition and fear. I'm pretty sure that the Devil in this movie inspired the one in Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny.
Rated 08 Nov 2014
75
54th
Stilig dokumentar om hekseri gjennom tidene. Versjonen jeg så hadde veldig mistilpasset musikk, men det var ikke et enormt problem. Noen av slutningene regissørene gjør med tanke på kvinner, hysteri og hekseri er litt vel søkte, men man må ta det for det det er. Hovedsakelig verdt å se for de gjennomførte kostymene og noen av scenene som skildrer heksesabbaten. Ville gjort en god skrekkfilm om den hadde et annet fokus.
Rated 22 Feb 2019
83
18th
82.50
Rated 05 Oct 2018
100
94th
The beginning slideshow is hilariously dry and academic - the director even cites his textual sources. What follows, in sharp relief, is one of the most creative and imaginatively staged films I've seen in my (admittedly limited) exploration of the silent era. The Czech Film Orchestra score provided with the criterion print is absolutely brilliant, so I'd recommend that version of it over the SFI print on youtube even though I think they're from the same video source.
Rated 23 Mar 2014
83
75th
82.500
Rated 25 Oct 2022
40
75th
Still extremely relevant 100 years later
Rated 28 Oct 2019
80
79th
Remarkable, fun, and fantastically original--for 1922 or today. If you're looking for an awesome Halloween watch that will get you rooting for all witches past and present, this is the movie.
Rated 15 Mar 2020
57
43rd
Bizarrely, there is no way to add Antony Balch's 1968 film "Witchcraft Through the Ages" to criticker, so I'll drop my rating for that here: 81
Rated 30 Dec 2014
21
15th
Interesting topic but too annoying to watch.
Rated 17 Nov 2017
3
23rd
I found it a little slow through the middle but the opening and end segments were really great. Especially the segment with all the torture tools. A good mix of creepy and fun satanic imagery
Rated 22 Aug 2021
85
92nd
At the same time bizarre, naive and obsessive expressionistic portrait of witchcraft -- and, to some degree, the history of institutionalized opression of women from dark age to 20st century -- in such a vivid, ironic but scientifically bright way, mixing documentary, horror, fantasy and essay. A hundred years later, it resonates even more strongly now that we live in this digital neo-fascism era of powerful, rich, hideous white men trying to bring our world back to feudalism.
Rated 09 Apr 2024
92
73rd
A hellfire of fact, fiction, objective reality and hallucination. An exploration of supernatural horror and witchcraft. A hybrid of documentary-style storytelling and folk horror with dramatized narrative sequences. Christensen is a pioneer of inventive techniques, subgenre and visual imagery. Censored, banned and controversial, "Haxan" has graphic depictions of torture, nudity and sexual perversion. A cultural history lecture in moving pictures, at times disturbing, hysterical and shocking.
Rated 01 Jun 2020
80
82nd
Documentary film has definitely changed somewhat in these last hundred years or so. The extent of the sets and costuming was pretty amazing, with some really fascinating horror imagery. But it also draws a concerning conclusion that the "witches" of yesterday are today's physically or mentally ill people.
Rated 04 Dec 2010
85
78th
way ahead of the curve, wanna see the burroughs' version
Rated 23 Feb 2013
70
42nd
cadilik, büyü, iftira, kursun dökmek, engizisyon, iskence, seytan, ortaçağ, avrupa, rahibe, papaz, kilise, (yarı belgesel yarı kurmaca olan, Ortacag Avrupasinda cadilik ve büyü ve kilisenin bunu algilama bicimi üzerine yogunlasan. 7 bölümde bir kaç hikayeyi inceleyen. Finalde günümüzdeki durumla izah eden, histeriyle bu durumu iliskilendiren film) öncü bir film, kostümler iyi, ilginç bilgiler veriyor. Korku sinemasinin bu alt türü ile ilgilenenlerin izlemesi gerekir. Avrupanin ceh
Rated 25 Jul 2019
60
35th
An interesting mashup of documentary and feature film, Haxan concentrates on the idea of witchcraft through history. I'm sure I would have been wowed by this in its day, but now the only thing that will stick with me is the (frightful enough) devil maliciously wagging his tongue.
Rated 03 Feb 2012
80
81st
watched: 2012, 2020
Rated 05 Nov 2018
93
96th
witch-hunts are chauvinism. witches are the best
Rated 20 Apr 2007
71
37th
The section about the printer's family is only of slight interest and goes on far too long, and the last chapter (a slim psychological "explanation" of witchlike behavior) isn't that great either, but most of the rest of it is pretty cool. Pretty much anytime something involving demons is happening onscreen, it's a hoot. The movie is marked by moments of light humor, and it also breaks down the fourth wall quite frequently as the director refers to himself in the first person.
Rated 05 Dec 2014
6
83rd
very enjoyable look at witchcraft, with some great (if bluntly didactic) analogies made in the final chapter. i far prefer this sort of quasi-documentary exploration over the convoluted narratives of [die nibelungen], [prince achmed], [cabiria], and the like. i saw the original 105m version with intertitles, and to be honest the music was too cheerful for its own good - the moonlight sonata being the wonderful exception. i'll probably watch the shorter narrated version in a few days.
Rated 18 Apr 2018
91
96th
Rating based on a film festival live narration.
Rated 26 Sep 2019
84
75th
É um filme razoavelmente anti-obscurantista para sua época, embora cometa alguns pecadilhos como uma frase tal como "a verdadeira possessão demoníaca é aquela em que a pessoa fale línguas" (verdadeira? really?) e a absurda associação de histéricas com cleptomania e crimes em geral (!?!), no mais o filme de cem anos atrás é mais são do que metade do que se ouve da boca de pastores das igrejas neopentecostais no Brasil de hoje. DVD Obras-primas do Cinema.
Rated 08 Oct 2014
90
88th
4 Ekim 2014, Kose'de Bilgi Sinema &
Rated 12 May 2021
80
70th
Surprisingly (technically) sophisticated horror documentary - even features a jump scare!
Rated 15 Oct 2012
80
77th
The tone veers from cold, instructional, self-consciously modern skepticism to meticulous, theatrical setpieces featuring a Devil that's beyond camp. Christiansen's rather dated assertion that past panics over "witchcraft" may have been prompted by misunderstood cases of female hysteria is easy to shake off given that the film is so much fun.
Rated 01 Nov 2015
85
92nd
Fol Sinema - Aynalı Geçit. Puan verdiğim 3000. film.
Rated 20 Nov 2019
7
73rd
Silent film that seems ahead of its time in its effects and disturbing imagery . A fascinating watch.
Rated 06 Nov 2015
78
59th
Kooky and spooky.
Rated 22 Apr 2020
71
90th
What an avant-garde Film!!!! (for its era)
Rated 25 Dec 2010
83
74th
82.500
Rated 30 Oct 2016
55
52nd
No wonder this is one of Guy Maddin's favorites.
Rated 04 May 2016
72
33rd
Much of what it does is done far better in other films of the era (specifically special effects and genuine scares), but its singular combination of horror and a proto-documentary approach make it a one-of-a-kind film. Its substantial shock factor (grisly violence, somewhat graphic nudity, depictions of overt blasphemy) is still quite potent a century later, and indeed it proves well ahead of its time for the genre. As a "documentary" it's certainly not infallible but it's surprisingly thorough.
Rated 31 Oct 2015
70
76th
Watched the intertitle version. Was a bit taken aback by the seventh chapter. It's odd to see issues like those addressed in the 1920s in film -- in a good way. The devil-worshiping scenes are very entertaining, but I feel like things stretch on a bit too much. Still a good movie, and maybe the shorter version helps the pacing.
Rated 11 Oct 2015
62
66th
Interesting and somewhat surprising on many levels; first of all some of the makeup and costume effects are really incredible. Although I found it to be a bit sluggish at the beginning, the interweaving of expository and narrative segments ends up being quite satisfying. The 1968 version with voiceover narration and jazz soundtrack is also worth checking out, although Burroughs' dry voice is a bit of a drag.
Rated 27 Aug 2022
83
80th
A really good silent that mixes elements of pseudo documentary, (with the kind of reenactments popular in like History channel documentaries these days), issue picture, and horror. The devil with the tongue is hilarious. Well produced all around. Primary purpose seems to be the issue film aspect, though. The entire thing seems to be an attack on mental health treatment at the time, framing hysteria diagnoses and commitments as (then) modern day witch trials. This was pretty far ahead of its time
Rated 04 Apr 2020
60
26th
Interesting in a number of respects, notably highlighting the startling abuses of power and mistreatment of women in witch hunts throughout history. However, I could have done without the cheap sermonizing in the last chapter, what ends up being a broad brush dismissal of religion as a whole, lumping it in with tarot cards and crystal balls.
Rated 16 Nov 2011
90
97th
Silent classic, presenting itself as a serious drama documentary of the superstitions of the middle ages (and the early 1900s), but also delightfully exploitational (nude scenes in the 1920s!) Make sure to get the restored version with a brand-new soundtrack.
Rated 27 Jan 2017
70
77th
Putting aside the low quality which is due to the time the film was made; the whole conclusion is impressive.
Rated 04 Jul 2013
63
84th
Been a long time, so my ranking may be off. Watched with the William S. Burroughs narration.
Rated 03 Oct 2011
95
93rd
Haxan is hilarious, engaging, and informative. Christensen steals the show as the fork-tongued devil, whose absurd scenes made me squeal in delight.
Rated 26 Mar 2024
82
83rd
Terrific film! Not really a documentary in my opinion. More of a docudrama with staged sequences.
Rated 27 Feb 2010
62
36th
There are some really eerie images and costumes that are surprisingly effective.
Rated 13 Feb 2013
74
77th
...and Devil says "kiss my ass".

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