Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film 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.
Director
Benjamin Christensen
n/a
Release date
September 18, 1922
Top billed cast
Benjamin Christensen, Ella La Cour, Emmy Schønfeld, Kate Fabian, Oscar Stribolt
Production companies
Aljosha Production Company, SF Studios
Keywords
criterion collection, witch, mystic, hysteria, sorcery, superstition, insanity, satan, torture, devil, demon, witchcraft, mental illness, middle ages, silent film, satanic ritual, love potion, spellcasting, burned at the stake, folk horror, accusation, nervous disorder
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