Häxan: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Sweden, 1922
Director: Benjamin Christensen
Writer: Benjamin Christensen
Cast: Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan, Elith Pio, Oscar Stribolt, Tora Teje, Benjamin Christensen, Astrid Holm, Aage Hertel, Ib Schønberg, Henry Seemann, Karina Bell

Release Date: November 11th, 2024 (UK)
Approximate Running Time: 105 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 With Swedish Intertitles
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK)

"A series of eerie vignettes depict images of sorcery and evil on screen, from representations of occultism and religious hypocrisy to a chilling witch hunt in the Middle Ages." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Häxan)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Häxan was restored from a 35mm interpositive, made in the late 1960s from the original nitrate negative. A new negative was made from the interpositive in 2007. New intertitles were inserted into the negative using 22 rediscovered titled cards, found in 2006. The 35mm color print made from the restored negative used earlier restorations as a reference, as these were found on color annotations on the original negative. The restoration of the film was carried out by the film archive of the Swedish Film Institute, under the supervision of Mark Standley and Jon Wengström. The 35mm color print used as the source for the telecine transfer was struck at the Nordisk Film Post Production laboratory, Stockholm in 2007. Björn Selander and Nils Melander were responsible for the grading and printing. The telecine transfer was done on a Bosch FDL90 film scanner in Standard Definition PAL at 20 frames per second, and graded with Pandora Pogle. The telecine transfer and grading was carried out by Tomas Ehrnborg at The National Archive of Recorded Sound and Moving Images in Stockholm.

Witchcraft through the Ages was scanned in 2K from a 16mm dupe negative in the Blackhawk Films Collection, California. The work was undertaken by Radiance Films in 2024 exclusively for this release." 

Häxan comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.9 GB

Feature: 29 GB (Häxan), 12.4 GB (Witchcraft through the Ages)

For a film that is 102 years old, this transfer looks phenomenal. Image clarity and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Häxan comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 28.9 GB (Häxan), 8.8 GB (Häxan - The Esoteric Cut), 7.7 GB (Witchcraft through the Ages - French Version)

Audio: 5/5

Häxan comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 audio track with Swedish intertitles and removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include outtakes (12 minutes 19 seconds, no sound), costume screen test (2 minutes 18 seconds, no sound), an introduction by director Benjamin Christensen filmed in 1941 (8 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Danish with removable English subtitles), an appreciation by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (14 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay titled For Satan: The Convert’s Guide to Häxan by Vito A. Rowlands, author of the BFI Film Classics edition of Häxan (11 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with text in English), an audio commentary with horror experts Guy Adams and A.K. Benedict for Häxan, and Witchcraft through the Ages - an alternate cut of the film featuring narration by William S. Burroughs and soundtrack by Jean-Luc Ponty (76 minutes 45 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD stereo English with English intertitles, no English subtitles).

Contents on disc two include Häxan with a score by Bronnt Industries Kapital (105 minutes 28 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD stereo with Swedish intertitles and removable English subtitles),  Häxan with a score by Geoff Smith (105 minutes 28 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD stereo with Swedish intertitles and removable English subtitles). Häxan - The Esoteric Cut - an alternate cut of the film featuring English intertitles and soundtrack by Lawrence Leherissey (84 minutes 33 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo with English intertitles, no subtitles), and Witchcraft through the Ages - a French version of the film featuring narration by Jean-Pierre Kalfon, sourced from the best surviving VHS (82 minutes 28 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, six postcards of original promotional stills and a 80-page booklet cast & crew information, Press Book Extracts, Benjamin Christensen Biography, an essay titled Häxan: The Devil, the Doctor and the Director written by Pamela Hutchinson,  an essay titled Cold Hysteria, or What Genre is Häxan Anyway? written by Daniel Bird, an essay titled That Woman Has Evil Eyes: Häxan, Witchcraft, Feminism, and the Horror Genre written by Kat Ellinger, an essay titled Häxan Through the Ages written by Brad Stevens, Häxan (Witchcraft through the Ages) archival review written by Tom Milne, About the Scores, About the Esoteric Cut, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Benjamin Christensen directed Häxan, a horror essay film that combines documentary elements with dramatized sequences. Häxan explores the roots of witchcraft from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Häxan also explores the role of mental illness in the mass hysteria connected to witch hunts.

The narrative consists of seven segments; Part 1 looks into demons and witches in primitive and medieval times. Part 2 is a series of vignettes where Satan is the focal point. Parts 3-5 examine the treatment of suspected witches by inquisitors and religious authorities. Parts 6-7 shift the focus to how society came to better understand superstitions and how women with psychological illnesses are now sent to a mental institution instead of being burned on a stake.

Häxan, made during cinema's infancy, pushed the boundaries for films of its time. Where films by that time were made with linear narratives, Häxan is better described as a collection of moments that are related thematically. Another way in which Häxan stands out from other silent films is its abundance of intertitles.

Despite silent cinema being predominantly a visual medium, a film like Häxan is the most dialog/narrative-driven film from this era. That is not to say that Häxan is not overflowing with arresting imagery. Torture and witches performing rituals, such as cooking babies, are some of the more striking moments. Considering the subject, it's not surprising that Häxan’s visuals often employ symbolism.

At 106 minutes in length, there are never any lulls; the narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum and holding your attention. The most astonishing aspect of Häxan is the amount of detail that went into its production design, and its makeup effects are remarkable. Häxan, like many silent films, has multiple scores, though varied; all of them effectively reinforce the mood created by its visuals. Ultimately, Häxan is unlike any other film, and it has maintained its potency in the 102 years since its release.

Häxan gets a definitive release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, four versions of the film, and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note: This release is limited to 6,000 copies.

Written by Michael Den Boer