The Witch

The Witch

2015

Director- Robert Eggers

Cast- Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson, Sarah Stephens

       

   

A family of Puritans in 17^th century America is exiled due to some religious dispute. They try to make their home in the wilderness but they are plagued by a witch that lives in the forest. Their infant child is kidnapped and another son goes missing and returns cursed. The family starts disintegrating.

            In the middle of it all is Thomasin, their daughter and eldest child. She is blamed for the misfortunes that have befallen the family and is even suspected of being a witch herself. Thomasin (brilliantly played by Anya Taylor-Joy) suspects that the powers of darkness lurk in Black Phillip, the family’s goat.

            The Witch is very concerned with the issue of evil, not just the esoteric evil of a witch, but the mundane every day evils in our hearts.  The family members are obsessed with it. The oldest son Caleb is afraid he will go to hell. He has sexual thoughts about his sister (who is, after all, the only girl he ever sees) and he is sure that he is damned.  When their baby disappears there is concern whether or not even that innocent child went to heaven or hell. Absent is the modern conception of grace where “being saved” guarantees a ticket to heaven. These Puritans see it as a daily struggle with no clear way to know if you were one of God’s chosen.

The drama of the deteriorating family is so strong that it’s easy to forget there even is a witch. But make no mistake, this is no psycho-drama where people simply imagine evil or impose their own delusions. The scenes of the supernatural are few but they are potent, such as the witch making the legendary flying potion from the fat of a baby. The ending of the film is disconcerting and shocking. If the film’s main questions were about the nature of evil, the film’s answer brings no comfort.

In addition to being an excellent, moody, period piece, the film succeeds in many technical aspects. The sometimes cacophonous score was unnerving and reminiscent at times of 2001. Filmed with all natural lighting and simple sets, you really see how dark and scary the world was before modern technology drove away the darkness.  Finally, in addition to Anya’s fine performance as Thomasin, Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones and Harry Potter) and Katie Dickle (Game of Thrones and Prometheus) do fine jobs as her parents who are torn apart by the curse upon their family.