The Witch – Blu-ray Movie Review

Synopsis

A devoutly Christian family in 1630s New England, struggles to survive living along the edge of a vast wilderness. When one of their five children goes missing and their life-sustaining crops fail, they fall victim to paranoia and fear as they begin to turn on one another. Based on actual New England folklore and dialog from transcripts during the Salem witch trials, this movie looks beautiful but will leave you with a feeling of dread and discomfort long after it is finished.

Specifications

Lionsgate Studios
2015, Color, Rated R, 1 hour 32 minutes
Dolby Digital HD-MA 5.1 audio, 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, and Katie Dickie
Directed by: Robert Eggers

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: Yes
Sex: Nudity
Language: None

Commentary

I really liked this film, but I can see why many complained about the language. Not the cursing, but the fact that the actors are speaking good old King James English. You do have to concentrate a bit on what and how things are said, but this all just adds to the authentic feel of the film. It is billed as a horror movie, but it is more of a psychological thriller and thus, a slow burner. Oh, the witch is real enough, but the titular character only appears in a few brief scenes. This is not a slasher flick or a monster movie.

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Watching the family degenerate into superstition and fear amongst themselves is a fascinating study that will leave you thinking about the movie long afterwards. The acting is superlative and the picture itself reminds me of a painting by Vermeer. The characters almost glow against the dark background of the dimly lit interior of the cabin. Being a New Englander, I recommend this movie, but be forewarned. Don’t watch it alone.

Technical

As I mentioned before, the picture quality is stunningly good. Some of the colors are muted, but the detail in the costumes is astounding. The witch has a deep red cape that really makes her both beautiful and sinister. I’m sure the red color is a metaphor for the devil. The sound is all encompassing and especially effective in the deep woodland scenes. Surrounds are used judiciously and the dialog, albeit difficult at times to understand, is clear and well centered on the screen.

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Extras

Included are an audio commentary with the director, a featurette “The Witch: A Primal Folktale”, Design Gallery and a Q & A session with the Salem panel.

Jim Milton

Jim Milton has been interested in high fidelity since his college years in the late 70's. It was there that he first became interested in classical music. He has been part of choral music, both in opera and oratorio and is an avid collector of classical music from the Baroque through the Romantic periods. He enjoys an occasional night at Boston Symphony Hall or attending an organ concert at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, ME. Currently he is the director of Nuclear Medicine at the North Shore Medical Center, located just outside of Boston. He also serves as an adjunct professor for Salem State University where he teaches a course in nuclear instrumentation. During his leisure time, he enjoys listening to his music collection and an occasional movie with his wife of 30+ years. Living on the longest stretch of sandy beach north of Boston offers him plenty of opportunities to take a relaxing stroll or soak up some sun. "Remember, acquiring good A/V gear takes lots of time...but doesn't necessarily take lots of money."