Haxan

Director- Benjamin Christensen

Cast- Oscar Stribolt, Clara Pontoppidan

Country of Origin- Sweden/Denmark

Distributor - Criterion

Number of Discs - 1

Reviewed by -Scott MacDonald

Date- 11/05/2019

    Haxan is a 1922 Danish film from director Benjamin Christensen. It was shot over a period of years,  and at the time it was one of the most massive undertakings in the cinema of Denmark. The film is a blend of documentary and horror-dramatizations. The film consist of multiple chapters dealing with elements of witchcraft in the world.  The opening chapter is more text/image based, but sets up the rest of the film nicely. After that we begin to get depiction’s of witchcraft and demonology in medieval Europe. The final segment brings things about to the present world (of 1922), and discusses how things once assumed to be witchcraft, can now be explained using medical means.

    Haxan is a film I've wanted on Blu since Blu began. This film is a truly bizarre, and intensely visual experience. Though I'm loathe to use the term underrated often, I do think in the realm of silent horror this alongside the Phantom Carriage (both out on Blu-ray from Criterion), truly are.  The visuals in this film are truly powerful, and memorable and will certainly stick with new viewers as well as old.  The performances across the board are fantastic, and add another level of strength to an already fantastic experience.

    Criterion's Blu-ray of Haxan is framed at a 1:33:1 in a 1080p AVC encoded transfer. The transfer her eweas made in 2016, and looks quite solid for the material.  There is some damage from the source, including splices from the original edit. However, there is solid detail and texture here.  Audio is presented with a DTS-HD 5.0 of a 2001 rendering of the original score. Extras include a 2001 commentary from Caspter Tybjerg, we also get the 76 minute cut-down version of the film Witchcraft Through the Ages which has a fantastic narration by William S. Burroughs. There is an introduction by the director, and much more.

Criterion's long awaited Blu-ray of HAXAN comes highly recommended!