This was CRAZY! Robert Eggers is 2 for 2 so far! Want to watch the Uncut Version & vote for what movie I should watch next? Check out my patreon! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Cheers everyone. Have a really exciting upload for Friday!
Lionhunter SS That means a lot to me my man! Already happy with the awesome community that’s being built here! Happy to have you along brother. And I have but honestly forget about 99% of the movie haha so may have to revisit
so according to Eggers, the story is supposed to mirror that of a folk tale from that time. He spent an insane amount of time researching every aspect of the life during those times in anticipation of making The Witch. In terms of what the family did, it's mostly the father's fault. He later admits that it was his pride that caused them to get exiled from the village, which was basically a death sentence in those times. It was also widely believed during those times that the Devil wandered the woods and was his domain. It's why the father is chopping wood for most of the movie in denial of the events that are happening, only to die buried under the insanely unnecessary amount of wood that he had gathered/chopped.
I definitely figured that as much! The guilt of pride in ones self seems to have been his unfortunate downfall. It broke me when he pleaded for his families innocence though..what a wild film indeed but I loved it! Thank you for the education as well!!
I agree with everything but I doubt the amount of wood he has chopped is unnecessary. They are in today's Massachusetts, it gets very cold there and in the 1600s they don't have other means of heating except from fire, woods burn very fast, 3 medium sized woods can burn in an hour. Now imagine how many woods they need for at least 6 months of winter. People even now let alone then, chop a lot of woods when there's a weather window, because they might not be able to do so when it's raining constantly or when there's a snowstorm. I may be over thinking this, but to me all this wood seems more like thinking ahead rather than overdoing it.
I also really loved that it seems at the end the Father came to the realization of his own faults. Hence him throwing away the axe and accepting his fate.
Not only that but after all of the pridefull damage he has done to his family at the moment where he is in a position to righteously strike down Black Philip he throws his axe down and pledges loyalty to the devil by saying "Corruption, thou art my Father" before being killed by his mountain of sin.
Black Phillip was played by Charlie the Goat, who was horribly trained, and actually sent the actor for the father to the hospital. Also, all of the lighting is from sunlight and candlelight. Great reaction to a great movie!
I just love what Ralph Ineson had to say about Charlie after filming. "I didn't have a lot of gas in the tank, really," Ineson says of sparring with the beast, who weighed about 50 pounds more than him. "He was horrible. Really, really horrible. From the moment we set eyes on each other it was just kind of hate at first sight. He had two modes: chilling out and doing nothing, or attacking me." "It’s wonderful that his fantastic performance is bringing notoriety to the film, but there’s a little part of me that’s like, 'Seriously? That fucker?'" 😂
@@ObsceneVegetableMatter Ineson has the most incredible voice ever. Haven't seen him in much, only this, Game of Thrones, and some other film I don't quite remember. He's an incredible actor tho, as shown in this film. If I'm ever a director, he's my lead.
There's lots of speculation that during the Salem witch trials there was a case of mass hysteria do to Ergot poisoning. Ergot is a fungal disease that can infect corn and when consumed by human can lead to hallucinations and psychosis. The Ergot psychosis mixed in with the strong religious beliefs and superstitions might have contributed to the crazy stuff that went down in Salem. If you notice in this film, their corn is suffering from some disease. I appreciate that this film leaves a little wiggle room in explaining wtf happened on the movie. Was it supernatural or where they just tripping balls for their messed up corn?
That is VERY INTRIGUING. Wow thank you for that tad bit of information on the background of the time period. Damn you guys are feeding me so much good education and I can’t thank you enough. Appreciate you David!
@@KartyMcFarty only one woman has to get a psychosis for the hysteria to begin. once that's happened, no one (drugged or not) is safe. I'm not a historian, but I'd say it's not unreasonable.
Love the dialogue in this film, sometimes in period movies that use this type of dialogue it may seem forced, but in this case I feel it so natural. Robert Eggers likes to do a lot of research for his movies, you can see it too in The Lighthouse, it's not only the script, the set design and costumes are great as well. To me he's one of those directors that you don't see very often and I'm very excited for whatever comes next from him.
I agree. It also works in the sense that a deeply religious family, strictly censoring their language and used to reading and quoting scripture every day, likely would have spoken in this sort of "haughty" manner.
Robert eggers is directing a film at the moment about 16 miles from where I live and it’s been going on for about 2 nearly 3 years now so I can tell he takes time to get things right. The pandemic stopped production for a while especially when there’s a range of actors from different countries you kinda have to but even so, the first sets went up over a long period of time before I even heard about production starting.
I might be mixing this up with a different movie, but if I remember correctly, the reason the dialogue sounds so natural is because the language was taken from letters and journals from the period
I hope you didnt chop an unnecessary amount of fire wood from the forest nearby 😂. Dont make the same mistake the father did, only to later be burried under it.
@@angelone1839 fellow Houstonian here but lived in Rhode Island for a year. A colonial is jsit an old ass creepy creaky ass house from colonial times. In other words, scary af lol
The part where they bring Caleb in after he encountered the witch and make a cut on his temple is an old medical technique practiced for many centuries called 'bloodletting'. The short explaination of the belief behind it was that it helped release impure fluids that caused the sickness.
I really love the idea that their own over reliance on religion and own fanatic ideologies is what dooms them. Black Phillip did nothing he just watched and took them at their weakest. He only planted the ideas of conflict until the family destroyed themselves from within. Blaming each other (especially Thomasin) until they unraveled from within. Only then does he claim Thomasin as a witch now that she has nowhere else to turn and no family to care for or rely on. I think it's also about grief and how it affects people and slowly destroys the family. Just my take.
Filmed in northern Ontario, Canada. One of the few places removed enough to work for their purposes. They actually stayed out the farm apparently, didn’t go home at the end of the night to a hotel, to make them more immersed. Those kids did amazing work speaking such an antiquated English so well while acting
All the child actors were phenomenal. If you watch it on s big screen in the dark, you feel like you need a blanket. I found the set design to add to the mood enormously. This movie did many things right. Otherwise it would have been a very mediocre horror flick. I really loved it and it put Anya Taylor-Joy on the map. I have not heard of her before.
It was filmed in some remote place in Ontario, Eggers wanted to film on location in New England but couldn't because of the lack of tax incentives. Another great reaction my friend keep em coming!
Wow now I wonder how England version of this would’ve looked! Thank you for that information! I swear you guys are like walking computers with all the knowledge you all share haha. It’s much appreciated!
If I remember correctly, they referenced 17th century books and documents to form the dialogue, so that, alongside the broadly Northern English accent, means it's pretty authentic to how ppl would've spoken in that region of 17th century US, at least. Love details like that
I remember when I was at the cinema in total darkness that voice behind me saying "wouldst thou like to live deliciously" gave me shivers. People think that fear comes from jumpscares, but in reality fear is made up of scenes like this
@@mushroomlad6233 I know most people would usually not like remakes of classic horror films. But as someone who's seen the original and the 70's one with Klaus Kinski (which is also creepy in a good way), I like to see how Robert pulls it off.
Yorgos Lanthimos has one of the most unique atmosphere's in filmmaking. Only seen Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Lobster, and really liked both. His sense of humor is unique too, but I love it.
One of my favorites. My daughter and I went to dinner after viewing it at the theater and talked for 3 hours about what happened. This was the first film he directed . AND wrote it.
Well that happened sooner than expected. :-) Am a big fan of this one and as the poster says "A New England folktale" I think it capture a folktale feeling really well.
I'm so glad I saw this film in the cinema. It was like having a 90 minute nightmare. Robert Eggers is one of the most ambitious and original directors working today, I can't wait for Nosferatu. Glad to hear that you're into Colin Stetson. I've seen him live 5 times, always a mind-blowing experience. His move towards scoring soundtracks is so great, it makes perfect sense, specifically horror films. He channels that otherworldly cosmic horror better than anyone.
Great reaction. Can’t wait for Egger’s next feature, The Northman. You should just react to all the A24 films you haven’t seen, starting with Waves. What was your favorite aspect of the film?
What’s up Steven! And I may do that then! My favorite aspect of the film was definitely sound that played along with the shots. Really helped build that feeling of dread! So twisted and distorted and eerie.
Aaaaaa this is one of my favorite horror films of all time, so glad you reacted to it! So different from anything I've seen before, largely for the setting and style of language. Great cast, the male lead's voice sounds like a living oak tree. The sound engineering on this is something to pay attention to as well. After the baby is taken by "The Witch" you see Tomeson coming downstairs and it's clear that a baby is crying, but the baby is already gone. So what's happening here? Is this isolation/cabin fever? Is it supernatural? Is it guilt? Did a member of the family remove the baby from the equation after it was determined that their food stocks would not support them all? Eggers really shines in his feature debut and I'd read that he was tapped to do an updated version of Nosferatu, but haven't heard more about it since he did The Lighthouse. I feel like we're in a golden age of horror films right now--back in the day, the really great ones were very few and far between: The Exorcist, The Changeling, The Shining, The Others. But since then we've had The Babadook, Hereditary, The Witch, Midsommar, It Follows, Get Out, The Cabin in the Woods, and so on. There's really no metric by which anyone would say that 2020 is a good time to be alive, but at least the horror genre has been elevated by some great writing and direction. Let's hope that continues.
The oculus came out around 2013 and is one i enjoyed. I think its a bit underrated. It has good storytelling and youll have a hard time with reality during and after lol.
I love witchy movies and I appreciate this one especially for being so historically accurate with witch lore and historical dialogue. P.S. another great witchy movie is Suspiria! I’ve never seen the original but I saw the remake (made by the same director) and I loved it. It’s definitely very alternative but if you can handle The Lighthouse then you can handle Suspiria
The major difference between the original Suspiria and the remake (imo) is that the original is more like a fever dream, a visual trip that leaves you a little messed up but doesn't have _that_ much weight to it. The remake is more insidious, and even with the gorier scenes it doesn't cheapen the whole atmosphere, which is incredibly unsettling. Also, mother-effin' Tilda Swinton, carrying 85% of that movie on her versatile, alien shoulders. I really liked how much the remake left me so uncomfortable. Also, the soundtrack by Thom Yorke.
The director of the remake is Luca Guadagnino though. The original is done by the legendary Dario Argento. Between that and A Bigger Splash Guadagnino looks like he's into remakes almost as much as he's into Tilda Swinton.
Love the explanation of why you're doing this channel. Looking forward to seeing how your experience as a filmmaker informs your perspective on these films
Thank you! I’m excited as well. There’s a whole backstory to how this started up but that’s a whole other video to post. Really needed to see this thank you Keifer
I just saw this movie for the first time, and it left me truly speechless. Robert Eggers has really cemented himself as one of the most talented and unique filmmakers working today
I would sell my soul like that for the Fathers voice dude Jesus Christ that powerhouse of a voice would command attention and respect in Any language in any room lmao
I reluctantly watched this movie and was blown away. The language craft, the intimate set that yet still hangs with anxious mystery a forest can offer, and Eggers, damn Eggers just has landed endings so well. The ending here and The Lighthouse are so phenomenal, you can tell they were the vision, no screen test or studio meddling.
This guy Eggars is a huge nerd in the best way. There are a lot of videos on RUclips of him and others describing the length he goes to to understand how to express in the dialog of the time period/place. Apparently his next film is going to be a viking epic. So looking forward to that. And Denis Villeneuve's Dune this year (hopefully). As well as your next videos. Thanks as always man.
Love, love, absolutley love Anya Taylor-Joy. She gotten quite a few damsel in distress type roles, which for some can get a little too overwhelming but she knows how to own it and not over-do it if u know what i mean. Excited for what lies ahead in her acting career. Liked her in Split and the Witch was just great! So far so good.
It's crazy how strong a command of this kind of dialogue and language and old dialect Robert Eggers has for such a young filmmaker. The research he does must be second to none.
Robert Eggers is currently directing a film that has multiple sets but the closest set is being filmed about 15/20 miles from where I live. The film production has been going on for nearly 3 years now (with a couple of months break because covid) and the sets took a long process to put up before filming was ever mentioned to me. Basically I can tell that Robert eggers and crew really takes time and effort to get everything right. A friend of mine that has worked on sets of films said he was real impressed by the Northman set he was on, because often on sets not everything is fully made as-in a house may only be built to have the front shown while there is no back to it. It was funny to me that he couldn’t get over how the set was fully made up out of genuine materials and the houses all had interiors and backs to them and that it was like he was transported back in time to a real town lol. I think someone told me that the sets will be left behind for tourism because they’re just regular old stone and thatch houses that could stay there but I might be wrong on that and misheard, for all I know they will bull-dose everything. I can’t wait for more from Robert eggers and hope the Northman is great.
Should definitely check out Mandy Panos Cosmatos directed with Johan Johannsson coming in with a spectacular post-mortem soundtrack for his final film. Plus Nick Cage going batshit
I get a bit too spooked to watch these kinda movies but I also love film and watching along to these reactions gives me a chance to appreciate them without scaring the pants off myself
i saw this one a while ago!!! i love horror movies. & i find it hard to find those that really really get under my skin... but this one??? this one really just rubbed me the wrong way - that’s a good thing. god i still don’t like remembering this one 😭
I put this movie off for so long. Finally watched it yesterday, and I'm obsessed, lol. The dialogue, the characters, the visuals... damn near a perfect horror movie.
One of my favorite movies of all times! It is beautifully shot, brilliantly written, acted and directed. But on the top of it, there's just something that does it for me. I love motives of isolation, exile, close communities, and this film gives me all. Reminds me of a real life religious family that spent 42 years in partial isolation from human society in Siberia. Fascinating story, check out "Lykov family" if you haven't heard of them.
Not sure if you already got this answer, but if I recall correctly the film was shot in Ontario, Canada, though it's meant to be set in New England. Also I'm sure you know, but just in case you don't, the scene where they cut and let some blood from Caleb's head is called Bloodletting. A very old, and very flawed medical practice. It was believed to let out "bad blood" whether that means blood tainted by actual illness or blood tainted by some sort of spell. Although not damaging (losing so little blood does literally nothing bad), it also didn't help in the slightest
Also here's a fun fact, Black Phillip was apparently a dick on set, especially to Ralph Ineson, William's actor. I'm not sure with what/how, but he even apparently sent him to the hospital lmao
Thanks for reacting to this one man. I'm not even done watching but I gotta say Black Phillip reminds me of the late, great Patrice O'Neal. One of the greatest, funniest people ever. Wish he was still around as everyone else who is a fan of him does.
I'm stupid late but I didn't see anyone mention it and it deserves some shine. Craig Lathrop, the production designer, used building materials that a Puritan family would have used and authentic tools and techniques were used wherever necessary. Hand-riven oak clapboards, reed-thatched roofs, even hand-forged nails. Linda Muir, the costume designer, was just as meticulous. Natural materials as close to historically accurate as possible and every visible seam on all of the clothing, even the inside of garments, is hand-stitched.
The floating witches require the blood of children/infants to fly, the twins were sacrificed to create that creepy final scene. The poor baby and young boy were also both sacrificed by the witch coven, run by the devil in the form of Black Philip. 😩 This movie terrified me.
Only just discovered your channel and it’s crazy how many of the films in my top 100 you are watching. You do a great job of analysing these films and it’s interesting to hear someone else’s opinion on some of my favourite films. Keep up the good work mate 👊🏼
Just stopped by to say, thanks for polite and respectful reaction to this film. Your reaction to the cinematography, sound, details to the setting was appreciated. It is a great film. True to the Biblical beliefs in New England in the 16 hundreds. Thx again, be kind, be safe. And watch out for Black Philip… he takes on many forms. Thx
The movie was shot (mostly) in and around Algonquin Park, ON, Canada. Beautiful scenery in an old and untouched nature reserve, and I think they kept a lot of the natural sounds for the final edit.
The movie, or atleast many parts of it were shot in the woods in Mattawa Ontario just outside my hometown. Very beautiful area especially in the summer/fall. Lots and lots of dense wilderness, you wont find me roaming those woods at night! Especially after seeing the film!
Dudeee, I finally saw your director reel and you’ve really got talent man 🙌🏻 the visual language really reminds me of stuff like Waves by Trey Edward Shultz, or even something like Tree of Life from Terrence Malick. Really beautiful stuff.
Ay thank you for checking it out!! Hahaha that’s a first, wasn’t sure if people were going to see it or not so I’m happy you checked my work yourself! Thanks Joshua! 💪
Every Halloween, I watch the Original Robert Wise “The Haunting.” Its my favorite haunted house movie. It was the first film made from Shirley Jackson’s book The Haunting of Hill House. It is a breathtakingly beautiful film with astonishing cinematography and use of sound to freak you out. The next film adaptation was the superb Legend of Hell House, which goes deeper into what made the house so evil. The only worthwhile thing in the atrocious remake of The Haunting are the fantastic sets. The current series “The Haunting of Hill House is based on the book as well.
i love this movie, and for many reasons. As a horror and witch movie, it's great, but there's also a second interpretation. The corn. In those daysvthe corn had a disease spreading all over Europe that made people hallucinate, and was the reason for the idea of witches. All of this could be in their heads, and the corn is making them hallucinate, but we'll never know...
@@robovike watched that yesteday. still horrified, deeply depressed (for a certain female character's fate and heartwrenching last request, not to spoil anything for anyone) and terribly afraid to be alone in a room with a mirror
So unsettling, are you planning on ever watching Her starring Joaquin Phoenix? It’s my personal favourite film of all time, so I’d highly suggest giving it a try ❤️
Nah man I’ve written an eighty thousand word book that I feel perfectly represents a lot of things and I could never be humble enough to even claim to know as much as you. You’re a genius and I hope you know that.
I consider myself to be a all things horror analyst for many years now. Out of the plethora of Slashers, Found Footage, Apocalyptic, Psychological and many others, Robert Eggers "The VVITCH" Is my all time favorite. Sitting strong at number one.
It's the father's pride that leads to him being banished. It's not that the community is overly strict; the father is overly strict. It's not that the community kicks out a nice family; it's that the father, in his pride, is persuaded that he and he alone is right and can't get along with anyone else who differs from his theological views. Something similar happened in history. Although Roger Williams is now sometimes presented as an apostle of "liberty of conscience," in fact that was a view he came to later. In the Plymouth Colony, Williams was stricter than everyone else. They were supposed to be a separated church, but some of the people, when they went back to England, would worship at a Church of England, and Williams thought that was unacceptable and in his intolerance, he couldn't be part of the community anymore. They had more "liberty of conscience" than he liked and so he left. Something similar may be going on here: the father appears to be extremely strict in his view, stricter perhaps than the community and unable to get along with them, and so he chooses to go into the wilderness on his own. It's a Puritan horror movie: "Outside the church, there is no salvation."
Most has already been said except for this: The witch that stole the baby wanted the fat from the baby (unbaptized) to make a flying ointment... which she promptly applied and went out for a midnight ride.
James VS Cinema it was definitely a bit difficult to understand them in the movie theatre 😂 same with the Lighthouse. That’s one of the things I like best about Eggers though is his meticulously period accurate dialogue.
I haven't seen this film, I'm intrigued. Good reaction. You're doing good work. I just hope the Channel remains primarily about movie analysis and discussion and not about the money like some other reaction channels. Keep it up.
That’s really good to hear! This channel is only for that and hopefully creating a welcoming environment for others who want to join the community. Money is important, and I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t..but I’m a firm believer in HOW you earn it and the WAYS that you do. Money is never a number one..this is all fun and education. Cheers Carl!
James, I'm not sure if you've found out or not yet, but "The Witch" was filmed in Canada in Kiosk, Ontario. Eggers initially wanted to film in New England where the film is supposedly set, but had to look elsewhere due to lack of tax incentives (according to Wikipedia). Such a great film though. Beautifully shot with some phenomenal acting performances and a chilling music score.
I'm so glad your channel got recommended to me today. Your commentary is amazing! Since I'm new and I haven't read lots of comments on your videos yet I would like to recommend Midsommar (yeah some more A24). You mentioned Hereditary, would love to see a commentary on it!!! I'm sure someone suggested did, but yeah. Love your videos!
In regards to the film score, there are moments that echo the 20th century composers used in Stanley Kubrick's "2001 a Space Odyssey." It's embellishes the movie so effectively. Great review 👏
The dad is “Finchy” from the UK The Office 😂😂. So strange seeing him this role, but he’s great a voice work for sure. You know that voice straight away
The film cost $4 million! Eggers wanted to shoot it in New England, but it doesn't have tax incentives, so he shot it in a remote northern location in Ontario, Canada, just outside of Algonquin Park.
Hands down top five movies for cinematic magestry, of all time, I love this movie for its ability to bring you in to a certain time and space and make you part of it. \m/. I believe it was shot in Quebec Canada. On location, the way it should be done.
I see alot of people get shocked when Kate cuts open Caleb's head but shes actually doing bloodletting. They believed you could cure some illness by bleeding out the infected blood
The language is old English and the accents are Northern England, they were some of the first English to settle in America in the 16 hundreds purerten times , some people just wanted a different life and religion to that at the time in England, and some kept the same religion and way of life , like these villages. Witch craft and witches were feard in those times in England and they brought that fear over to America with them hence leading to saleom Witch trials. Same as back in England many women and men were hung /drownd and burnt alive .
The language they're speaking in The Witch is actually Early Modern English. Old English was similar to Old Norse and none of us Modern English speakers would be able to understand it.
What people often miss when discussing this movie, is that it is, essentially, a horror movie as it would have been imagined by people of 17th century. All the meticulously researhed and recreated setpieces and costumes, an authentic dialect and themes - all that for us to truly adopt the mindset of New England puritans and experience the same primal terror the witch caused in the hearts of these people. P.S. A couple of fun observations: The Witch have kidnapped baby Samuel because multiple testimonies of the witch trials stated that the witches use the blood and fat of unbaptised babies to gain the ability of flight by the power of Primevil Sin, carried by all infants from the moment of birth. Poor Samuel was killed by the pride of his father, who caused his whole family to be excommunicated, robbing his newborn son of a proper baptism, and making him a prey for a Witch.
This, right here, is the best reaction video to the movie on all of RUclips. Cheers from a german pagan! Also... don't listen to the witches, they lie to you ;) On a more serious note though: I'm pretty sure that the movie heavily plays with the symbolism of women as 'vessels' of the devil who bring sin and try to tempt men into giving in to lust and sin which will, according to (puritan) christianity, send them to hell after they've passed. Caleb feels drawn towards his sister in a sexual way, probably because she's the only girl roughly his age that he'll ever see and ever get to interact with in their exile, the father lies about the silver cup and let's his own daughter take the blame, even though he preaches his values of thou shalt not lie, the witch in the woods seduces poor Caleb... But with all the tension, the seduction, the fear of being sinful... it's the father who ultimately brings chaos into his own household by lying, which not only is one of the great sins in christianity, but also the reason for all of the fights. The silver cup, the reason for 'going out into the woods', the father always lied or said nothing in defence of his daughter which led to the mother's suspicions about Thomasin being a witch growing stronger and stronger. Poor Thomasin never actually did something wrong until her whole family turned against her. In the end, she becomes a witch not because she had evil in her, but because she has nothing left in this world to live for.
This was CRAZY! Robert Eggers is 2 for 2 so far!
Want to watch the Uncut Version & vote for what movie I should watch next?
Check out my patreon! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema
Cheers everyone. Have a really exciting upload for Friday!
Bro can you do a reaction and review the movie Mother! Please bro
I’ll put that in the upcoming patreon polls! Have a lot of suggestions so I’ll make sure everyone gets their chance for voting!
True bro
Lionhunter SS That means a lot to me my man! Already happy with the awesome community that’s being built here! Happy to have you along brother. And I have but honestly forget about 99% of the movie haha so may have to revisit
"Hereditary" movie reaction, please!
so according to Eggers, the story is supposed to mirror that of a folk tale from that time. He spent an insane amount of time researching every aspect of the life during those times in anticipation of making The Witch.
In terms of what the family did, it's mostly the father's fault. He later admits that it was his pride that caused them to get exiled from the village, which was basically a death sentence in those times. It was also widely believed during those times that the Devil wandered the woods and was his domain. It's why the father is chopping wood for most of the movie in denial of the events that are happening, only to die buried under the insanely unnecessary amount of wood that he had gathered/chopped.
I definitely figured that as much! The guilt of pride in ones self seems to have been his unfortunate downfall. It broke me when he pleaded for his families innocence though..what a wild film indeed but I loved it! Thank you for the education as well!!
Even the wood the home was built from was done time specific, and the nails as well. Eggers goes hard.
I agree with everything but I doubt the amount of wood he has chopped is unnecessary. They are in today's Massachusetts, it gets very cold there and in the 1600s they don't have other means of heating except from fire, woods burn very fast, 3 medium sized woods can burn in an hour. Now imagine how many woods they need for at least 6 months of winter. People even now let alone then, chop a lot of woods when there's a weather window, because they might not be able to do so when it's raining constantly or when there's a snowstorm. I may be over thinking this, but to me all this wood seems more like thinking ahead rather than overdoing it.
I also really loved that it seems at the end the Father came to the realization of his own faults. Hence him throwing away the axe and accepting his fate.
Not only that but after all of the pridefull damage he has done to his family at the moment where he is in a position to righteously strike down Black Philip he throws his axe down and pledges loyalty to the devil by saying "Corruption, thou art my Father" before being killed by his mountain of sin.
Black Phillip was played by Charlie the Goat, who was horribly trained, and actually sent the actor for the father to the hospital. Also, all of the lighting is from sunlight and candlelight. Great reaction to a great movie!
Honestly I’m not surprised hahaha! That goat was terrifying and I’d probably never go anywhere near it. That’s insane that happened though!
I just love what Ralph Ineson had to say about Charlie after filming.
"I didn't have a lot of gas in the tank, really," Ineson says of sparring with the beast, who weighed about 50 pounds more than him. "He was horrible. Really, really horrible. From the moment we set eyes on each other it was just kind of hate at first sight. He had two modes: chilling out and doing nothing, or attacking me."
"It’s wonderful that his fantastic performance is bringing notoriety to the film, but there’s a little part of me that’s like, 'Seriously? That fucker?'"
😂
@@JamesVSCinema If you heard of the comedian Patrice O Neal, he had a character he did called Black Philip archive.org/details/blackphillip
@@ObsceneVegetableMatter 🤣😅😆☺🤬🐐
@@ObsceneVegetableMatter Ineson has the most incredible voice ever. Haven't seen him in much, only this, Game of Thrones, and some other film I don't quite remember. He's an incredible actor tho, as shown in this film. If I'm ever a director, he's my lead.
There's lots of speculation that during the Salem witch trials there was a case of mass hysteria do to Ergot poisoning. Ergot is a fungal disease that can infect corn and when consumed by human can lead to hallucinations and psychosis. The Ergot psychosis mixed in with the strong religious beliefs and superstitions might have contributed to the crazy stuff that went down in Salem. If you notice in this film, their corn is suffering from some disease. I appreciate that this film leaves a little wiggle room in explaining wtf happened on the movie. Was it supernatural or where they just tripping balls for their messed up corn?
That is VERY INTRIGUING. Wow thank you for that tad bit of information on the background of the time period. Damn you guys are feeding me so much good education and I can’t thank you enough. Appreciate you David!
David Melo wow thanks so much I knew about the ergot theory but didn’t notice at all the corn in the film, that’s really awesome they put that
I'm not sure about the Salem Witch trials, but for the majority of other Witch hunts most historians agree that hallucinogenic drugs is very unlikely.
@@KartyMcFarty only one woman has to get a psychosis for the hysteria to begin. once that's happened, no one (drugged or not) is safe. I'm not a historian, but I'd say it's not unreasonable.
@@KartyMcFarty it wasnt drugs. It was hallucinations from disease of bacteria, fungal, or eating plants that causes it to happen naturally.
“I thought that goat was about to do something crazy.”
Hahaha
I was like, wait for it.
Love the dialogue in this film, sometimes in period movies that use this type of dialogue it may seem forced, but in this case I feel it so natural. Robert Eggers likes to do a lot of research for his movies, you can see it too in The Lighthouse, it's not only the script, the set design and costumes are great as well. To me he's one of those directors that you don't see very often and I'm very excited for whatever comes next from him.
I agree. It also works in the sense that a deeply religious family, strictly censoring their language and used to reading and quoting scripture every day, likely would have spoken in this sort of "haughty" manner.
His next film is a Viking epic. Can't wait!!
Robert eggers is directing a film at the moment about 16 miles from where I live and it’s been going on for about 2 nearly 3 years now so I can tell he takes time to get things right. The pandemic stopped production for a while especially when there’s a range of actors from different countries you kinda have to but even so, the first sets went up over a long period of time before I even heard about production starting.
I might be mixing this up with a different movie, but if I remember correctly, the reason the dialogue sounds so natural is because the language was taken from letters and journals from the period
i watched this at one am in my family’s two hundred and fifty year old colonial in rural new england... mistakes were made.
I hope you didnt chop an unnecessary amount of fire wood from the forest nearby 😂. Dont make the same mistake the father did, only to later be burried under it.
God that must've been an experience lol
That's rough, dude 😬
Man. Y'all rich? Lol. I'm from Houston so don't know what a colonial is.
@@angelone1839 fellow Houstonian here but lived in Rhode Island for a year. A colonial is jsit an old ass creepy creaky ass house from colonial times. In other words, scary af lol
The part where they bring Caleb in after he encountered the witch and make a cut on his temple is an old medical technique practiced for many centuries called 'bloodletting'. The short explaination of the belief behind it was that it helped release impure fluids that caused the sickness.
I really love the idea that their own over reliance on religion and own fanatic ideologies is what dooms them. Black Phillip did nothing he just watched and took them at their weakest. He only planted the ideas of conflict until the family destroyed themselves from within. Blaming each other (especially Thomasin) until they unraveled from within. Only then does he claim Thomasin as a witch now that she has nowhere else to turn and no family to care for or rely on. I think it's also about grief and how it affects people and slowly destroys the family. Just my take.
Great review 👍🏻
Filmed in northern Ontario, Canada. One of the few places removed enough to work for their purposes. They actually stayed out the farm apparently, didn’t go home at the end of the night to a hotel, to make them more immersed. Those kids did amazing work speaking such an antiquated English so well while acting
Does people live deliciously in Ontario, Canada?
@@juliocabral6949no they mostly freeze lol
Did anyone else notice Sam stops giggling before he gets snatched?
Hell yeah I noticed lol, that’s why I’m wondering how fast that witch was lmfaooo, snatched the giggles out of the kid
All the child actors were phenomenal. If you watch it on s big screen in the dark, you feel like you need a blanket. I found the set design to add to the mood enormously. This movie did many things right. Otherwise it would have been a very mediocre horror flick. I really loved it and it put Anya Taylor-Joy on the map. I have not heard of her before.
When my baby boy black Phillip asks if she wants to live deliciously, I still answer yes, out loud, for her. 😂🤣😂🤣
😂😂😂
"That's not Obamacare" once again killin it with the commentary
Lmfaoooo! Always glad to have a little fun. Thanks for that Nick!
It was filmed in some remote place in Ontario, Eggers wanted to film on location in New England but couldn't because of the lack of tax incentives. Another great reaction my friend keep em coming!
Wow now I wonder how England version of this would’ve looked! Thank you for that information! I swear you guys are like walking computers with all the knowledge you all share haha. It’s much appreciated!
If I remember correctly, they referenced 17th century books and documents to form the dialogue, so that, alongside the broadly Northern English accent, means it's pretty authentic to how ppl would've spoken in that region of 17th century US, at least.
Love details like that
i'm not an expert but i think the great vowel shift was not completed yet, so i think the pronunciations are actually wrong. but again im not sure
@@mahatmaniggandhi2898 fair
I remember when I was at the cinema in total darkness that voice behind me saying "wouldst thou like to live deliciously" gave me shivers. People think that fear comes from jumpscares, but in reality fear is made up of scenes like this
I believe his next project is a period piece on the Vikings ! Could be another epic one.
Yeah, I heard it’s called “The Northman” and it’s gonna have actors from both “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse” in this film.
10th century Viking revenge saga!! stoked to see what eggers does with The Northman
He's also planning on remaking Nosferatu
@@mushroomlad6233 I know most people would usually not like remakes of classic horror films. But as someone who's seen the original and the 70's one with Klaus Kinski (which is also creepy in a good way), I like to see how Robert pulls it off.
@@mushroomlad6233 that could be awesome
Ralph Ineson has stage experience. That's why his voice is so good.
Game of thrones! "It was a good speech"
This movie is so underrated and I find it so beautiful
You mentioned Atreus from God of war. If you want to see a good movie he's in The Killing of a Sacred Deer is on Netflix 👀
I’ll have to add that for the next poll! God of War is hella dope so anything related is a pretty good start haha 👌🏽
Dudeee Killing of a Sacred Deer is incredible. I’m definitely a big Lanthimos fan.
Yorgos Lanthimos has one of the most unique atmosphere's in filmmaking. Only seen Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Lobster, and really liked both. His sense of humor is unique too, but I love it.
@@bulletfastspeed The Favourite is my favourite of his, but it's a tight race.
Saw sacred deer on tv in the uk recently. Crazy flick. So deliberately done. I couldn't stop watching once I started.
One of my favorites. My daughter and I went to dinner after viewing it at the theater and talked for 3 hours about what happened. This was the first film he directed . AND wrote it.
Well that happened sooner than expected. :-) Am a big fan of this one and as the poster says "A New England folktale" I think it capture a folktale feeling really well.
I’d have to agree! He did a damn good job capturing the setting especially. Really lost myself in this time-frame.
I'm so glad I saw this film in the cinema. It was like having a 90 minute nightmare. Robert Eggers is one of the most ambitious and original directors working today, I can't wait for Nosferatu.
Glad to hear that you're into Colin Stetson. I've seen him live 5 times, always a mind-blowing experience. His move towards scoring soundtracks is so great, it makes perfect sense, specifically horror films. He channels that otherworldly cosmic horror better than anyone.
I love Colin Stenson’s work, especially in Hereditary. The music for the last shot in the treehouse is so hauntingly beautiful
His music encapsulates the feeling of uncomfortable for me
Great reaction. Can’t wait for Egger’s next feature, The Northman. You should just react to all the A24 films you haven’t seen, starting with Waves. What was your favorite aspect of the film?
What’s up Steven! And I may do that then! My favorite aspect of the film was definitely sound that played along with the shots. Really helped build that feeling of dread! So twisted and distorted and eerie.
A24 has so many great horror movies like Hereditary, The VVitch and also Midsommar
A24 is goated
Aaaaaa this is one of my favorite horror films of all time, so glad you reacted to it! So different from anything I've seen before, largely for the setting and style of language. Great cast, the male lead's voice sounds like a living oak tree. The sound engineering on this is something to pay attention to as well. After the baby is taken by "The Witch" you see Tomeson coming downstairs and it's clear that a baby is crying, but the baby is already gone. So what's happening here? Is this isolation/cabin fever? Is it supernatural? Is it guilt? Did a member of the family remove the baby from the equation after it was determined that their food stocks would not support them all? Eggers really shines in his feature debut and I'd read that he was tapped to do an updated version of Nosferatu, but haven't heard more about it since he did The Lighthouse.
I feel like we're in a golden age of horror films right now--back in the day, the really great ones were very few and far between: The Exorcist, The Changeling, The Shining, The Others. But since then we've had The Babadook, Hereditary, The Witch, Midsommar, It Follows, Get Out, The Cabin in the Woods, and so on. There's really no metric by which anyone would say that 2020 is a good time to be alive, but at least the horror genre has been elevated by some great writing and direction. Let's hope that continues.
The oculus came out around 2013 and is one i enjoyed. I think its a bit underrated. It has good storytelling and youll have a hard time with reality during and after lol.
I love witchy movies and I appreciate this one especially for being so historically accurate with witch lore and historical dialogue. P.S. another great witchy movie is Suspiria! I’ve never seen the original but I saw the remake (made by the same director) and I loved it. It’s definitely very alternative but if you can handle The Lighthouse then you can handle Suspiria
Hell yeah that sounds like a good time! I’ll definitely have to put that one on the next patreon poll! Love horror films like that!
The major difference between the original Suspiria and the remake (imo) is that the original is more like a fever dream, a visual trip that leaves you a little messed up but doesn't have _that_ much weight to it. The remake is more insidious, and even with the gorier scenes it doesn't cheapen the whole atmosphere, which is incredibly unsettling. Also, mother-effin' Tilda Swinton, carrying 85% of that movie on her versatile, alien shoulders. I really liked how much the remake left me so uncomfortable. Also, the soundtrack by Thom Yorke.
The director of the remake is Luca Guadagnino though. The original is done by the legendary Dario Argento. Between that and A Bigger Splash Guadagnino looks like he's into remakes almost as much as he's into Tilda Swinton.
Love the explanation of why you're doing this channel. Looking forward to seeing how your experience as a filmmaker informs your perspective on these films
Thank you! I’m excited as well. There’s a whole backstory to how this started up but that’s a whole other video to post. Really needed to see this thank you Keifer
I just saw this movie for the first time, and it left me truly speechless. Robert Eggers has really cemented himself as one of the most talented and unique filmmakers working today
I would sell my soul like that for the Fathers voice dude Jesus Christ that powerhouse of a voice would command attention and respect in
Any language in any room lmao
This is my favourite horror movie of the last 10 years, glad to see others enjoying it.
It was well done! Happy I saw it too!
I reluctantly watched this movie and was blown away. The language craft, the intimate set that yet still hangs with anxious mystery a forest can offer, and Eggers, damn Eggers just has landed endings so well. The ending here and The Lighthouse are so phenomenal, you can tell they were the vision, no screen test or studio meddling.
The lighting in this film is completely natural. Mostly only lit by way of candle light, sunlight and moon light. It’s a cinematic masterpiece imo
This guy Eggars is a huge nerd in the best way. There are a lot of videos on RUclips of him and others describing the length he goes to to understand how to express in the dialog of the time period/place. Apparently his next film is going to be a viking epic. So looking forward to that. And Denis Villeneuve's Dune this year (hopefully). As well as your next videos. Thanks as always man.
Love, love, absolutley love Anya Taylor-Joy. She gotten quite a few damsel in distress type roles, which for some can get a little too overwhelming but she knows how to own it and not over-do it if u know what i mean. Excited for what lies ahead in her acting career. Liked her in Split and the Witch was just great! So far so good.
I've watched a couple of your reactions, but this one got my subscription. Keep it up, these are great, man! Much appreciated.
That’s awesome to hear man! Happy to have you along! All about good vibes, watching good films, and having a good time so welcome to the journey!
It's crazy how strong a command of this kind of dialogue and language and old dialect Robert Eggers has for such a young filmmaker. The research he does must be second to none.
Robert Eggers is currently directing a film that has multiple sets but the closest set is being filmed about 15/20 miles from where I live. The film production has been going on for nearly 3 years now (with a couple of months break because covid) and the sets took a long process to put up before filming was ever mentioned to me. Basically I can tell that Robert eggers and crew really takes time and effort to get everything right.
A friend of mine that has worked on sets of films said he was real impressed by the Northman set he was on, because often on sets not everything is fully made as-in a house may only be built to have the front shown while there is no back to it. It was funny to me that he couldn’t get over how the set was fully made up out of genuine materials and the houses all had interiors and backs to them and that it was like he was transported back in time to a real town lol. I think someone told me that the sets will be left behind for tourism because they’re just regular old stone and thatch houses that could stay there but I might be wrong on that and misheard, for all I know they will bull-dose everything. I can’t wait for more from Robert eggers and hope the Northman is great.
You’re one of my fav channels bro! Only a matter of time before you reach that thousand subs 🤝🔥
My man Adam!! That’s so awesome to hear man. This is incredibly motivating thank you. Needed to hear this today! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Have you watched Barry Lyndon? Every scene in that movie looks like a painting. Kubrick is the man.
Y'all ever see Mother! Watch it I see his reaction to that bro that jawn crazy
Should definitely check out Mandy
Panos Cosmatos directed with Johan Johannsson coming in with a spectacular post-mortem soundtrack for his final film.
Plus Nick Cage going batshit
I get a bit too spooked to watch these kinda movies but I also love film and watching along to these reactions gives me a chance to appreciate them without scaring the pants off myself
i saw this one a while ago!!! i love horror movies. & i find it hard to find those that really really get under my skin... but this one??? this one really just rubbed me the wrong way - that’s a good thing. god i still don’t like remembering this one 😭
I put this movie off for so long. Finally watched it yesterday, and I'm obsessed, lol. The dialogue, the characters, the visuals... damn near a perfect horror movie.
The attention to detail of the times is insane down to the accents.
The only other time I heard the words Black Phillip together was a nickname for Patrice O'Neal and his legendary radio call-in show.
One of my favorite movies of all times! It is beautifully shot, brilliantly written, acted and directed. But on the top of it, there's just something that does it for me. I love motives of isolation, exile, close communities, and this film gives me all.
Reminds me of a real life religious family that spent 42 years in partial isolation from human society in Siberia. Fascinating story, check out "Lykov family" if you haven't heard of them.
Not sure if you already got this answer, but if I recall correctly the film was shot in Ontario, Canada, though it's meant to be set in New England.
Also I'm sure you know, but just in case you don't, the scene where they cut and let some blood from Caleb's head is called Bloodletting. A very old, and very flawed medical practice. It was believed to let out "bad blood" whether that means blood tainted by actual illness or blood tainted by some sort of spell.
Although not damaging (losing so little blood does literally nothing bad), it also didn't help in the slightest
Also here's a fun fact, Black Phillip was apparently a dick on set, especially to Ralph Ineson, William's actor. I'm not sure with what/how, but he even apparently sent him to the hospital lmao
"What went we out into this wilderness to find?"
Mark Korven absolutely killed it with this soundtrack.
Thanks for reacting to this one man. I'm not even done watching but I gotta say Black Phillip reminds me of the late, great Patrice O'Neal. One of the greatest, funniest people ever. Wish he was still around as everyone else who is a fan of him does.
I'm stupid late but I didn't see anyone mention it and it deserves some shine. Craig Lathrop, the production designer, used building materials that a Puritan family would have used and authentic tools and techniques were used wherever necessary. Hand-riven oak clapboards, reed-thatched roofs, even hand-forged nails. Linda Muir, the costume designer, was just as meticulous. Natural materials as close to historically accurate as possible and every visible seam on all of the clothing, even the inside of garments, is hand-stitched.
The floating witches require the blood of children/infants to fly, the twins were sacrificed to create that creepy final scene. The poor baby and young boy were also both sacrificed by the witch coven, run by the devil in the form of Black Philip. 😩
This movie terrified me.
Only just discovered your channel and it’s crazy how many of the films in my top 100 you are watching. You do a great job of analysing these films and it’s interesting to hear someone else’s opinion on some of my favourite films. Keep up the good work mate 👊🏼
Just stopped by to say, thanks for polite and respectful reaction to this film. Your reaction to the cinematography, sound, details to the setting was appreciated. It is a great film.
True to the Biblical beliefs in New England in the 16 hundreds. Thx again, be kind, be safe.
And watch out for Black Philip… he takes on many forms. Thx
5:55: Exactly, James. Around the first few times I was watching this, this scene reminded me of Kratos and his BOY!
The movie was shot (mostly) in and around Algonquin Park, ON, Canada. Beautiful scenery in an old and untouched nature reserve, and I think they kept a lot of the natural sounds for the final edit.
A humble suggestion: Killing Of A Sacred Deer
Action:. The Man From Nowhere/ The Raid: Redemption.
Don't forget The Raid 2. The action was beautiful, and even more intense. The storyline even got upgrades.
@@johnt84 amazing movie 💕
The movie, or atleast many parts of it were shot in the woods in Mattawa Ontario just outside my hometown. Very beautiful area especially in the summer/fall. Lots and lots of dense wilderness, you wont find me roaming those woods at night! Especially after seeing the film!
That's a good shot! Indeed, the whole movie is beautiful to look at!
Hahaha thank you Stephan! Glad you think so too because it is most definitely gorgeous!
Dudeee, I finally saw your director reel and you’ve really got talent man 🙌🏻 the visual language really reminds me of stuff like Waves by Trey Edward Shultz, or even something like Tree of Life from Terrence Malick. Really beautiful stuff.
Ay thank you for checking it out!! Hahaha that’s a first, wasn’t sure if people were going to see it or not so I’m happy you checked my work yourself! Thanks Joshua! 💪
Every Halloween, I watch the Original Robert Wise “The Haunting.” Its my favorite haunted house movie. It was the first film made from Shirley Jackson’s book The Haunting of Hill House. It is a breathtakingly beautiful film with astonishing cinematography and use of sound to freak you out. The next film adaptation was the superb Legend of Hell House, which goes deeper into what made the house so evil. The only worthwhile thing in the atrocious remake of The Haunting are the fantastic sets. The current series “The Haunting of Hill House is based on the book as well.
Such a great film! Robert Eggers is a true talent.
17:09 LOL.. My exact reaction the first time seeing this film
If you're a comedy fan, Patrice O'Neal had a show called The Black Phillip Show. That's probably where you have possibly heard it??
WHAT DOES THOU WANT 😂 love the videos im like 5 deep at this point.
i love this movie, and for many reasons. As a horror and witch movie, it's great, but there's also a second interpretation. The corn. In those daysvthe corn had a disease spreading all over Europe that made people hallucinate, and was the reason for the idea of witches. All of this could be in their heads, and the corn is making them hallucinate, but we'll never know...
It's not Europe though, it's New England, Massachusetts, unless you meant that the corn disease was brought to America by European settlers.
Keeping on a bit of a theme I would recommend the recent remake of susperia.
That is an AMAZING remake and definitely worth anyone's time. "Darkness, tears, and sighs."
@@robovike watched that yesteday. still horrified, deeply depressed (for a certain female character's fate and heartwrenching last request, not to spoil anything for anyone) and terribly afraid to be alone in a room with a mirror
THE LATEST SUSPERIA. NOT THE ORIGINAL
I'd like to see him react to Society.
@@saylosrelyks8645 ha. That would be interesting 😝
The Witch is an amazing film and the music is fantastic and inspiring as well! Looking forward to Robert Eggers's next film! :)
Me too! He knocked it out of the park on this one for sure! He’s on a roll
@@JamesVSCinema Still have to watch The Lighthouse though! I see you saw it already. Looking forward to seeing that one soon. Got it on blu-ray.
I watch this every Halloween since it was released, trying to build a tradition.
So unsettling, are you planning on ever watching Her starring Joaquin Phoenix? It’s my personal favourite film of all time, so I’d highly suggest giving it a try ❤️
Also, The Master! Also, Inherent Vice! I love Joaquin. So good. A lot of range.
The shot you mentioned at 14:40 which looks like a painting is indeed based on a painting - it’s called ‘The Angelus’ by Jean Francois Millet
Nah man I’ve written an eighty thousand word book that I feel perfectly represents a lot of things and I could never be humble enough to even claim to know as much as you. You’re a genius and I hope you know that.
I consider myself to be a all things horror analyst for many years now. Out of the plethora of Slashers, Found Footage, Apocalyptic, Psychological and many others, Robert Eggers "The VVITCH" Is my all time favorite. Sitting strong at number one.
It's the father's pride that leads to him being banished. It's not that the community is overly strict; the father is overly strict. It's not that the community kicks out a nice family; it's that the father, in his pride, is persuaded that he and he alone is right and can't get along with anyone else who differs from his theological views.
Something similar happened in history. Although Roger Williams is now sometimes presented as an apostle of "liberty of conscience," in fact that was a view he came to later. In the Plymouth Colony, Williams was stricter than everyone else. They were supposed to be a separated church, but some of the people, when they went back to England, would worship at a Church of England, and Williams thought that was unacceptable and in his intolerance, he couldn't be part of the community anymore. They had more "liberty of conscience" than he liked and so he left.
Something similar may be going on here: the father appears to be extremely strict in his view, stricter perhaps than the community and unable to get along with them, and so he chooses to go into the wilderness on his own. It's a Puritan horror movie: "Outside the church, there is no salvation."
Most has already been said except for this: The witch that stole the baby wanted the fat from the baby (unbaptized) to make a flying ointment... which she promptly applied and went out for a midnight ride.
Good call watching this film with subtitles 😂
Yeah I’m not too quick with the Witch language 😂😂
James VS Cinema it was definitely a bit difficult to understand them in the movie theatre 😂 same with the Lighthouse. That’s one of the things I like best about Eggers though is his meticulously period accurate dialogue.
I haven't seen this film, I'm intrigued. Good reaction. You're doing good work. I just hope the Channel remains primarily about movie analysis and discussion and not about the money like some other reaction channels. Keep it up.
That’s really good to hear! This channel is only for that and hopefully creating a welcoming environment for others who want to join the community. Money is important, and I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t..but I’m a firm believer in HOW you earn it and the WAYS that you do. Money is never a number one..this is all fun and education. Cheers Carl!
@@JamesVSCinema just speaking from the heart. Your honesty is refreshing. Best wishes from the UK.
James, I'm not sure if you've found out or not yet, but "The Witch" was filmed in Canada in Kiosk, Ontario. Eggers initially wanted to film in New England where the film is supposedly set, but had to look elsewhere due to lack of tax incentives (according to Wikipedia). Such a great film though. Beautifully shot with some phenomenal acting performances and a chilling music score.
The film looks incredible! They didn’t use any artificial light, most of the lighting in this movie came from lanterns, candles and the sun!
Black Philip reminds me of Patrice O'Neal. Also, beginning was shot at the real Plymouth Plantation in southeast Massachusetts.
There’s a Goya painting called the witches. REggers was inspired by that painting for that last scene.
I'm so glad your channel got recommended to me today. Your commentary is amazing! Since I'm new and I haven't read lots of comments on your videos yet I would like to recommend Midsommar (yeah some more A24). You mentioned Hereditary, would love to see a commentary on it!!! I'm sure someone suggested did, but yeah. Love your videos!
In regards to the film score, there are moments that echo the 20th century composers used in Stanley Kubrick's "2001 a Space Odyssey." It's embellishes the movie so effectively. Great review 👏
Robert Eggers is one of the most underrated directors!
The dad is “Finchy” from the UK The Office 😂😂. So strange seeing him this role, but he’s great a voice work for sure. You know that voice straight away
Incredible movie. It truly felt like we were lost in that era.
It was filmed in Canada, but was made to look like 17th century New England.
The film cost $4 million! Eggers wanted to shoot it in New England, but it doesn't have tax incentives, so he shot it in a remote northern location in Ontario, Canada, just outside of Algonquin Park.
Hands down top five movies for cinematic magestry, of all time, I love this movie for its ability to bring you in to a certain time and space and make you part of it. \m/. I believe it was shot in Quebec Canada. On location, the way it should be done.
I think the comedian Patrice O'Neil had a call-in show called the Black Phillip Show? It was him taking Dr. Phil calls.
I see alot of people get shocked when Kate cuts open Caleb's head but shes actually doing bloodletting. They believed you could cure some illness by bleeding out the infected blood
The language is old English and the accents are Northern England, they were some of the first English to settle in America in the 16 hundreds purerten times , some people just wanted a different life and religion to that at the time in England, and some kept the same religion and way of life , like these villages. Witch craft and witches were feard in those times in England and they brought that fear over to America with them hence leading to saleom Witch trials. Same as back in England many women and men were hung /drownd and burnt alive .
The language they're speaking in The Witch is actually Early Modern English. Old English was similar to Old Norse and none of us Modern English speakers would be able to understand it.
What people often miss when discussing this movie, is that it is, essentially, a horror movie as it would have been imagined by people of 17th century. All the meticulously researhed and recreated setpieces and costumes, an authentic dialect and themes - all that for us to truly adopt the mindset of New England puritans and experience the same primal terror the witch caused in the hearts of these people.
P.S.
A couple of fun observations:
The Witch have kidnapped baby Samuel because multiple testimonies of the witch trials stated that the witches use the blood and fat of unbaptised babies to gain the ability of flight by the power of Primevil Sin, carried by all infants from the moment of birth. Poor Samuel was killed by the pride of his father, who caused his whole family to be excommunicated, robbing his newborn son of a proper baptism, and making him a prey for a Witch.
I like to think that the whole movie was inspired by the painting “Witches' Flight” the end kinda proofs it
This, right here, is the best reaction video to the movie on all of RUclips.
Cheers from a german pagan! Also... don't listen to the witches, they lie to you ;)
On a more serious note though: I'm pretty sure that the movie heavily plays with the symbolism of women as 'vessels' of the devil who bring sin and try to tempt men
into giving in to lust and sin which will, according to (puritan) christianity, send them to hell after they've passed.
Caleb feels drawn towards his sister in a sexual way, probably because she's the only girl roughly his age that he'll ever see and ever get to interact with in their exile,
the father lies about the silver cup and let's his own daughter take the blame, even though he preaches his values of thou shalt not lie, the witch in the woods seduces poor
Caleb...
But with all the tension, the seduction, the fear of being sinful... it's the father who ultimately brings chaos into his own household by lying, which not only is one of the great sins
in christianity, but also the reason for all of the fights. The silver cup, the reason for 'going out into the woods', the father always lied or said nothing in defence of his daughter which
led to the mother's suspicions about Thomasin being a witch growing stronger and stronger.
Poor Thomasin never actually did something wrong until her whole family turned against her. In the end, she becomes a witch not because she had evil in her, but because she has
nothing left in this world to live for.
I love your choice of films and your commentary. Very interesting.
The whole movie is natural lighting which I thought was AMAZING
Absolutely love this film