Häxan Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Häxan Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 1, 2024

Häxan received a 1080 Blu-ray release a few years ago in Region A courtesy of The Criterion Collection, but even those who picked up that excellent edition may want to return to the film for this new two disc edition from Radiance Films (which appears to be region free based on the check discs sent to me for review purposes). While this release has different supplements than the Criterion version, it offers more bonus features, and in my estimation "double dipping" may be advised if for no other reason than to enjoy the supremely silly and at times laugh out loud funny supplement on Disc One called For Satan: The Convert’s Guide to Häxan, a so-called "visual essay" by author Vito A. Rowlands which takes a hilariously un-PC look at the film and some of its content, not to mention offering one absolutely killer punch line at the end referring to one of the film's female performers who may have had a bit of an obsessive interest in the film's director, Benjamin Christensen. Häxan was something of a cause célèbre in its day, at least in the probably more open minded markets of Scandinavia, though it was evidently largely banned in many other parts of the world, including the United States. That may seem positively mind boggling to modern day sensibilities, since the film is itself kind of a "visual essay" supposedly documenting the history of magic in general and witchcraft in particular from the Middle Ages to (then) contemporary times. It's an absolutely fascinating combo platter of quasi-documentary and much more fanciful "fictionalized" elements, and it has some really fun early special effects, courtesy of what was evidently an outsized budget provided to then A-list actor, director, editor (and one assumes craft, if not witchcraft, services provider) Benjamin Christensen, who was not only given untold heaps of cash to make the film, but two years of production time.

Those interested in a "plot" summary are encouraged to read Svet Atanasov's Häxan Blu-ray review of the Criterion release. I'd only add that the film is fascinatingly deconstructionist at times in how it approaches folklore and legend, and in that regard Christensen's 1941 introduction for a reissue of the film is especially salient in that regard, especially vis a vis what both the film by implication and Christensen in this introduction overtly mentions as "hysteria". Any perceived Freudian implications are also deconstructed by Christensen in this introduction, which makes this 1922 production really rather prescient in its own way, since Freud would have still been alive when the film was originally released.

I'd also call attention to some of the structural artifices Christensen employs, which almost amount to a "bait and switch", in terms of what even the commentary track on Disc One calls more "static" and traditional documentarian approaches early on, which then give way to a whole host (coven?) of whimsical and at times really rather spooky "living" visuals. In that 1941 introduction Christensen (who famously portrays good ol' Satan in this film) states that Häxan simply couldn't have been a sound film if only because Christensen wouldn't know how to "voice" that character. While that thesis is probably debatable, I will say that the absence of a spoken soundtrack probably only helps to draw attention to Christensen's increasingly psychedelic visuals as the film progresses.

Häxan Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Häxan is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.35:1. Radiance sent check discs for purposes of this review, and so I'm not privy to any information that might be included in an insert booklet (though Radiance tends not to provide a ton of information in that regard, in any case). One way or the other, this presentation begins with a brief text card documenting a restoration undertaken by Svenskfilmindustri from a duplicate negative source, which seems to echo the Criterion release, even if the aspect ratio here is just very slightly wider than the Criterion release. This is a really stunning looking presentation, especially for anyone who has had to wade through sometimes rather deep and pronounced damage present in less well curated (and/or restored) silent films. As can be seen in the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, the presentation tends to ping pong between quasi-sepia tones and a deep, almost cobalt, blue tint, and detail levels remain surprisingly strong throughout these many changes, though I'd probably give the fine detail edge to the non-blue material. There is some minor age related wear and tear than can be spotted, but it's fleeting and never debilitating in my estimation. Grain resolves naturally throughout.

Häxan Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The main feature presentation of Häxan on Disc One of this set offers a fun score by Matti Bye presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The score struck me as positively Cirque du Soleil-esque at times, with a rather playful quality marked by swooping reeds and winds and what almost resemble dance like arrangements. The score is very nicely rendered and is offered spaciously in the surround track, though it does sound like this was a rather smallish ensemble. See the listing of supplements, below, because there are several other scores available on the second disc in particular that may be of interest to music fans.

Häxan Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Introduction by Benjamin Christensen (HD; 8:11) is an absolutely fascinating piece from 1941. Subtitled in English.


• Outtakes (HD; 12:19) offers a reel of test footage shot by Christensen in 1922, with scenes from several of his films.


• Costume Screen Test (HD; 2:18) features recently discovered footage of Christensen screen testing a Satan costume. This version looked more Pan or Bacchus like to me than what ended up in the film.


• Guillermo del Toro (HD; 14:24) offers his thoughts on the film and Christensen.


• For Satan: The Convert's Guide to Haxan (HD; 11:36) is absolutely one of my all time favorite supplements, as indicated above. This relies entirely on on screen titles and descriptions, and part of its allure is its really funny puns and other bantering (in printed form) humor.


• Audio Commentary by Guy Adams and A.K. Benedict


• Witchcraft Through the Ages (HD; 1:16:45) is the intriguing 1968 "revisionist" version of the film, with narration by William S. Burroughs. The description on the disc implies this has a score by jazz rock electric violin master Jean-Luc Ponty, but it's actually by Daniel Hummair, though Ponty is part of the band, playing what sounds to me like an acoustic violin. One way or the other, I'm not sure either the abrasive jazz score or Burroughs' narration really helps matters, though this alternate version is certainly of interest for any number of reasons. This is accessible under the Play Menu.

Disc Two

• Häxan (1922) with Bronnt Industries Kapital Score (HD; 1:45:28) features a rather interestingly diverse score in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. This definitely has a modernist edge, even if old style theater organ is employed, along with a variety of what struck my ears as a variety of keyboard and percussion sounds.


• Häxan (1922) with Geoff Smith Score (HD; 1:45:28) also features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 accounting of a probably somewhat more experimental score from Smith, one that starts with what almost sounds like untuned dulcimer strings, something that is fairly recurrent throughout, though there are some interesting uses of percussion later.


• Häxan - The Esoteric Cut (HD; 1:24:33) is an alternate cut featuring English intertitles and a score by Lawrence Leherissey. There are some spooky sound effects at times, but this is mostly a piano based score offered in Dolby Digital 2.0.


• Witchcraft Through the Ages (1990) (HD; 1:22:28) is an alternate French cut of the film, with narration by Jean-Pierre Kalfon. This was sourced from a VHS copy and comes with a disclaimer about video quality.

Radiance sent check discs for purposes of this review, but their website mentions an insert booklet and art cards, along with the usual Obi strip.

Häxan Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Part of my largely misspent youth was frittered away in working on a Masters thesis about longtime nemeses William Butler Yeats and Aleister Crowley, whom some may know were both members of the rather fascinating 19th century British occult "society", The Golden Dawn. That peculiar interest led me down a rather convoluted rabbit hole of tomes documenting the history of "magick" (with a "k", the way Crowley in particular liked to spell it, even if he averred in The Book of the Law that "spelling is defunct", and, yes, that's a joke). In doing some "field research" with a rather large coterie of Crowley cultists who made their home in San Francisco and environs back in the day, I was introduced to several women who identified themselves as "witches", and who regularly engaged in rather provocative rituals for any number of desired outcomes. That in and of itself may suggest that "witchcraft" may unsurprisingly still be practiced even in this modern "non believing" age, but even for "nonbelievers", Häxan is an absolutely engrossing film that Radiance is offering with secure technical merits and some absolutely stupendous supplements. Highly recommended.