Witches' Hammer

Probably the best argument against the use of torture. A grim and sardonic story that feels at times like a documentary. If you have any interest in the witch trials and the Inquisition, this is a must-see.

Seemingly just a very good movie about a witch hunt, and the foul, corrupt people who conduct it. It harks back to Dreyer's dark masterpieces Joan of Arc and Day of Wrath, but has a distinctly Eastern European flavor. It also bears a noteworthy likeness to Costa-Gavras's L'Aveu about Czechoslovakia's Slansky Trials, in that both films portray the practice of forcing confessions from innocents through torture. Perhaps Vavra too had the Prague Trials in mind when he made Witches' Hammer.

Expressively depicts the relentless march of terror when nonsensical ideas and group psychology are used to create an atmosphere of universal fear. Some tension between the presentation of sexual repression and the resulting horror concerning female sexuality as fundamental conditions of possibility of this violence, and the presentation of the inquisitor and clerk as bawdy caricatures of corrupt authority, but perhaps this is precisely the dynamic at work in dangerous phenomena of this kind.

Saw the restored version at my local repertoire cinema. To me the witch trials of the film act as an allegory to the kangaroo courts of communist regime. In fact taking into consideration the era and Czechoslovakia it's very hard not to think about the post -Prague Spring invasion.

I'll echo others' comments about this having some common ground with Joan of Arc, and I wonder if they'd watched Witchfinder General? It is really good, but I really found it bleak - some guy basically decides someone is in league with Satan, and then finds nefarious ways to justify it. Those accused were just absolutely helpless to do anything about it. Horrible but compelling viewing.

Very strongly recalls Dreyer's Joan of Arc, but doesn't have the cinematography to back it up (because JoA is amazing not because Witchhammer is a slacker). It also does what Ken Russell would do (better) a year later in The Devils, where the film somewhat paradoxically serves as a harsh condemnation of christianity as an institution but an equally strong affirmation of individual faith with a christ-like protagonist.

Easily one of the most distressing views in a while. Makes the power imbalances in gender and wealth abominably clear. Side note: has anyone ever fucking read the actual Witchhamer?! Part 1, Question VI: “When a woman thinks alone, she thinks evil.” Part 2, Chapter VIII: “But a sign that they have been delivered is that, after confession, all the money in their purses or coffers vanishes. Many examples of this could be adduced, but for the sake of brevity they are passed over and omitted.”

would make for a harrowing and moody stage play. a bit dry for cinema

https://letterboxd.com/ladyspiggott/film/witchhammer/

Criticker predicted I"d give this movie a rating of 100. It was wrong. It's an OK movie. And for a Czech movie from 1970, it can probably even be considered well done. However, this just wasn't an enjoyable movie. The subject matter is very disturbing and there was no resolution. If anything, this movie serves as a warning that using torture to obtain confessions simply is not a good way to go and the use of such torture should be abandoned.

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