“Witchfinder General” (1968)

witchfindergeneral 1 Witchfinder General (1968)

Directed by Michael Reeves
Staring Vincent Price, Hilary Dwyer
Released 1968

Sometimes I forget what it is like to be shocked by a movie. It’s hard to shock a modern audience and I’ve probably watched more “shocking” cinema than most.

However, a shock can come given the right placement just from being so different than what ones expect that it catches one unaware.

“Witchfinder General” is like that.

Set in the 17th century during the time of the civil unrest in England that accompanied Cromwell’s Parliament against remainder forces of The Crown, “The Witchfinder General” stars Vincent Price as Witchfinder Matthew Hopkins. If you’re are like me, when you think of Vincent Price movies, you think of the absurd over-the-top melodramaticness of insubstantial Poe adaptations or the campy and fun creepiness of 1950s-60s “horror” movies like House of Wax. Both of those types of movies are far removed in “The Witchfinder General.”

witchfindergeneral1 Witchfinder General (1968) “The Witchfinder General” contains substantial gore, scenes of sex and rape, and an extremely uncomfortable burning at the stake scene. Hopkins, his assistant Stearne (Robert Russell), and the accusers in the various towns, are all played with a perfect blend of dramatic villainy and realistic meanness. Price is a natural for the role of one who was probably once a good man but turned black from corruption and greed. His sinister oiliness and regal disposition bided with the part seemlessly.

witchfinder5 Witchfinder General (1968) The cinematography is unique in its willingness to show blood during the torture scenes and its obsession with crowding exterior shots with trees. There are trees everywhere. It seems that the camera tries to shoot through them, around them, under them; it’s like there’s always a tree in the middle of each outside shot. It’s a little distracting once one notices it.

The methodical camera shots, though, are tense cinema. Stearne is Hopkins’ enforcer and his scenes of plunging steel into an accused’s back or punching women full in the face are harrowing even by today’s standards. Since there is no jumpy cam or quick cuts, these long stationary shots, despite lacking today’s realism, are more graphic than much of what we see in similar scenes in modern movies.

The movie is also called “The Conqueror Worm,” on some U.S. distributions. That is fitting to force a Poe connection for U.S. audiences although the movie can in no way be said to relate to Poe’s menacing pagan-like poem.

Below is the stake burning scene. One planning on watching the movie may want to skip it so its impact is saved for the film.