Too many leftist interpretations of this film yapping about repressed sexuality and bodily autonomy. The real point here is that a severe spiritual error made in the very first scene, the inability to distinguish between the holy and unholy, leads to death. In Ellen Hutter’s desperate loneliness and sadness, she calls out for anything, doesn’t matter what, to come and save her. “Anything” answers, and she surrenders to it, leading to the tragedy of the rest of this film.
Thank you for a review with some actual insight, Prude.
Excellent review! Though I want to say that I think your "Chekov’s gun" criticism doesn't quite land for one reason: Egger's is emphasizing, just as you note about Christmastide, that the bustling city has only the trappings of religious faith, but all sincerity is gone.
Not once in the city is there ever a shot of a church (at least the interior); not once is there ever a clergyman consulted. The ONLY depictions of Christianity we get in the city scenes are minor ones like the cross pendant which is fidgeted with but never invoked. It's like there's a subconscious longing there for deeper meaning - a meaning readily available but never engaged. I think the focus on the pendant specifically was very deliberate to drive this point home.
It's interesting that the Orthodox nuns were able to combat Noaferatu's powers but they even say to Thomas that he is not fully healed and that he must stay with them forever.
Great point, in the novel Thomas is Protestant and feels guilty holding the crucifix that the old Romanian woman gave him. There’s a tension between the rational Protestantism and the mystical Catholicism (which Stoker incorrectly identified Romanians as, Eggers corrects this making the nuns eastern orthodox). I would have loved to see that tension explored after he did it symbolically in The Witch. One thing that remains in the movie is that the mystical Eastern Orthodox works and is aware of these dark forces and the Christmastide Germans (is this a Protestant region?) are too rational and ill equipped to combat the evil.
The whole thing is clearly a Jungian allegory: coincidence of the opposites, the need to integrate them into a harmonious whole in order to dispel evil, that sort of thing. Defoe as a Swiss esotericist even seems to stand for Jung himself.
Very good review. I agree with much of what you said. I left a bit disappointed after seeing it last night, but wasn't sure why exactly. Your review helped clarify much of my thoughts as well.
This conservative-versus-liberal take is the obvious one for our secular age—i.e. “why was her skirt so short” as opposed to “no one asks to be raped.” The social conditions lying under this opposition notwithstanding (and I think you fleshed those out), the real question is one of character and motivation. That is, “why her?” I guess you could say the Count wanted an end to it all, a personal end a la Herzog’s Nosferatu; but any of that is merely implied at best. This Count has been called pure evil and terribly ppowerful, so why does he give a shit about some nubile he sucked and plowed years ago?
Too many leftist interpretations of this film yapping about repressed sexuality and bodily autonomy. The real point here is that a severe spiritual error made in the very first scene, the inability to distinguish between the holy and unholy, leads to death. In Ellen Hutter’s desperate loneliness and sadness, she calls out for anything, doesn’t matter what, to come and save her. “Anything” answers, and she surrenders to it, leading to the tragedy of the rest of this film.
Thank you for a review with some actual insight, Prude.
Great point!
Excellent review! Though I want to say that I think your "Chekov’s gun" criticism doesn't quite land for one reason: Egger's is emphasizing, just as you note about Christmastide, that the bustling city has only the trappings of religious faith, but all sincerity is gone.
Not once in the city is there ever a shot of a church (at least the interior); not once is there ever a clergyman consulted. The ONLY depictions of Christianity we get in the city scenes are minor ones like the cross pendant which is fidgeted with but never invoked. It's like there's a subconscious longing there for deeper meaning - a meaning readily available but never engaged. I think the focus on the pendant specifically was very deliberate to drive this point home.
It's interesting that the Orthodox nuns were able to combat Noaferatu's powers but they even say to Thomas that he is not fully healed and that he must stay with them forever.
Great point, in the novel Thomas is Protestant and feels guilty holding the crucifix that the old Romanian woman gave him. There’s a tension between the rational Protestantism and the mystical Catholicism (which Stoker incorrectly identified Romanians as, Eggers corrects this making the nuns eastern orthodox). I would have loved to see that tension explored after he did it symbolically in The Witch. One thing that remains in the movie is that the mystical Eastern Orthodox works and is aware of these dark forces and the Christmastide Germans (is this a Protestant region?) are too rational and ill equipped to combat the evil.
The whole thing is clearly a Jungian allegory: coincidence of the opposites, the need to integrate them into a harmonious whole in order to dispel evil, that sort of thing. Defoe as a Swiss esotericist even seems to stand for Jung himself.
Very good review. I agree with much of what you said. I left a bit disappointed after seeing it last night, but wasn't sure why exactly. Your review helped clarify much of my thoughts as well.
Thank you for sharing.
This conservative-versus-liberal take is the obvious one for our secular age—i.e. “why was her skirt so short” as opposed to “no one asks to be raped.” The social conditions lying under this opposition notwithstanding (and I think you fleshed those out), the real question is one of character and motivation. That is, “why her?” I guess you could say the Count wanted an end to it all, a personal end a la Herzog’s Nosferatu; but any of that is merely implied at best. This Count has been called pure evil and terribly ppowerful, so why does he give a shit about some nubile he sucked and plowed years ago?
Great review. Now that you said I’m realizing the greatest weapon was never provoked, though the crosses laid in the background throughout