Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious-- instead it's a witches' brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.
witch
superstition
insanity
mystic
sorcery
hysteria
satan
torture
devil
demon
witchcraft
mental illness
middle ages (476-1453)
silent film
satanic ritual
love potion
spellcasting
burned at the stake
folk horror
accusation
nervous disorder