The Witch's Dilemma: Walking the Line Between Good and Evil

The question of whether the witch has good intentions is a complex and subjective one. In many fairy tales and folklore, the witch is often portrayed as an antagonist, with malevolent intentions and a desire to harm others. However, it is essential to recognize that this characterization is not always accurate or fair. In some stories, the witch may indeed have good intentions, even if her methods are unconventional or misunderstood. She may possess magical powers and knowledge that she uses to help others, protect nature, or restore balance in the world. These intentions are not inherently evil or malicious, and in fact, they can be seen as altruistic or benevolent.

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To say I didn t get what I was expecting is a huge understatement, I was expecting a run of the mill horror, with all the usual cliches, obvious and blatant scares, etc, but instead I got to watch ninety minutes of rather subtle, intelligent and subtle horror. Whatever your takeaway, it is crucial to understand that Thomasin s choice to live deliciously stems purely from her circumstances, the alternative being a lonely, agonizing death.

These intentions are not inherently evil or malicious, and in fact, they can be seen as altruistic or benevolent. Furthermore, it is crucial to remember that the portrayal of witches as evil beings with wicked intentions can be influenced by societal norms, prejudices, and cultural beliefs. Historically, women who practiced natural healing remedies or held unconventional beliefs were often persecuted and labeled as witches.

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There's another version of "The Witch" that could've existed. A Puritan family in New England gets terrified by a witch living in the woods, who torments them with supernatural Satanism. If you're saying to yourself, "wait, isn't that exactly what this movie is?" then you've come to the right review.

I'm not what you'd call a fan of horror movies. I don't gravitate toward the genre and I almost never seek horror movies out in theaters. That said, any movie that garners critical acclaim or positive buzz piques my interest as a fan of cinema on the whole. "The Witch" lives in that territory as a horror movie for cinephiles, not for audiences who love the thrill of a good scare.

That's not to say "The Witch" isn't scary; it is. It's just not scary in the modern trend-driven, formulaic, "movie trailer that ends with a jump-scare" kind of way. Writer and director Robert Eggers, who makes his feature film debut, builds his terror with tension drama and mystery, not by creating the pervasive sense that some creepy thing will pop into the frame at any moment.

Eggers, a production designer first and foremost, builds his "Puritan nightmare" from the ground up, starting with all the tiniest era-appropriate details in the set, costumes and even dialogue. It doesn't take a historian to notice the immaculate craftsmanship and consideration of time and place. Eggers' devotion to this realism pays off in that the "The Witch" never loses its footing in reality even as more supernatural elements creep into the story. Well, until the end, but let's not go there except to say that by then, the realism matters much less.

The story follows a Puritan family that leaves its plantation and village over religious differences and goes off to build a home near the edge of the woods. Suddenly, the family infant, Sam, disappears under the watch of the eldest child, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy). The incident devastates the mother (Kate Dickie) and father (Ralph Ineson), who convince everyone it was a wolf that took Sam, but the tragedy trickles down to the four children, Thomasin, pre-teen Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) and young twins Jonas and Mercy. Of course, the audience is privy to what actually happened to Sam, and we know things will only get worse for the family.

Considering the legitimate Puritan fear of Satan and witches, the subsequent events begin to tear into the family dynamics, which adds to the tension that already exists over what unnerving thing might happen next. The story could definitely have gone deeper into distrust and paranoia, but then it might have become too much of a "witch trial" movie.

The way the movie ends will draw no shortage of opinions, but without a doubt, Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke have made an and utterly engrossing film that would be just as effective had it just been a period drama instead of a horror film - from a visual standpoint. Blaschke works almost exclusively with available natural light, which in addition to bolstering Eggers' emphasis on realism, keeps the specter of darkness and evil hanging over the family. In fact, had the film not marketed itself so overtly as a horror film, it might have been given more awards consideration.

Regardless, Eggers delivers a remarkable feature debut that's a definite breakthrough candidate; he will certainly have a lot of eyes on his future projects. His focus on detail and strong cinematic instincts could work wonders on a more mainstream project, but if he opts for more small-budget genre films, no complaints here.

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This is one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen. It takes place in the time of the Salem Witch Trials. A Calvinist minister, his wife, and five children are forced out of the small town in which they live. They have few practical skills and are at the mercy of the wilderness. Thomasin, the beautiful daughter maintains her sanity through most of the film as the others fall apart. But there is something truly dark at work. Excellent film but not for most viewers.

To say I didn't get what I was expecting is a huge understatement, I was expecting a run of the mill horror, with all the usual cliches, obvious and blatant scares, etc, but instead I got to watch ninety minutes of rather subtle, intelligent and subtle horror. The film is hugely atmospheric, moody and tense, it is visually fantastic, with great scenery and costumes. The story unfolds cleverly, when I think of witches, this is what comes to mind, as opposed to the more conventional. As you watch you never quite know what's coming next, or who the malign force truly is. Some truly unsettling and disturbing scenes, it's not a horror in the conventional sense, the scares are not cheap, but very poignant. Very good performance from the cast, Ralph Inseson and Kate Dickie in particular. On occasion the dialogue sounded a little flat, but it was in keeping with the setting of the movie.

It all starts when William's interpretation of the New Testament leads him to being banished from the plantation where his family has moved to from England. Instead of the safety of being around others, now he and his brood have to live within the forest.

One day, when the oldest daughter Thomasin is playing with the youngest, Samuel, the baby disappears, stolen by a witch and devoured. William insists that a wolf stole the child while his wife is decimated for the rest of the film. William's lies move the story further in motion - he takes Caleb hunting deep in the wood when he has promised his wife he would not and he sells her father's cup for hunting supplies. Meanwhile, Mercy and Jonas, the twin children of the family, insist that they speak to the goal named Black Phillip while contending with Thomasin that they are also witches.

The next morning, son Caleb leaves to see if he can get food for his family, thereby keeping them from selling Thomasin into servitude. She goes along with him, but their dog chases a hare and their horse throws Thomasin as Caleb is lost in the woods, eventually being seduced by yet another witch.

Soon, all Hell is literally breaking loose. Caleb returns, near death, and throws up an apple before his violent death. The twins forget how to pray and go into a trance. And the mother is convinced that Thomasin is behind it all.

Up until this point, the film moves at an incredibly slow pace. Get ready. I don't want to spoil anything, but it gets more and more demented, paying off everything you've been waiting for.

The first film for Robert Eggers, this shot in natural light film is something to behold. It seems much more confident than a first film would suggest. There is also a lot of attention paid to supernatural detail, such as the Enochian language used throughout for the witches.

I've debated the end of this film so many times. Is it about Thomasin's escape from teen to full womanhood? Is it the sin of William's pride destroying his entire family? Is it about the fact that evil actually exists and that it may claim even the most pious? Or is the issue that William only sees the hellfire and brimstone of the Gospel when he should be preaching the literal Good News, the celebration of Christ conquering death? Would Thomasin desire to live deliciously if her life had not been so oppressive? Is it about the divide between mother and daughter? Is it a Satanic parable?

Period pieces don't often serve as the backdrops for horror, which is actually a real shame. Consider The Witch, a story about a banished Puritan family trying to sustain itself on the edge of an ominous forest inhabited by a gruesome witch. The faithful representation of one of the most creepy time periods in American history makes all the difference here. The family's dealings with the supernatural terror in the woods push their spiritual and physical endurance to the breaking point. Robert Eggers pulls no punches and makes no apologies in this film. The Witch's scenes are steeped in primal dread, and each actor makes the audience feel the seams come apart as paranoia and mistrust begin to take their toll. While Game of Thrones alumni Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie offer brilliantly raw performances as the family's mother and father, it's the film's younger actors—Harvey Scrimshaw and Anya Taylor-Joy—who really shine. Scrimshaw captures the nuanced turmoil of being an adolescent male in a strictly religious family. As the oldest daughter who is blamed for the witch's malevolent deeds against the family, Anya Taylor-Joy shows a surprising amount of risk and range in her performance. The film swings for the fences on all fronts. The performances are explosive, the tension is gut-wrenching, and the settings are nightmarish. To the horror films of 2015, the gauntlet has officially been thrown down. –Alex Springer

Extremely well-made horror film set in New England during the 1600s as a family moves away from a colony and starts a new life in a house on the edge of some woods. One day the oldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) is watching her baby brother when something from the woods takes the child. Soon the family is torn apart by witchcraft.

Writer-director Robert Eggers' THE WITCH is the latest horror movie that is getting raves from critics and fans and it's also the newest movie to be called the "scariest of all time." I'm not going to sit here and say the movie scared me because it really didn't. With that said, THE WITCH really was a refreshing throwback to various European horror films from the late 60s and early 70s where atmosphere was the most important thing.

I really respected that Eggers tried to deliver a religious horror film that didn't deal with cheap shock effects and needless over-the-top exorcisms. There's really not any graphic violence or gore either. Instead of going for these cheap jump scares the director instead builds up a terrific setting and slowly plays out the action. The film clocks in at just over 90 minutes and rest assure that every single second is well-made, effective and it slowly builds up to its conclusion. I'm sure mainstream teenage viewers won't enjoy such a slow build-up but adults should enjoy this.

The atmosphere is certainly the selling point of the movie. I thought the director made you believe that you were watching something taking place in the 1600s and there's no question that the entire cast does a very good job in their parts. The atmosphere is certainly rich and thick and manages to set the film apart from most of the horror movies out there now. As I said, I wasn't scared by THE WITCH but it did a good job at slowly building up the drama and it plays out extremely well.

. because the amount of 10/10 is very confusing to me. The overuse of the term "Masterpiece" as well. It is not a bad movie, the hour and a half went by fast, the cinematography is beautiful and the acting is good, but I must say I was expecting more intensity in the characters or in the plot. Not necessarily "scary" things or jumpscares, which I hate, but simply more depth. The witch character was intriguing and I wish we had seen more of her. Overall I don't think I'll ever watch this movie again because I don't think there's more to be analyzed, I dont think the cinematography is fantastic enough to rewatch it either, I didn't get attached to the characters. In short, it is a good movie but doesn't quite deliver after seeing all these 10/10 reviews. I do have to say that the last movie I watched was Midsommar, which blew me away, so compared to it this movie is pretty bland.

I feel like I can't come up with the right words to describe this incredible movie, but I'll try. The lingering atmosphere is done incredibly well from the beginning, helped along by a combination of a tense score and the use of extended periods of silence. The acting is bang-on and you don't know when or how it is going to end. The movie doesn't have 'twists' exactly, but the way it is written keeps you guessing constantly. And I personally loved the ending. Though the potential is there to use a more standard approach, The Witch however opts to go down a more subtle avenue, leading to the true nature of religious persecution that is on full display here. Additionally, elements of the story have been taken from historical documents, adding another layer of grimness. The supernatural elements are obviously up for discussion, but that these tales were written centuries ago somehow adds more to this disturbing film.

The film is set in 1630, in New England, America. A Puritan family is banished from town for their beliefs (or it at least seems this way, perhaps based on real events). They are forced to move to a farm that feels like it is on the edge of the world, as from the opening the woods that line the farm are presented in ominous fashion, almost creating a character that could serve as the scariest element of the film. What exactly goes on in there? Why can't the children venture inside? Suddenly, without warning, tragedy strikes. The family clings to their faith to prevent them from starving as their crops die; with nothing they can do to prevent it.

The period is an appropriate choice given how humans treated each other centuries ago, and an ideal setting for a horror tale. Some conversations require a little more attention, as the characters speak in 'ye olde English' which takes a little getting used to, but it adds another layer of mystery as the family is struck by more inexplicable hardships, causing them to become wary of each other, which in turn leaves them in a increasingly vulnerable state. I can't say I is scared, but I do know that I is gripping the armrests pretty hard for most of the film. Hell, they manage to make a scene where a man is hunting a rabbit seem tense and creepy! Additionally, this is not for inattentive viewers; I could see clock-watching all around me. The incredible camera-work almost reminds me of Paul Thomas Anderson in There Will Be Blood, with many long takes, often slowly panning or zooming in. There is also a focus on facial close-ups reminiscent of Bergman, all of which is a feast to watch on an IMAX screen. The score matches this camera-work almost to perfection, while there is often a lengthy silence between dialogue to contrast the tense music. It also must be mentioned that the child actors really shine, out-doing their older counterparts.

This really is my sort of horror film. No jump-scares, convincing acting and a focus on a dark, foreboding atmosphere rather than the grotesque and bloody. This is another of those films I would label as a psychological thriller, as the supernatural horrors are kept almost completely out of view as we witness the downfall of a family who are all affected, turning on each other as their faith is truly tested.

This film couldn't have catered to my interests more; I can't recommend it to everybody, but if you go in with no preconceived notions you'll be in for a tasty, if not nasty surprise. The suspense is almost unparalleled among recent films, and the 'horror' genre conventions are cleverly subverted to deliver a film that is better than 'It Follows' while being a completely different film. In addition to all this, there is much to take in thematically if you are so inclined Hell, I'd love to see this again to do just that.

But Eggers is also helped by impeccable casting. As the parents, Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie (known for the British Office and Game of Thrones, respectively) share a fraying marriage where neither participant quite realizes anything is wrong. Harvey Scrimshaw turns Caleb, the eldest son (who keeps checking out his sister), into a pious figure of righteousness who only slowly realizes how in over his head he is.

This negative perception has been perpetuated in literature and popular culture, further contributing to the stereotype of the malevolent witch. Overall, it is essential to approach the question of whether the witch has good intentions with an open mind and a critical perspective. While some witches may indeed have negative intentions, it is unfair to paint all witches with the same brush. Just like any other character, their intentions and actions should be evaluated on an individual basis, considering their context, motivations, and the larger narrative they are a part of. Only then can a fair judgment be made about whether the witch has good or evil intentions..

Reviews for "The Witch's Crusade: Fighting Evil with Unconventional Methods"

1. Jennifer - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Does the witch have good intentions". The story seemed promising at first, but it quickly became confusing and disjointed. The characters were poorly developed and their motives were unclear. The plot also seemed to drag on without ever really going anywhere. Overall, I found the book to be tedious and unsatisfying.

2. Mike - 2/5 stars - I just couldn't get into "Does the witch have good intentions". The writing style was convoluted and the pacing was inconsistent. The author tried to build suspense, but it just fell flat for me. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it hard to connect with the characters. I struggled to finish this book and it definitely didn't live up to my expectations.

3. Sarah - 3/5 stars - While "Does the witch have good intentions" had an interesting premise, I found the execution to be lacking. The author tried to incorporate too many plot twists and turns, which ended up making the story feel disjointed. I feel like the book had potential, but it needed more focus and clarity. However, I will say that the descriptive language was vivid and evocative, which was a redeeming factor.

4. David - 2/5 stars - I found "Does the witch have good intentions" to be a confusing and frustrating read. The author seemed to jump between different perspectives and timelines without providing clear transitions, leaving me constantly confused about what was happening. The characters were also quite bland and lacked depth, making it difficult to feel invested in their journey. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and let down by this book.

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