Legend of the Witches

Legend of the Witches (1970)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Malcolm Leigh directed this rather interesting, if a bit slow, documentary about cults, Satanist and other such issues. The film tries to explore all aspects of witchcraft from its earliest days to the present time.

LEGEND OF THE WITCHES is a pretty interesting movie on a number of levels but I must admit that I wish the narration was a tad bit better. It certainly sounds like a British film from the 1970s (which it is of course) but there's no question that it's a bit too try and a bit too much like a professor talking to himself. Still, this is just a minor issue because the rest of the film is actually quite good.

We can start with the wonderful cinematography, which takes a very low-budget and makes it look like something more. I was really shocked to see how well the film looks and this includes the various lighting that was done to highlight certain things. There are are all sorts of Black Masses and strange rituals being done under the moonlight and they simply come across beautifully on the screen.

Another major plus is that there's a nice atmosphere to many of the re-enactments. The film opens up with a terrific sequence showing some wildlife in the forest before moving to a group of naked people doing a ritual. This ritual includes a naked man having a blindfold put on him and his led through the dark having to trust the woman leading him. Another great sequence happens towards the end when a Satan-like creature comes into play.

What's most shocking about this picture is how much full frontal nudity there is. Considering what type of films were being edited by the British censors, it's rather shocking that there's so much nudity on display here. That's certainly not a bad thing but it's just not something you'd expect to see.

LEGEND OF THE WITCHES really deserves to be better known. With its atmosphere and visuals, this really does come off as one of the better British horror films from this period.

This 1970 movie is a dramatised documentary on the cult and practice of witchcraft since pre-Christian times in Britain. Featuring tales of Pagan gods and goddesses mingling with artful landscape shots, pictures of wildlife, Stonehenge and other images, narrated in typically 1970s droning voice over by Guy Standeven, it tries to sell itself as a serious investigation into witchcraft in the modern world, but is just an excuse for copious amounts of female nudity. The whole thing just comes across as a titillating exploitation flick (director Malcolm Leigh went on to make the British Sex film, Games that Lovers Play in 1971), and is a really slow paced film which is pretty boring despite its far out subject matter. It does however feature a pretty mesmerising soundtrack which changes intensity throughout the film, and is also notable for including the only known footage of Alex Sanders, dubbed the King of Wicca.

The later part of the 1960s was a watershed in terms of censorship.The power of the Lord Chamberlain to censor the stage was abolished.Shortly after that the all nude revue Oh Calcutta was staged.At about the same time there was a furore about the showing of a females pubic hair.The film was shown uncut at the NFT.The censor,John Trevelyan wanted to keep in step with public tastes,so full frontal nudity was allowed.So all of a sudden producers were allowed to show everything,though there were and still are things they couldn't show.So give the audience a large dose of education and you could put in a reasonable amount of nudity.So that is clearly what happened here.It is actually quite entertaining.I think that the sonorous narration was by Valentine Dyall.Somehow I doubt that this was ever shown in any of the major circuits cinemas.

UPDATE: Now available in BluRay from the BFI. Excellent transfer, worth watching.

This was obviously made in an era when full frontal nudity in the cinema needed an excuse. "Now what can we use to get some pubics past the censor? I know! Witchcraft!", seems to be what the director thought.

A quick trip to Wardour Street to hire a camera, 50 quid for a roll of neg, and off to the local church for some background shots. "Let's make a movie (even if we can only afford black and white). Yippee!" Next off to Hampsted Heath with some cronies from the local pub (note to self: make sure the girls don't mind taking their knickers down; pity I forgot to tell the blokes not to try covering up their naughties as they all look like they are playing with themselves, when in fact they are trying to stop the camera seeing who is the "best man"!) I must say the rostrum camera-work isn't too bad and it's a pity that the database doesn't have the crew named.

The commentary sounds, and let's face it is, straight from the 1970's. You can imagine creeping into a dingy cinema full of the Dirty Mac brigade who are only sitting there to see the tits and bums.

From the above you will think that I am taking the urine, actually this film is quite interesting, well researched and deserves a play to a wider audience if only for the lack of coyness. But comments such as "The women's branch of the armed forces is a source of images" is well, rather odd to say the least! Although I can't imagine a real coven having so many long haired, firm breasted 20 year olds who all look like singer Mary Hopkin, accompanied by slightly balding 40 year old men trying to copulate with them. What happened to all the wizened, warty old hags? Perhaps they didn't go down the pub that night! In short, it's all a bit staged.

Something witchy this way comes, in the form of a documentary about witchcraft in the British Isles. It features much footage of ceremonies and the like. Its kind of like a newer version of the silent doc Haxan, only not as good. On the one hand its quite fascinating and visually well shot but on the other hand its really quite boring as well, with the lack of synchronised sound being a core reason for this. A definite curiosity piece though but whether you like it is another matter entirely.