A Maldição da Bruxa

There's barely three pages of dialogue here, so the onus was on visual storytelling and the score, and let me reaffirm, those two aspects didn't disappoint. It's got enough to make you shiver from disgust and horror, particularly in the final moments. There, the tension has built up to a fever pitch. The cinematography and use of lighting also add to the overall eerie atmosphere of the setting, making it quite a riveting experience.

However, the same remarks cannot be applied to its writing, as the narrative left numerous gaps that should have been filled. As the story appeared to lack tangible depth, I felt there was a need to elucidate more on the subject. The story could have been more satisfying if more attention had been paid to further exploration of the legend as well as character development.

Visually, it captivated, but narratively, it underwhelmed.

This debut and thesis film,"Hagazussa" by Lukas Feigelfeld is an exploration of 15th century European "witch" mythology, rural folklore and superstitions. It's a slow burn but it's visuals and sound mixing are astounding, which is why it has received many nominations and awards since 2017.

His style is yet to evolve, since the film's weak point is telling a story unlike Robert Egger's "The Witch" (2015) does well, inspired by U.S. colonial history. Except for the usages of three title cards to break the narrative, the story gets muddled. After the film viewing, I had seen many confused faces, not understanding what has happened as they left the room.

It's strengths of this emerging director to make the natural looks unnatural. The depictions of a bold performance by Aleksandra Cwen as "Alburn" amongst the Austrian landscape is truly visionary. But again for the general viewers it may not be enough to get into the story.

The film as a story explored moral conflicts amongst the villagers, referring to their persecution of Jews and others outside of the Christian spectrum.

The slowest of slow burns that surely has no trouble whatsoever in setting up an atmosphere that reeks of dread & terror yet doesn't really know what to do with it, Lukas Feigelfeld's directorial debut landed on my radar due to its comparisons to The VVitch and though the two films are stylistically similar, everything about Hagazussa is vastly inferior to Robert Eggers' diabolical masterpiece.

Despite a foreboding aura pervading the frames at all times and additional boost provided by its remote setting, cold palette, methodical camerawork & menacing soundtrack, this is horror on a standstill, for the plot goes nowhere nor does it do something productive with the impressive set up, and features the same episodes repeated throughout its runtime which become frustrating after a while.

Its 102 minutes runtime is paced so glacially that the film feels twice as long. It's too slow, too silent & too obtuse for its own good. The suspense it creates is nail-biting but it's got nothing to follow it up with and ratchet things up even further. Aleksandra Kwen aptly renders her character's struggle to preserve her sanity but her contribution doesn't amount for much in the end, just like its tense ambience.

Slower than your usual slow-burn narratives and never for once taking advantage of its ominous vibe, Hagazussa is a splendidly photographed & finely acted horror that keeps hinting at a nightmare that's waiting to unfold but never actually does. A dull, dreary & dreadful cinema that doesn't hold a candle to the perfection that is The VVitch, this German folktale is one of the most boring & unrewarding films of the year.

Before watching a film like this, it's important to know what you're getting into in terms of tone .This film is heavily atmospheric and slow-paced .Like recent examples The Witch and Hereditary I am very happy to see more excellent films breaking the mold of Hollywood formulaic paced fanfare for ADD viewer consumption. This film features masterfully slow burn storytelling with a sense of history, mystery and mythic dread. It is also very artfully shot with a perfectly matched deep bass soundtrack from MMMD and an outstanding often intense performance by lead actress Aleksandra Cwen. Looking forward to more from first time director Lukas Feigelfeld who nailed this one. Its up on Prime video free if your a member.

About half an hour into the film it gives up to tell a story and becomes a picture album. I've read the film took 4 years to make with a one year brake in-between. Makes you wonder if you have just seen the intermediate state where they took all the filmed material they had so far, strung it together for the sole purpose of achieving a length of circa a 100 minutes and call it a finished movie.