Between the late 15th and late 18th centuries, five hundred people were executed in England on charges of so-called 'witchcraft'. Over three hundred of those executions were at the hands of Mathew Hopkins and John Stearne over a period of just three years. If that isn't enough to send shivers up your spine, I don't know what is. 'Witchfinder General (1968)' features Vincent Price as Hopkins, a callous misogynist who earns money for exposing and executing people accused of witchcraft. Under the guise of 'doing the lord's work', he and his assistant Stearne torture people into giving false confessions (because, let's not forget, witchcraft isn't real) so that they can legally murder them and make off with a good chunk of cash from the local constituency. They mercilessly abuse their power and trap people in no-win situations (if you drown, you're innocent; if you float or swim, you're a witch and will be killed). As villains, they're both incredibly easy to hate. The film starts out as a stark and relatively realistic depiction of England's witch-hunt culture, decrying the barbaric practice by forcing you to helplessly watch it unfold. It's pretty brutal for a sixties movie, with impactful violence often performed in the context of unrelenting torture. The picture's second half shifts gears somewhat, transforming into a pulpy revenge story in which a soldier whose loved ones have been brutalised by Hopkins and Stearne travels across the country in an effort to send the killer conmen to meet their maker. Both halves are surprisingly effective, with the first being the sort of thing you watch through your fingers and the second being the sort of revisionism that allows for some wish-fulfilling fun. With solid performances and a willingness to be as brutal as necessary, the flick carves its own place within its genre. It's both straightforwardly entertaining and historically respectful, bringing attention to the horrors that happened during the time period it depicts. It's refreshing that there isn't even a hit of true witchcraft in the entire affair, as most media about witches ultimately features some sort of dark magic and accidentally legitimises the totally inexcusable actions that really took place in the past (even if the flick is on the victim's side). Ultimately, the experience is both enjoyable and horrific. It's surprisingly effective, really. 7/10.
Review of Witchfinder General
