I suspect Christopher Lee was shown a different script when he agreed to do this movie. At one point we get several shots of Lee's hand fondling a woman - and it's not his but a stand-in hand!
Judge Jeffries is a real historical figure, of course, best known for the 'bloody assizes' following the Rimehouse Plot, and for presiding over the trial of Titus Oates. Not here, where all he really does is condemn lots of women to torture and death. Even when the rebels against the king are rounded up - they are all female! Mysogyny reigns supreme in this movie, with women being whipped, racked, bled, branded and other such stuff, all while naked or nearly so.
I came into it hoping for a decent historical drama with a bit of horror, but got an inaccurate movie with lashings of torture. On occasion the movie even lapses into German!
Vastly inferior to the film it rips off - Witchfinder General, I bet Mr. Lee - the best thing by far in this picture, which makes me wish he'd have got a chance to play Jeffries in a proper film - quickly expunged this one off his cv!
Judge Jeffries is a real historical figure, of course, best known for the 'bloody assizes' following the Rimehouse Plot, and for presiding over the trial of Titus Oates. Not here, where all he really does is condemn lots of women to torture and death. Even when the rebels against the king are rounded up - they are all female! Mysogyny reigns supreme in this movie, with women being whipped, racked, bled, branded and other such stuff, all while naked or nearly so.
I came into it hoping for a decent historical drama with a bit of horror, but got an inaccurate movie with lashings of torture. On occasion the movie even lapses into German!
Vastly inferior to the film it rips off - Witchfinder General, I bet Mr. Lee - the best thing by far in this picture, which makes me wish he'd have got a chance to play Jeffries in a proper film - quickly expunged this one off his cv!