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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1565

Häxan

1922105 minSwedenDenmark
HorrorDocumentaryFantasy
Video edition
Internet Archive
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: Swedish.
This copy runs
105:14
Subtitles
English

Languages and subtitles

Subtitles requested

Internet Archive · Benjamin Christensen · Internet Archive source edition

Subtitles: Archive subtitle; sampled and corrected by Open Classic Cinema · Open Classic Cinema

Synopsis

Illustrations, miniature models and staged episodes lead into a disturbing journey through beliefs about witchcraft. An accusation against an elderly woman spreads through interrogation, fear and coercion, while the filmmaker compares earlier persecutions with the medical ideas of his own era. The result moves between historical essay, dark comedy and horror.

Cast

DirectorsBenjamin Christensen

Historical context

Produced with Swedish backing and filmed in Denmark, Häxan mixes explanation with deliberately theatrical visions of devils and witch trials. Its historical argument belongs to the early twentieth century; its use of the diagnosis of hysteria should not be mistaken for current medical knowledge.

Inspirations

Christensen studied images and writings associated with witchcraft, including the Malleus Maleficarum. The dramatized accusations illustrate his interpretation of persecution, rather than documenting a single trial exactly as it happened.

Behind the scenes

Benjamin Christensen also appears as the Devil. Makeup, lighting, models and staged tableaux turn the research into spectacular images. The silent 1922 film is distinct from the shorter 1968 reworking with spoken narration.

Reception and legacy

Its mixture of disturbing imagery and historical explanation unsettled early viewers. Later audiences have valued the unusual combination of documentary argument and horror staging.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and creditsCriterion — film and creditsWikipedia — Portuguese release titleImage: Svensk Filmindustri / Danish Film Institute / Wikimedia Commons — CC0

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 18, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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