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Vincent's performance in Witchfinder General, is really interesting -- in that he slices down on the usual ham and plays it much more restraint, introverted and psychologised. You get this sensation that deep down -- on some abstracted plane of thought -- he is fully knowlage about the evil that he's doing and that witchery is all a bunch of hogwash, but that he's inable to stop doing what he's doing since it fufills some base need within him to punish and hurt other human beings, especially women.
And not to mention his thuggish henchman, the vile and wretched John Stearne played by Robert Russell! He's the absolute opposite of how Vincent Price plays it, basically the Id personifierad, a true animal and a real wretched unbridled scum. The way his raw sadism contrasts and plays with Price's more sinister and psychologised sadism is just a fantastic dynamic in the film.
Yeah that's a good way to put it, 'raw sadism' vs internalised religious sadism. Haven't seen Price in anything else to compare his performance here too, but I thought it was very good.
I never really got the "watching horror movies because they're scary" maxim, simply because the amount of horror movies that are scary could probably be counted on two hands, at least in adulthood. For me, it's more about the mood, atmosphere, or the thrill of seeing a story about death and survival. Or in the rare cases of a film that possesses the quality of Witchfinder General, the sheer psychological darkness in it.
Well, I've probably told you before I don't actually enjoy scary horror movies at all, so it certainly wasn't a criticism!
Can we talk about the ending? We need to talk about the ending.
Indeed, we can.
The ending just has psychological darkness up the wazzu.
I think Witchfinder General is one of the better "Revenge will Destroy you" narratives around.
Richard Marshall girlfriend -- the very person he set out to achieve vengence for -- has just been tortured right in front of him. His mates break into the prison and finish of Hopkins. Marshall goes crazy, tossing himself at Hopkins corpse, screaming at them for killing him so to deny him his vengence. All while his girlfriend is wallowing in her own misery.
In this critical moment, Marhsall has become so consumed with vengence that he cares more about killing Hopkins then the wellbeing of his girlfriend. His smoldering need for vengence has debased the earnest love he once had for Sara. So insterad of comforting Sara, protecting her, being there for her in her moment of need, reasussuring her that their love can conquer all -- all his thoughts are of Hopkins and his mad anger at being denied vengence. Instead of being a person dominated by his thoughts of love for Sara he is a person dominated by his loathing for Hopkins.
That virtues man who swore to deliver justice to Sara's father inside the church ain't there anymore. That's some dark, disturbing shit right there -- and Witchfinder General just plays this development sublimely.
Yes I did a bit of research after and the real Hopkins died in his best after a period of illness, but you can certainly see why they added the character of Marshall/love interest - it added a human aspect to the witch hunts through their relationship, and an element of Hopkins getting 'what he deserved' rather than just dying in bed, but as you say, it's certainly not a happy ending either. I agree the film did an excellent job of conveying the way he was consumed by the need for revenge, to the expense of everything else.