The October Horror Film Diary: Day 2 - October 2, 2019

Hagazussa,  Germany 2017 (USA Release 2019), Dir by Lukas Feigelfeld, starring Aleksandra Cwen, Celina Peter, Claudia Martini

For a second film we went for recent German release Hagazussa.  While staying in Germany (for reals this time - no US movie set in Germany...actual Germany in Germany) we headed much further back in time - to the 1400s.

In the tree covered mountains of dark ages Germany we come across a woman and a daughter making their way through the snow back to their remote home.  It soon becomes apparent that they are both shunned by their neighbors as a witch and a witch's daughter.  What follows is a glacially paced film about life as a shunned object of scorn.  It’s picturesque beauty and solemn subject matter bring to mind Robert Egger’s The Witch.  And like Eggers, Lukas Feigelfeld is a first time director who’s debut outing feels like one of a confident, veteran filmmaker.

But Hagazussa is both a slower moving film than The Witch, if you can believe it, with an even darker heart at it’s core.  Told in four chapters, with single word titles like “Horn” and “Blood”, Albrun is apparently all alone in the world for 3 of them (it's no spoiler to say she loses her mother after the first chapter).  And as cruel as the world is to Thomasen in The Witch, the world is evern crueler to Albrun.

The sum total of people who care for  Albrun consists of one - her mother.  Taunted by local children and looked down upon by the local priest, she does seem to pick up one friend along the way.  But then in a film like this, we know where this leads. But in this case, while it's debated amongst critics and viewers how much is supposed to be real and how much is some form of fever dream, it's about as dark a place as a movie can head.

But it is all so very beautifully and patiently photographed.  This is art house horror for sure, the sort that many folks will not have the patience for.  But for those who can handle watching hypnotic beauty and a very slow pace while experiencing some truly disturbing things, this film is worth a view.

I often describe works by Lars Von Trier or Peter Greenaway as exquisite photography of awful, awful things.  I think we can add Hagazussa to this list.

Viewed on Amazon Prime.