Viy

1967 Directed by Georgi Kropachyov and Konstantin Ershov

Horror Marathon 2024 Day 11 Film 24

A priest has a drunken night where he is forced to be tasked by a witch on a night ride. He kills her when they come to the ground. The witch changes form to the beautiful daughter of a rich man - who summons the priest to spend 3 nights delivering her soul unto God. All of this is shown through spooky set pieces and the rural foggy landscapes. Even though the special effects are obvious in their unreality, it also speaks to the strength of the film that the unreality becomes part of the film's language.

I was especially taken with the first night ride where ethereal music comes up and the man seems to take on this horse-like hypnotism. She's especially intense- seeming to having a presence that puts fear in his eyes. The witch hops on his back, and they fly over trees with glee- almost freeing way which contrasts to the forced nature of the church that the priest must serve. They're paid to do the task, and he thinks of the money when each night the spirit of the witch comes back- with goofy silly displays and some comedic moments, but also showing the priest's occult nature drawing a circle of protection that must be retained by his faith.

The film does lull a bit, giving only small bits of the unreal torment and popping out effects that perhaps is intentional to question the man's sense of sanity, but by the third night he's driven to mad visions- with the highlight of campy figures and amusement. The way the camera floats about each scene also improves the experience- drawing the viewer in to the world of the film with reference to the spatial elements. I appreciated the way this film embraces the fantasy elements of the supernatural- and more modern films should free themselves from adhering to realism.