Opus Diaboli Review: Haxan(with live score by Geoff Smith)
May 16 - The Junction, Cambridge UK
Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages, Benjamin Christensen's 1922 silent classic, is both one of the first depictions of witchcraft in the cinema, and is a cinematic rarity in the UK.
A treat, then on a rainy night, not long after Walpurgisnacht, to see a restored print of this film on the big screen. An even bigger treat to have it accompanied by a live score performed by Geoff Smith.
Geoff Smith performed his own composition on three hammer dulcimers, evoking delicate, tinkling notes, crashing chords and percussive effects in turn as the mood of the film changes.
For those who haven't been fortunate enough to see the film, the content is remarkably contemporary as it reviews the history of witchcraft from ancient times to the (then) modern day. Taking a sympathetic viewpoint it examines how the poor, the unfortunate and the mentally ill were often put first to torture, and then the stake during the 'burning times'.
There is something slightly eerie about the chiming, metalic sound of the dulcimer, which resonates with silent cinema, perhaps it is because it is an unfamiliar sound from another time. Geoff's score certainly matched the range of moods within the film, from the humourous, to the disturbing.
For those who have not been able to see this short UK tour, the DVD with Geoff Smith's score will be available on the Tartan label from July 23.
Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages, Benjamin Christensen's 1922 silent classic, is both one of the first depictions of witchcraft in the cinema, and is a cinematic rarity in the UK.
A treat, then on a rainy night, not long after Walpurgisnacht, to see a restored print of this film on the big screen. An even bigger treat to have it accompanied by a live score performed by Geoff Smith.
Geoff Smith performed his own composition on three hammer dulcimers, evoking delicate, tinkling notes, crashing chords and percussive effects in turn as the mood of the film changes.
For those who haven't been fortunate enough to see the film, the content is remarkably contemporary as it reviews the history of witchcraft from ancient times to the (then) modern day. Taking a sympathetic viewpoint it examines how the poor, the unfortunate and the mentally ill were often put first to torture, and then the stake during the 'burning times'.
There is something slightly eerie about the chiming, metalic sound of the dulcimer, which resonates with silent cinema, perhaps it is because it is an unfamiliar sound from another time. Geoff's score certainly matched the range of moods within the film, from the humourous, to the disturbing.
For those who have not been able to see this short UK tour, the DVD with Geoff Smith's score will be available on the Tartan label from July 23.
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