The Witch.

[Koukol Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Koukol]

SPOILER


I'm surprised some think the ending ruined the ambiguity of the film since it didn't for me.
The more I think about the film the more I believe the daughter was either unhinged or a witch in making.
The witch in the woods was her alter-ego.

Main reasons would be...
She was in the woods alone with the baby that disappeared.
She saw her brother lusting after her before his seduction scene.
She was the sole survivor who either lost her mind or became THE WITCH.
Having just said this I'm not convinced the Witch in the woods didn't exist.

I read that the baby ritual, at the beginning, was an accurate depiction for a flying spell.
This beautifully ties in the ending.

I personally don't want this film any more ambiguous.

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

Some very interesting points there, Koukol.

I don't think the ending spoiled the ambiguity, but I do think that ending with the walk into the woods would have been a little more poetic and unsettling, especially given the way in which SPOILERS....... the resonance of the words of Black Philip immediately prior :) By finishing on the coven practising their flying spell and Thomasina's moment of exhiliration, whether we take that as 'real' or not, it kind of affirms Black Philip's suggestion that Thomasina will find her 'transformation' joyous.

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

I don't think the ending spoiled the ambiguity, but I do think that ending with the walk into the woods would have been a little more poetic and unsettling, especially given the way in which SPOILERS....... the resonance of the words of Black Philip immediately prior :) By finishing on the coven practising their flying spell and Thomasina's moment of exhiliration, whether we take that as 'real' or not, it kind of affirms Black Philip's suggestion that Thomasina will find her 'transformation' joyous.

I also didn't think the ending ruined the admitted ambiguity (though I lean more towards a supernatural interpretation of the film), but I agree, Paul, the film would have ended on a much more haunting note if it had faded out on her walk into the woods. I say that while also feeling those floating shots were creepy in their own way, but I'd trade that for something that left a bit up to your imagination.

Either way, I am thoroughly enjoying all the viewpoints here. Can't recall the last recent horror film to inspire this kind of discussion.

[JoeS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoeS]

Either way, I am thoroughly enjoying all the viewpoints here. Can't recall the last recent horror film to inspire this kind of discussion.

BABADOOK. (And, I thought the ending there was a little off in tone, as well. Though not as damaging as the one in THE WITCH)

[Christian Bates-Hardy Pod Person Find all posts View Profile Close Christian Bates-Hardy]

Just picked up the Canadian steelbook release of this. Looking forward to seeing if it lives up to the hype. I love me some folk horror.

[Keeth Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keeth]

My local rental place only had a few copies that were all checked out so I grabbed a torrent yesterday. If I like it, I'll buy a used blu in the near future. It certainly looks promising & I like what I've read so fingers are crossed...

[Koukol Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Koukol]

Sorry for the spoilers, guys.

[Keeth Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keeth]

I just finished The Witch & I agree with everything everyone here has written about it.

I think I'll definitely be picking up a used blu when I come across a copy. I wish I had preordered the soundtrack LP a few weeks ago.

[Mark Tolch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark Tolch]

I was going to order the soundtrack LP, but then realized that I'd just be playing it at night to scare myself.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I was tempted to get the soundtrack too.

[Keeth Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keeth]

The OST is still available. The label, Milan Records, has it in stock but charge $7.99 for shipping so I'll be looking elsewhere.

[Mark Tolch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark Tolch]

Amazon.CA has it for 30 canadian. Good deal if you have us funds.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Source.

"Part of what makes writer/director Robert Eggers' THE WITCH so damn haunting onscreen and as echoes in the imaginations of audiences is its timelessness, the way it feels like a story we've heard over and over again but in a brand new, maliciously-fresh way, like a carcass skinned in a whole new fashion. We taste tidbits of HANSEL AND GRETEL, THE CRUCIBLE, even the story of Genesis, but none sit on our narrative tongues quite the way we expect. To call this level of production mere attention to detail is to do it a severe injustice, as the many meticulous elements that make THE WITCH are themselves as important and fascinating as the composite film they create.

What is required for true appreciation of the film, then, is an equally meticulous analysis, which is exactly what we've come to expect from Leon Thomas' Renegade Cut YouTube Channel, which recently turned its eye to Eggers' film and how it helps reinvent a genre by revaluating its roots, as well as how it wields its many elements to craft a scathing diatribe against blind faith and the inherent perils therein. As an essay, it casts a spell all its own that will have you rewatching its source material with a broader, deeper respect."

[Randy G Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Randy G]

Finally saw this. Very good probably the best horror film this decade so far.

Regarding the ending I see what many say regarding ambiguity but there are a few signs in the film that suggest that what is happening is real (eg. the damage to the roof of the stable) and the subtitle of Folk Tale signals that. I think much of the power of the film comes from it taking the beliefs of the characters and period seriously and this gives it a poetic force a rationalist approach wouldn't achieve.

[Lalala76 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lalala76]

I seriously recommend picking up the soundtrack ( I bought the vinyl). As a peice of music it holds up extremely well on its own and is even more haunting.