Witchfinder General Analysis

Witchfinder General Horror Analysis

This shot is a downwards tilt form the sun shining through the trees canopies to a field that houses sheep. You can clearly hear the sheep barring and that is then broken by the sound of distant hammering. I feel that the lamb is important to the rest of this scene as when you think lamb you think of a sacrificial lamb, it dies without any real meaning just the misguided beliefs of others. Something that looses it’s life to appease other and help them sleep at night. It also gives connotations of a village or a farm, due to the livestock, they have a large amount of sheep for meat and clothes. this scene seems to be peaceful but is unnerving due to the lack of sound.

The first shot is an extreme long shot . This shot show a man hammering nails into the wood. He’s wearing 17th century peasant clothes and due to how well he’s doing building the frame it could be suggested that he is the town’s carpenter. The shot is around early morning due to the slight part of a red sun that can be seen. The shot is based on a hillside a common place to conduct a public hanging . The sounds that can he heard is ambient , the birds and the wind. Sound perspective is used on the hammer, we hear a repetitive smack. That is then broken by a scream at which point a new shot starts.

This shot is a tracking shot, it is used to follow the villagers dragging a bound woman. In front of them walks a priest saying prayers . The bound woman is dressed in slightly poorer looking clothes and has mattered hair giving her a slightly crazed look, this will add to the villagers suspicions that she is a witch. The woman keeps shouting and crying repeating the phrase ‘oh god where is he’ , due to her increasingly hysterical attitude the towns people believe right in their accusations that she has been practising witchcraft. The rest of the towns people walk behind them in mob carrying weapons. The lighting is natural, the camera looks dulled to go with the clothing of the era. This could also represent the mood.

A slow zoom is used as the mob climb the hillside. The wind howls behind them as the priest speaks on. The town’s people walk warily behind them as if the ‘witch’ might try to escape. The woman continues to cry but put us less of a fight as she seems resigned to her fate. No one comes to her aid knowing that is they do they to will either be accused of being in cahoots with a witch or of being a witch themselves. At the time when the film was set social order was nigh on gone, people didn't know who to trust and wandered around like lost souls, this meant it was a prime time for people like Hopkins to take advantage. Not only did he instil terror to people’s mind but people thought him to be a hero form destroying said evil and readily agreed to his charges. This had a major draw back as it created similar witchfinders in an attempt to scam money and turned everyone against each other. Perhaps one of the reason no one saw fit to right this wrong was when a ‘witch’ was found it untied the people to get rid of it.

A close up is used on the priests face while he is reading the prays , while the woman is being forced into the noose. He doesn't feel sad that a life is about to be taken but looks upon the woman with disgust and anger. He’s angry that in his eyes she has used witchcraft and turned away from God. He’s disgusted at the witchcraft alit was thought to be an act of evil and sin, it had no redeeming connotations only bad. What could be said is that the priest is wrong in his emotions as there is only the word of Hopkins and no solid proof, this just shows that in those times humans were like sheep, they follow the ‘leader’. The lighting is darker in this shot and could be symbolising more than the time of day but also the feelings of the woman, very grim.

This shot is a high angle and shows how the woman is at the complete mercy of the villagers, at one word they will kill her. It show how dominant they are over her, more could be read into that as it’s the men that actually kill her by kicking the stool from beneath her, they are taking their ‘right’ to control the life of a woman. Again sound perspective is used on the rope as the woman swings back and forth. In the back of this shot the sun is shining, this could symbolise the villagers relief that their is one less ‘witch’ among them. This shot then fades into the next to show the Witchfinder Matthew Hopkins in a horse.

This shot is a fast zoom in on to the famed Witchfinder Matthew Hopkins who is said to have accused and sentenced over 200 women in two year. Minor key music is used to portray his personality, it becomes high and tense showing he is dangerous and that their could be bad repercussions is one was to upset him. He is dressed in dark clothing that looks to be of better standards than the villages, he can afford that even though his father is nothing more than a clergyman due to the high prices he charges for rooting out witches. His face cannot be seen clearly as it is shadowed, showing that he has a darker personality and that he can hide himself if need be. The white horse is in complete contrast with his clothing as, the colour white gives connotations of purity and peace of with he is nether and does not promote them either contrary to what he says.

This medium shot is where the plot really begins. The two ‘roundheads’ are talking about the right roundheads Sara who is later accused of witchcraft. Their clothes show their status as supporters of parliament, they look wealthy and without a spec of dirt on them. The lighting from the sun is bright reflecting the jovial mood of the men and the lightness of the conversation. The dialogue is spoken very formally ‘ungodly thoughts’. Although they are of a higher station they still must obey orders form the leader and listen to hi authority ‘Yes Sir, of course Sir’. The roundhead on the right is thinking of Sara a woman who he is to marry unknowing of the trouble that awaits her. They hold themselves with dignity and confidence, their movements are graceful and fluid this suggest a noble upbringing.

This shot is a medium close up on Richard’s face as he wanders though a forest. The tree branches cut of some of the light giving a shadowed effect on his face . In his hands is a pistol that he intents to use to provide protection but holds it as if he were scared of it and new to holding a gun. The music his low and tense and fragmented, this reflect his emotions scared, and unsure. His friend is gone and he just heard a gunshot. His movements have become slow and jerky showing his worry for his friend and the situation that he has found himself in.