Alas,
poor Albrun is the original lonely goatherd. You would think superstitious
villagers would try not to antagonize a suspected witch. However, this is the
15th Century Austrian Alps, so in addition to their paranoia, they
also have a slightly volky intolerant thing going on. They will harass and
ostracize Albrun and her mother, but matters will end badly for everyone in
Lukas Feigelfeld’s Hagazussa: A Heathen’s
Curse (trailer
here), which
screens tonight as part of Cinepocalypse 2017 in Chicago.
If
Albrun’s mother really had evil powers, presumably she wouldn’t let the
villagers get away with their loutish behavior. Instead of casting spells, she
seems to suffer from them. Unfortunately, she will soon be leaving Albrun
behind in the cold hard world. Ten or so years later, Albrun is similarly raising
an infant daughter on her own. We could assume it is the product of an assault,
but Hagazussa is not a talky film,
making backstory difficult to glean.
Albrun’s
life briefly brightens when one of the village women appears to befriend her,
but her motives are actually quite sinister. That makes Albrun angry and quite
possibly tears the last fibers holding her sanity in place. This is the sort of
film that garners a lot of attention for its technical artistry, but Aleksandra
Cwen is quite remarkable as grown Albrun. Watching her psyche splinter into
pieces is a ferocious viewing experience.
Shot
in arresting Gustave Doré-like black-and-white by cinematographer Mariel
Baqueiro, Hagazussa is a hushed
spectacle of mud, rain, and rotting carcasses. You can practically smell the
decay and corruption wafting off the screen. However, Feigelfeld’s pacing is
slow even by the standards of slow-burners. Narrative is a low priority for
this film. It is more about immersing viewers in this world of dread. Towards
that end, the eerie sound work of foley artist Peter Roigk and the almost
subliminal score of Greek chamber trio Mohammad really get under viewers’ skin,
possibly unnerving us more than the macabre imagery.
Everyone
and their black goats are comparing Hagazussa
to Robert Eggers’ The Witch, for
obvious reasons, but it also arguably shares a kinship with Haneke’s The White Ribbon. Feigelfeld is not
merely inviting the audience to witness a case of isolated madness. He is
giving us a peak into Teutonic original sin. This is a demanding film that
really ought to go further over the top during the climax, but you have to give
credit to Feigelfeld for realizing such a singular vision. Recommended for fully
fortified fans of avant-garde horror in the Häxan
tradition, Hagazussa: A Heathen’s
Curse screens tonight (11/4), as part of this year’s Cinepocalypse.
