Directed by:
Michael ReevesCinematography:
John CoquillonComposer:
Paul FerrisCast:
Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Rupert Davies, Hilary Heath, Wilfrid Brambell, Margaret Nolan, Godfrey James, Bernard Kay, Tony Selby, Hira Talfrey, Anne Tirard (more)VOD (1)
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Vincent Price plays a 17th century witchfinder, a corrupt public servant who tortures and blackmails female victims for money, power and sex. A Young soldier discovers that his fiancee has been raped by price's brutal assistant, and tracks down the guilty pair. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (1)
There are comparisons between this film and our own Witchhammer all over the internet. Why not, but unfortunately for the British, Vávra's film is infinitely better. While Witchfinder General tells the same story and conveys the same horrific experience to the viewer (the absolutely impassive stares of the crowd watching the burning are sheer terror), it is not nearly as evocatively disgusting and authentic from start to finish. It's as if the filmmakers were afraid to tell the story of the witch trials "just because," so they wrapped the story in a fairly classically conceived adventure story with a romantic plot. It's certainly not bad, but I was expecting something a little different. I don't need to mention that Vincent Price (whom I would hardly recognize) is amazing.
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