The Witches

Starring: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson, Bill Paterson, Brenda Blethym, Charlie Potter
Directed by: Nicolas Roeg
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
1990

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A boy (Jasen Fisher) runs into a witch convention and must stop their diabolical plot to turn all the children in Europe into mice.

Review:

Tim: I've been trying to remember if I watched The Witches in my youth. I don't have a specific memory of it, outside of perhaps feeling frightened by the witches. I did go through a period of time when I couldn't sleep at night because I was so petrified of witches. Maybe this movie was the cause? I'm not sure, although it's entirely possible I'd seen this before. I won't count it in my official tally, because I would need to be certain. So, I'll only be able to comment on this from my adult eyes. The film is good, but not one I particularly loved. I recognize the film's strengths and they clearly outweigh the issues with it. Still, it all feels a bit underwhelming.

I have to admit, I've never been a big Roald Dahl guy. I read James and the Giant Peach, which was underwhelming. I've seen a ton of the movies based on his books and outside of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, most have been middling to disappointing. I just don't think I like the guy's vision or approach to telling children's stories. I do suppose The Witches is a fairly clever narrative, though. The premise of a convention of witches is an interesting one, as is the idea that a boy discovers their plot to transform mice into children. That's compelling, there are clear protagonists and antagonists, and it sets up some intense moments as good is pitted against evil. I don't love the concept, but it's clever and original. It's a solid foundation upon which to build a movie.

What stands out the most to me about this film is how Nicolas Roeg crafted the witches. In short, they are horrifying. The visuals, the hair and makeup, the costumes, the effects of what witches really look like under their disguises are the things nightmares are made of. Even as an adult, I have to admit, there were times I looked away. I've seen some messed up things over the years and 4,000+ movies, but these are among the worst- and this is a children's movie! They are just so disgusting, embracing the whole body horror aspect of this story was unexpected. They are grotesque, the hair, the warts, the noses, the feet. I'm honestly shocked the film wasn't nominated for any Academy Awards. Jim Henson and his team really outdid themselves. I'm cringing now just thinking about them. For half a second, I contemplated letting my 8 year-old son watch this movie before deciding not to. I'm so thankful I didn't subject him to this. He'd probably have nightmares and the cycle would continue. Shoot, I'm not entirely sure I wasn't subjected to nightmares, either. It's just odd for me to talk this much about the horrifying depiction of these witches in a PG movie, but that's where we are. The visuals of the witches are by far the most memorable part of the film. I did read that Dahl greatly disliked this amount of terror in his film. I sympathize with the guy, because while impressive, it's over-the-top.

The aspect that kids would likely most latch onto (if they haven't run from the room, screaming bloody murder) is the depiction of the kids as mice. This is certainly one of the coolest parts of the film. Using real mice for most of the sequences was brilliant (and likely challenging). For the closeup or talking scenes, using puppet mice was a great touch. Sure, it's obvious these aren't the same mice we just saw crawling around, but they are realistic enough for 1990 that it's easy to go along with it. I enjoyed seeing how Roeg shot the real mice and puppet mice scenes and I think generally, he did a good job of intertwining them both.

Anjelica Huston is impressive as the Grand High Witch. She's just the right amount of over-the-top and there's always been something inherently chilling about her. I think it's how she can look at you with eyes that seem to suggest there's nothing she'd rather do than tear you limb from limb. Her ability to step into this role is a big reason why the movie succeeds. It was fun seeing Rowan Atkinson in his entertaining supporting role. Jasen Fisher wasn't a great actor and doesn't deliver the best voice acting once he's transformed into a mouse. The cast as a whole is less than impressive, although Huston's shining performance is the highlight for sure.

One of the issues I had with the film is that I never felt that connected to the characters. The mythology about the witches is interesting- I actually loved learning about them here. The little details about how to tell someone is a witch are really clever. However, Luke and his grandmother and that greedy little pig boy, I just didn't care about them at all. I rooted for them because I so strongly disliked the witches, but they felt like stand-ins of actual characters with depth and heart. I was bored at various points in this film. Fortunately, Roeg keeps most of the story moving quickly enough that these lulls never last too long.

I'm not the biggest fan of The Witches, but I acknowledge this is a well-made movie that will make audiences feel something. It's easily one of the most frightening movies directed towards children I've ever seen. The depiction of the witches is fantastic and unforgettable. The mouse scenes are cleverly done. We get this adventurous tale of a young boy who goes to great lengths to stop evil witches from ruining thousands of lives. That's exciting and engaging. This isn't a movie I plan to watch anytime soon (or likely, ever again), but it's entertaining and well done.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach