Plot
It’s 1645 and England is torn by civil war – Oliver Cromwell’s Puritans control the eastern part of the island despite persistent pockets of Royalist resistance hiding in the woods, supporting Charles I.
In this chaotic and bloody milieu, sadistic inquisitor Matthew Hopkins carries out his brutal work, traveling from village to village, perpetrating atrocities in the name of a God he betrays as he abuses his power with impunity (“In a time where the superstitions of country folk are still a powerful factor, Hopkins preys upon them, torturing and killing“).
He’ll meet his match when a young soldier from Cromwell’s army decides to take justice into his own hands in order to avenge the wrongs Hopkins has inflicted.
The law is with me, remember!
Critique
8Bleak historical drama with horror overtones based on a Ronald Bassett novel and very competently directed by the late Michael Reeves, who opted for a crude, realistic tone to depict a world torn by a universal evil that swallows up and corrupts everything.
The young director curbs Vincent Price’s well-known histrionics with a firm hand, imposing unprecedented restraint on his performance – a winning move aimed at lending greater credibility to one of the most chilling villains in the history of cinema (Robert Russell also turns in an excellent performance in the role of his lascivious, sadistic assistant John Stearne).
Tense, violent, devoid of any hope, “Witchfinder General” is an admirable work that was ahead of its time, opening and closing with the mark of death (starting in medias res was a compelling choice). Tears, suffering, and pain obliterate the protagonist’s nascent romantic interest in the middle of the film.
More Info
- Inspired by the novel "Witchfinder General" (1966) by Ronald Bassett
Quotes
- A lack of order in the land encourages strange ideas.
- The law is with me, remember!
Trivia
- Vincent Price will return to hunting witches in the following – mediocre – “Cry of the Banshee” (1970).
Products
Disclosure
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| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
![Witchfinder General (aka The Conqueror Worm) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qkpV9YejL._SL75_.jpg) | Witchfinder General (aka The Conqueror Worm) [Blu-ray] | |
 | Witchfinder General (aka The Conqueror Worm) | |
 | Witchfinder General | |
![Witchfinder General [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fjBiBXw7L._SL75_.jpg){kind=small} | Witchfinder General [Blu-ray] | |
 | Witchfinder General (The Margery Family) |
| Nome del prodotto | Prezzo | |
|---|---|---|
 | Il Grande Inquisitore (Restaurato In Hd) | |
 | Il Grande Inquisitore |
| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Witchfinder General 4K Ultra HD | |
 | Witchfinder General | |
 | Witchfinder General | |
![Witchfinder General [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511IehCwKYL._SL75_.jpg) | Witchfinder General [DVD] | |
 | Witchfinder General (Devil's Advocates) |
| Nombre del producto | Precio | |
|---|---|---|
![El Inquisidor BdR (Witchfinder General) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5140Uc4ZcQL._SL75_.jpg) | El Inquisidor BdR (Witchfinder General) [Blu-ray] |
| Produktname | Preis | |
|---|---|---|
 | Der Hexenjäger (2-Disc Special Edition) 2x Blu-ray - Mit Vincent Price - Neben der ungekürzten Originalfassung enthält das 2-Disc-Set weltweit ... Hinzu kommt umfangreiches Bonusmaterial. | |
 | Der Hexenjäger (Ungekürzte Fassung) DVD - Mit mit Schauspiel-Legende Vincent Price - inkl. Director‘s Cut - Kultfilm von Michael Reeves |
| Nom du produit | Prix | |
|---|---|---|
![Le Grand Inquisiteur [Nouveau Master Haute Définition]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Ye+hWi0aL._SL75_.jpg) | Le Grand Inquisiteur [Nouveau Master Haute Définition] | |
 | Le Grand Inquisiteur | |
| Le Grand Inquisiteur / Witchfinder General (1968) [ Origine UK, Sans Langue Francaise ] (Blu-Ray) | |
![Le Grand Inquisiteur / Witchfinder General ( Witch finder General ) [ Origine UK, Sans Langue Francaise ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51tw2YPHnIL._SL75_.jpg) | Le Grand Inquisiteur / Witchfinder General ( Witch finder General ) [ Origine UK, Sans Langue Francaise ] |
| Product name | Price | |
|---|---|---|
 | Witchfinder General-Digitally Remastered Edition | |
| Witchfinder General | |
| Witchfinder General 4K Ultra HD | |
| Witchfinder General (The Margery Family) | |
| Witchfinder General |