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Season of the Witch
Season of the Witch

A movie directed by Dominic Sena

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A Contradiction in Sermons

  • Jan 8, 2011
Rating:
+3
Star Rating:


What we have here is a bit of a contradiction: A historical drama that exposes the hypocrisy of the Church and a supernatural thriller that confirms the existence of evil demonic forces. This is clearly not a matter of what the filmmakers would have us believe, but even in terms of pure entertainment, I’m puzzled as to how anyone thought both messages could be sent in the same story. One can be taken seriously. The other cannot. Season of the Witch (which, incidentally, is not to be confused with the George A. Romero film of the same name) is initially caught in a tug-of-war between substance and spectacle, only for the latter to win and bring the whole thing down to the level of a dimestore possession tale. It hardly seems a fitting vehicle for Nicholas Cage – although, I must admit, his project choices have of late been less than memorable.
 
He plays a knight named Behmen. He and his friend, Felson (Ron Perlman), start off as loyal knights fighting in the Crusades; they mercilessly stab, slit, and maim in the belief that their enemies are an affront to God and his son, Jesus Christ. But after years of mindless battling, they realize that women and children are among the slaughtered, and they become disillusioned. Strange that it took them so long to realize who they were killing. They quit the army, are decreed as deserters, and live life as outcasts for some months before happening upon a town ravaged by the Black Plague – a dark, filthy place of wood and stone, where the faithful roam the streets flagellating themselves while robbed figures haul away rotting bodies on carriages. Watching this, I kept in mind that the men of Monty Python were able to make this kind of thing funny.

                                              
                                              
Behmen and Felson are caught and taken to the bedchamber of Cardinal D’Ambroise (a cameo by Christopher Lee), whose face has been monstrously disfigured by illness. He and his subjects have reason to believe a witch is the cause of this pestilence. They have her locked in a dungeon below, for, according to a priest named Debelzaq (Stephen Campbell Moore), she has already confessed to it and to making a pact with Lucifer. D’Ambroise wants Behmen and Felson to transport this suspected witch, known almost entirely as The Girl (Claire Foy), to a faraway monastery, where she will be judged by a group of monks. Behmen, who feels nothing but guilt over a woman he impaled with his sword, agrees. But only on the condition that she be given a fair trial. Amazing how a man so cynical can also be so naïve.
 
If they hope to reach this monastery, they will need someone intimately familiar with the land, for the journey is long and uncharted. Here enters a swindler named Hagamar (Stephen Graham), first seen with his head and hands sticking out of pillory. Also tagging along is Eckhardt, a grief-stricken father and widower (Ulrich Thomsen), and Kay (Robert Sheehan), a boy who wants to prove his bravery and become a knight. As they transport The Girl over perilous peaks, across a rickety bridge, and through a haunted forest populated by demonic wolves, Behmen begins to suspect that she’s as evil as Debelzaq claims she is. How is it she has the strength of a man four, nay, five times her size? How does she know details about things she could have no knowledge of? Why does absolutely nothing surprise her? And why are people ending up dead?

                                               
                                              
One of the things that kept throwing me off was the dialogue, a mishmash of Arthurian English and action movie puns. An unintentionally hilarious line was supplied to Moore: After his character narrowly avoids a winged demon, he turns to Cage and says grimly, “We’re gonna need more holy water.” One idly wonders if writer Bragi F. Schut was harkening back to Jaws, specifically the moment Roy Scheider tells Robert Shaw that he would need a bigger boat. There’s also plenty of that annoying sidekick irreverence on Perlman’s part; he’s the guy you can always depend on for a wiseass remark about everything. That might have served him well for a movie like Alien: Resurrection or Hellboy, but here, it’s so painfully out of place that it’s almost as if no thought went into the screenplay.
 
Season of the Witch might have worked as an innocuous piece of gothic camp, similar to the sensibilities of Terence Fisher or Roger Corman. Granted, that would take more than a rewrite of the screenplay; it would require an entirely different angle of approach. It’s one thing to make statements about organized religion, but it’s quite another to make them in a story that validates fanaticism at every opportunity. The film is a paradox, and not a very well made one at that. While I can certainly give credit for the technical aspects – the production design, the costumes, the makeup, the lighting, the music – there isn’t much I can say about the plot, the characters, or the performances, least of all Cage’s. This is doubly baffling, considering this is the same man who won an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas.

                                                 

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January 08, 2011
Great review, Chris! I just read @woopak_the_thrill's and wanted to see what you had to add to his opinion. Between the two of you, I'm convinced to leave it to Netflix! I also thought of the "We're gonna need a bigger boat" line as soon as I read the "We're gonna need more holy water". What a bummer, me and my fiance wanted to check this out. Oh well, thanks so much for sharing :)
January 08, 2011
You're welcome. Unfortunately, the year has not started out so well as far as movies go.
January 08, 2011
Hopefully, it's not another 2010 which only had a few glimmers of something interesting or worthy!
January 08, 2011
With all the comic book movies and sci-fi flicks scheduled for 2011, I am a bit worried that it'll be more of the same--movies with a display of special effects. 2010 did pick up (Rabbit Hole, Black Swan etc.) towards its last two months thankfully.
January 08, 2011
But, I don't wanna waiiiiiiiitttt (stomping the floor in a two year old's tantrum fashion) LOL....I hope not. GOD Hollywood needs some help, maybe I should write a movie!
January 13, 2011
Sam, I think you'll do a better job in writing a movie, a script for Tron Legacy was made into a flick after all LOL!. Good thing Nolan and Aronofsky had some movies last year.
January 14, 2011
LOL...that is true on both accounts :)
 
January 08, 2011
Yeah I am with you about the paradoxes. I also saw one tonal shifts, sometimes it feels rather campy and then it delivers its devices with a straight face. Great catch on the "we're going to need more Holy Water" thing. I was very disappointed with the dialogue, but at least Perlman was fun LOL!
 
1
More Season of the Witch reviews
review by . January 08, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
2 ½ Stars: A Medieval Horror-Occult Action-Fantasy That is Not A
I’ve seen so many brilliant and depressing dramas the past few weeks that I thought I’d go for something more action-oriented and maybe even a little bit spooky this weekend. Well, a friend had told me that seeing a Nic Cage flick is like a signature of mediocrity these days, but hey, sometimes I need to see something I don’t need to think too much about. All the depressing films I’ve seen can give a popcorn film a new light of appreciation I hope. After the films “Kick-Ass” …
review by . July 09, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
*1/2 out of ****     I almost don't want to call Dominic Sena's "Season of the Witch" a bad film. It is, in fact, NOT a remake of the George Romero film of the same name; but as an original work, it still lacks the grit and enthusiasm that could have made it work. It treats serious subjects with near apathy, the actors never seem into it, and frankly, the whole thing just stinks. It's not the worst movie I will see this year, but it is still slow, ponderous, and stupid. Now, …
Quick Tip by . April 03, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
Nothing spectacular nor exceptional. Predictable tale and some gruesome cosmetic effects. Keep your $$$ and watch it on Netflix if you're into horror movie. Otherwise, don't bother to waste the time!
Quick Tip by . January 07, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
I'm really hoping that this turns out to be as interesting as it looks. There haven't been many good Medieval epics and this one reminds me quite a bit of a subplot in "The Seventh Seal". However, it stars Nic Cage which is kind of like the kiss of death these days.
see all Season of the Witch reviews (3)
About the reviewer
Chris Pandolfi ()
Ranked #7
Growing up a shy kid in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles, Chris Pandolfi knows all about the imagination. Pretend games were always the most fun for him, especially on the school playground; he and his … more
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About this movie

Wiki


14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.

A 14th century Crusader returns to a homeland devastated by the Black Plague. A beleaguered church, deeming sorcery the culprit of the plague, commands the two knights to transport an accused witch to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the pestilence. A priest, a grieving knight, a disgraced itinerant and a headstrong youth who can only dream of becoming a knight join a mission troubled by mythically hostile wilderness and fierce contention over the fate of the girl. When the embattled party arrives at the abbey, a horrific discovery jeopardises the knight's pledge to ensure the girl fair treatment, and pits them against an inexplicably powerful and destructive force.Written by Momentum Pictures
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Details

Director: Dominic Sena
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Release Date: 7 January 2011 (USA)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Screen Writer: Bragi F. Schut
Runtime: 95 min
Studio: Atlas Entertainment, Relativity Media
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"A Contradiction in Sermons"
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