The first question I asked myself is whether to watch the German or the English dub. It was not very clear which version is the original one. I started to watch it in German and then switched to English, and I have to say the English one was better for me. But I’m not entirely sure if that changed anything about the film experience.

The narrative is set in an Austrian village around 1700, during the height of the witch hunts. It portrays a brutal world ruled by torture, abuse of power, and superstition. Ruthless witch hunters like exploit their authority to spread fear and terror. Women are tortured, raped, and falsely accused of witchcraft.

The torture scenes are harsh and unsettlingly portrayed. Even though we’re used to more realistic depictions today, I still found it hard to watch. Everything feels infinitely more brutal when you can empathize directly with the injustice. While I found the violence occasionally overwhelming, it wasn’t exaggerated. Of course, there are always different ways how it can be depicted.

In the end, I would say I kinda liked it, even it was sometimes a bit messy and there were aspects that felt a bit over the top, and with a touch more finesse, the film could have achieved even more. But there were moments I found quite intriguing, especially given the time and genre. A young Udo Kier also added to the viewing experience.