This led to real world consequences, such as the Salem Witch Trials. Moreover, it perpetuates the association of women to witchcraft, wherein they were believed to be “ more prone to diabolical possession” and essentially “imperfect” following The Black Death. This could be attributed to shallow characterization, wherein she lacks a complex and multifaceted personality. No background is given to the reason behind her evil, nor is Elly Kedward’s character developed beyond witchcraft. The Blair Witch could be observed as being a villain without motive. Praise for The Blair Witch Project, however, does not discount the trope of portraying women as the deranged antagonist in horror, which needs to be addressed in order to continue enjoying the genre. The grainy quality of the recording adds to this effect it’s obvious age disconnects the viewer for a moment, and makes them realize that the footage is old and only recently found, before the film pulls them back into this ghostly past. As fear takes over, the group’s gradual interpersonal breakdown is characterized by increasingly hesitant shooting. Their attempts to uphold a more professional touch to their documentary is lost as soon as the students realize that they are not simply listening to stories of the Blair Witch anymore, but are themselves experiencing one. Since they have not perfected cinematography, spacing, lighting, or stabilizing the camera, the results form a choppy, shaky medium of delivery. This movie, we are constantly reminded, is being shot by amateur film students. The hand-held H18s and 16mm camera used in shooting the film have a distinctive quality of their own. You are forced to deal with a long, dreadful build-up of horror and suspense, which will make you recoil in your seat during even a slow-paced scene. The viewer is also never introduced to the Blair Witch herself, instead having to imagine their own interpretation of what this mysterious figure might look like. It’s a slow burn technique which keeps audiences engaged. What ultimately happened to the students? Why was it “found” and not “submitted?” Why was the camera left untouched? Inquiries like these shape the movie, but the answers are never delivered. Moreover, the fact that the footage is labelled as having been “found” raises additional questions. Unnamed, unacknowledged, and unaffected, but a character nonetheless. You become the fourth film student, experiencing the legend of the Blair Witch as another character in the movie. This creates a sense of uneasiness where you want to escape the situation as much as the characters do, for you become part of the plot. The concept of perceiving the plot through a camera operated by characters within the film not only puts audiences in the middle of that scenario, but also helps them relate better to the characters in question. Sound familiar? Although it’s become a cliche in itself as of today, the found-footage technique in horror was groundbreaking at the time. The three, however, eventually disappear, their camera’s contents and equipment being found a year later. The students interview local villagers and record terrifying testimonies about the Witch on their camera, along with their own experiences in the woods. Her curse has never left the town, resulting in countless tragedies among residents and visitors. The legend goes that a woman by the name of Elly Kedward was accused of being involved in witchcraft, hence banished from the town of Blair. It follows the story of three film students who travel to the Black Hills – a forest near Burkittsville, Maryland – to film a documentary about the Blair Witch. The Blair Witch Project was cinematically released in 1999, immediately taking audiences by storm for its chilling experience. It is thus a breath of fresh air when a movie introduces an unattempted mode of expression, unequivocally transforming an entire category of film into something worth watching, or rewatching, this fall. Deserted manors, extreme weather, and the dreaded staple of jump scares, collectively form the typical horror film, watched and forgotten within the span of hours. Horror films are notorious for having conventions so endemic to them that they cross into the realm of sigh-inducing cliches.
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