Examples Of Realism In The Vovitch

Founded Fear: Realism in The VVitch

Robert Eggers’ directorial debut The VVitch is distinguished by its realist depictions of 17th century New England. Eggers conducted extensive research regarding early colonial history and the occult, consulting sources ranging from court testimonies of witchcraft to folklore. (Duca) His efforts resulted in a film that accurately depicts the elderitch terrors that occupied puritan nightmares. In a 2015 interview, Robert Eggers states that he does not believe period accuracy equates with good storytelling, but “we needed to believe in the witch and the witch is as real for us as the dirt under their fingernails and the mud-dung walls of their house” (Debruge)

These mud-dung

(Dowd) For this reason, he does not entertain this argument for very long. Still, he resists engaging with the film as it is presented to us, instead he scrambles for a metaphorical interpretation of the story. While it is true that monsters are not simply monsters, they often represent fears that are deeply ingrained in the human psyche. The presence of witches and satanic influence were inherently frightening to puritans but the idea that women, indigenous Americans, and enslaved Africans possessed power that could undermine the colonial experiment frightened the puritans even

(Eggers 2015) This is sharply contrasted with the religious arrogance displayed by her father William. William’s haughtiness causes the undoing of his family, his attitudes and actions are a corossive force that cause the spirtual and moral decal within his family. Thomasin is not the most easily corrupted in her family, she is clearly the least corruptible. Hence, her corruption occurs at the very end of the film, Black Phillip recognizes the challenge in seducing her. One can argue that she makes the choice to join the coven out of coercion and necessity as her odds of survival on the farm were slim. For some reason, Dowd believes that The VVitch’s realistic depictions are somehow an endorsement of puritan beliefs. His suggestion that the film is purely imagined in the character’s heads has clouded his judgment, it has caused him to believe that a grounded storytelling style is incompatible with societal critique. This reading of the film lends itself to misinterpretations like this. The VVitch’s purpose is allowing the audience to experience the fears and anxities of the puritans as they experienced