THE VVITCH: A Guide on how to break the Balance Between Two Opposites
universal2015 horror movie, The VVitch, written and directed by Robert Eggers, is already a cult movie not only for genre fans. The interesting and fascinating aspect is how Eggers uses dualism to create a unique and terrifying film.
In one of her first solo scene, Thomasin prays. She asks, with joined hands, forgiveness to God. She apologizes because “she followed her desires and not those of the Holy Spirit.” The protagonist of The VVitch, interpreted by the amazing Anya Taylor-Joy, tries to not follow her desires till the now-famous ending of the movie.
The dualism that marks Thomasin can actually be seen as a key to the interpretation of Robert Eggers' film. The many forms that the witch can take are maybe the explicit manifestation of this kind of dualism. Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), the middleman, is instead the one who suffers most trying to obey the rules that his Puritan family imposes on him. And despite this, the boy continues to be confused: the memories of a past in England, sexual compulsions that lead him to look at his sister's breasts and, more than anything else, the desire to enter the forbidden forest.
By using dualism in writing characters, Robert Eggers manages to create characters that we can believe in unconsciously. This is because, according to what psychiatrist Carl Jung also says, every human being is constantly tested by the dualisms that characterise him. The element of ancestral terror of the film is certainly the proximity of the protagonists' home to the forest. As in romantic paintings, the forest acts as a background – and at the same time protagonist – for the story. However, this background plays an even more particular role. It is not only a symbol of infinity, of the unattainable and sublime, but it is also a symbol of terror. It is not only dark, it is also frighteningly bright and tempting. Each shot with the forest in it tends to emphasise the finiteness of the human being, just like in romantic works. The characters appear small and powerless in front of such an unknown and large place. Here, Robert Eggers represents nature as the personification of the divine on earth, a place that can both cheer up and terrify the human soul.
The spectator's first encounter with the witch arrives in the film's midpoint. Caleb wants to hunt in the woods, but he gets lost. In front of him, there is a hut; the frightened boy observes it and, suddenly, a wonderful leg appears from the door: the witch is a beautiful woman – curious is the fact that a Victoria's Secret model is cast as her.
Smiling, she advances towards Caleb who, frightened but excited, approaches slowly. The boy closes his eyes, the girl approaches and kisses him. For a moment, the boy closes his eyes but, suddenly, a lousy and wrinkled hand appears in the frame and grabs Caleb's head.
Cut to black.
This is a scene that contains the sense of the dualism that is a part of the film. The witch encounter provides a dualistic view of the conflict that permeates life. Terror and excitement convince Caleb to approach and kiss the seemingly marvelous witch, who later reveals herself for what she real is. And what is the price to pay to experience a sublime feeling?
Thomasin remains alone and stained with blood and a charming man visits her in the night.
He is the Devil.
The latter, in a very deep and beautiful voice, asks her:
"Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?"
And Thomasin, who literally has nothing else, cannot help but accept. This happens because she has always been subject to the dogmas imposed by her family, where even wanting to try an apple was prohibited. She accepts because she has done nothing but pray in vain, and now Thomasin wants to see the world.
She chooses one side of the two opposites that kept her in balance, to conquer a new balance she breaks the old one.
In the last sublime images, we see the girl undressing and plunging into the darkness of the forest.
Here she joins a coven of naked and dancing witches and, in a hysterical and ecstatic laugh, she reaches the sublime, rising to the sky with open arms.