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Richard Baxstrom and Todd Meyers, “Realizing the Witch: Science, Cinema, and the Mastery of the Invisible” (Fordham UP, 2015)

New Books in History

English - March 28, 2017 10:00 - 1 hour - ★★★★ - 190 ratings
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One of the most interesting, but largely overlooked silent films, is Haxan, written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Using documentary methods as well as reenactments, he presented a study of witchcraft hysteria, particularly as it compared to post-World War I scientific and psychological studies. In their book, Realizing the Witch: Science, Cinema, and the Mastery of the Invisible (Fordham University Press, 2015), anthropologists Richard Baxstrom and Todd Meyers examine the film and its importance to the understanding of the concept of the witch.
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One of the most interesting, but largely overlooked silent films, is Haxan, written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Using documentary methods as well as reenactments, he presented a study of witchcraft hysteria, particularly as it compared to post-World War I scientific and psychological studies. In their book, Realizing the Witch: Science, Cinema, and the Mastery of the Invisible (Fordham University Press, 2015), anthropologists Richard Baxstrom and Todd Meyers examine the film and its importance to the understanding of the concept of the witch.

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Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history