[3.5/4.0]
Due to a savvy marketing campaign, The Blair Witch Project was among
the most anticipated of the summer, particularly among fans of
independent film. It is a small budget film which demonstrates that an
extravagant Hollywood production is not necessary to make a good film,
as long as originality and creativity are employed.
The prologue to the film claims that the filmmakers disappeared over a
year ago, and that the film was constructed from the remains of their
footage which was eventually found. In a clever stroke of marketing,
the film's website goes into great detail about the disappearance and
it constructs a detailed background legend that the filmmakers were
investigating. Official websites for films are often merely an
advertising mechanism that provide an overview of the story, a
description of the cast, and a few stills from the film itself. It is
noteworthy that the website for this film actually enhances the film
by acting as an extension to the story.
Although portrayed as reality, the events in this story are all
fiction. In an age when every mundane new event (like a 45 mile per
hour car chase on a crowded highway) is given national prominence by
the network news organizations, it is unlikely that the bizarre events
purported by this film could have escaped notice. As confirmation,
there is the usual "all characters and events in this film are
fictitious" disclaimer displayed at the end of the credits. However,
knowing that the film is fictitious does not detract from the viewing
experience. It actually enhances it because the viewer is allowed to
enjoy the story fully rather than be distracted by implausibilities.
The footage begins as the three main characters are embarking on their
project. They are college students putting together a film
investigating the legend of the Blair Witch. Heather (Heather Donahue)
is the director of the film and the project leader. Joshua (Joshua
Leonard) is the camera operator and Michael (Michael Williams) is
handling the sound. The footage begins as they interviewing current
residents of Burkittesville, Maryland, which was previously a colonial
town called Blair. The interviewees relate vague stories of the
legendary witch who lived in the nearby woods, and also the story of
serial child killer who murdered several of the town's children about
fifty years earlier. It seems the killer was a hermit living in the
woods who claimed to be possessed by the witch when he perpetrated the
horrific crimes.
Eventually the trio enters the woods in their search for particular
historical landmarks related to the legend. From the premise it is
known that they will meet with misfortune, and the tension builds as
they proceed deeper into their journey. As they become lost and
encounter strange occurrences, the suspense noticeably tightens as the
audience wonders what their final fate will be.
The genre of mock documentary (mockumentary) has been well
established, and primarily used for comic effect (such as in the
hilarious Man Bites Dog and This is Spinal Tap). While the comic
mockumentary creates satire by portraying lampoons and exaggerations
as reality, this film is unique in that it tries to build suspense and
fear by attempting to keep all events believable. The fictitiousness
of the stories is never belied by the acting as all three actors give
outstanding, credible performances. The characters gradually transform
from enthusiastic adventurers to terrified, edgy, and confused waifs.
The main flaw is the uneven, and sometimes lingering pacing. The
production is obviously amateur, but the genius is that it tries to
portray a fictitious amateur production, so it succeeds perfectly in
that aspect.
Highly recommended. This film was subjected to a large amount of hype
both before and after its release. For people who are expecting too
much, or are expecting a tradition horror slaughterfest, it may be a
disappointment. It is not the scariest movie, and is not intended to
be. However, it carefully draws its boundaries and successfully
executes within them. Although it is not perfect, it is a marvel of
simplicity, originality, and creativity.
(c) 1999 Murali Krishnan
The Art House Squatter
http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
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