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Häxan AKA Witchcraft Through the Ages AKA The Witches AKA Haxan (Blu-ray) (1922)
Everything you need to know about witchcraft through the ages.Director: Benjamin Christensen
Year of Copyright: 1922
Year of Production: 1920-21
OVERALL: Draw-
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Extras:* "Häxan" (1922) (105:45)
* "Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1968) (76:42)
Audio Commentary from 2001 by film scholar Casper Tybjerg (on "Häxan")
Director Benjamin Christensen’s introduction to the 1941 re-release (8:12)
Outtakes (4:34)
"Bibliothèque diabolique" photographic exploration of Christensen’s historical sources, created in 2001 (15:05) -
Subtitles:"Häxan" version: English (optional) for Swedish Intertitles
"Witchcraft Through the Ages" version: None -
Aspect Ratio:1.33:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):"Häxan" version:
Music DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 (music score arranged and conducted by Gillian Anderson)
"Witchcraft Through the Ages" version:
English Dolby Digital 1.0 -
Case type:Keep Case
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Notes:Transfer from the 2016 digital restoration in 2K by the Swedish Film Institute.
Comes with an essay by critic Chris Fujiwara, remarks on the score by Anderson, and (with the Blu-ray) an essay by scholar Chloé Germaine Buckley. -
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Extras:* "Häxan" (1922) (105:45)
* "Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1968) (76:42)
Audio Commentary from 2001 by film scholar Casper Tybjerg (on "Häxan")
Director Benjamin Christensen’s introduction to the 1941 re-release (8:12)
Outtakes (4:34)
"Bibliothèque diabolique" photographic exploration of Christensen’s historical sources, created in 2001 (15:05) -
Subtitles:"Häxan" version: English (optional) for Swedish Intertitles
"Witchcraft Through the Ages" version: None -
Aspect Ratio:1.33:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):"Häxan" version:
Music DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 (music score arranged and conducted by Gillian Anderson)
"Witchcraft Through the Ages" version:
English Dolby Digital 1.0 -
Case type:Keep Case
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Notes:Transfer from the 2016 digital restoration in 2K by the Swedish Film Institute.
Comes with an essay by critic Chris Fujiwara, remarks on the score by Anderson, and (with the Blu-ray) an essay by scholar Chloé Germaine Buckley. -
Have you spotted a mistake in these specifications? If so, let us know via our forums. -
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Extras:DISC ONE
*The Film - Original Version with 2006 score by Matti Bye (105:43)
*The Film - "Witchcraft Through the Ages" 1968 version featuring narration by William S. Burroughs and soundtrack by Jean-Luc Ponty (76:45)
Audio Commentary on the original version horror experts Guy Adams and A.K. Benedict (2024)
1941 introduction by director Benjamin Christensen (8:11, in Danish with optional English subtitles)
Outtakes featuring scenes for "Häxan", "Hævnens Nat [Night of Revenge]" and other works (12:19, silent)
Costume Screen Test (2:12, silent)
2024 appreciation by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (14:24)
"For Satan: The Convert’s Guide to Häxan" 2024 visual essay by Vito A. Rowlands, author of the BFI Film Classics edition of Häxan (11:36)
DISC TWO
*The Film - Original Version with 2007 score by Bronnt Industries Kapital (105:28)
*The Film - Original Version with 2007 score by Geoff Smith (105:28)
*The Film - "Häxan - The Esoteric Cut" featuring English intertitles and soundtrack by Lawrence Leherissey, date unknown (84:33)
*The Film - "Witchcraft through the Ages" 1990 French Version featuring narration by Jean-Pierre Kalfon (82:28, in French with optional English subtitles) -
Subtitles:Restored Version
Danish Intertitles with optional English subtitles
1968 English Version
None
Esoteric Cut
English Intertitles
1990 French Version
English (optional) -
Aspect Ratio:1.37:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):Restored Version
Music DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Matti Bye score)
Music DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (Bronnt Industries Kapital and Geoff Smith scores)
1968 English Version
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Esoteric Cut
Music Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (Lawrence Leherissey score)
1990 French Version
French Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono -
Case type:Keep Case
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UPC Number:5060974681488
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Notes:The original version is a 2K restoration by Svensk Filmindustri.
The 1968 version is newly transferred in 2K from a 16mm dupe negative.
The 1990 French version is sourced from the best-surviving VHS.
Comes in a rigid slipcase with:
- a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow;
- six postcards of original promotional stills;
- an eighty-page book featuring new writing by Pamela Hutchinson, Daniel Bird, Kat Ellinger, Brad Stevens plus archival writing by Tom Milne and extracts from the press book.
Limited edition of 6,000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings. -
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Extras:DISC ONE (Blu-ray)
* "Häxan" (1922) (105:00)
* "Häxan: The Esoteric Cut" (1968) (84:26)
* "Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1968) (76:35)
* "Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1990 version) (82:22)
Audio Commentary on "Häxan" by Professor Colette Arnould (2021)
Director Benjamin Christensen’s introduction to the 1941 re-release (8:11)
Outtakes (4:30)
DISCS TWO & THREE (DVD Copy) -
Subtitles:French (optional) for Swedish Intertitles
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Aspect Ratio:1.33:1
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Picture Format:1080p24 AVC MPEG-4
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Soundtrack(s):Music DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (2007 score by Matti Bye)
Music DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (2021 score by Dagerlöff & Galner)
Music DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (1996 score by Art Zoyd) -
Case type:Special Case
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Notes:The 1922 version is a transfer from the 2016 digital restoration in 2K by the Swedish Film Institute.
"The Esoteric Cut" edited by Antony Balch is a transfer from a 2020 4K restoration from Super 8 reels, with a new musical accompaniment by Lawrence Lehérissey.
"Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1968), narrated by William S. Burroughs with music by Jean-Luc Ponty is an upscale from a standard definition master.
"Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1990 version) narrated by Jean-Pierre Kalfon with music by Yann Beguin and Roland Bocquet is an upscale from a VHS source.
Limited to 1,666 copies.
Also available in a limited edition which includes a 132-page book, two film posters, a tote bag, packaged in a wooden box, limited to 300 copies, available from Potemkine Films direct. -
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Buy this disc from
Amazon France
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OVERALL: Draw
The UK and French editions have four versions of the film and each has exclusive extras, although only the UK is fully English-friendly.
The Criterion editions have two versions and exclusive extras aa well.
In 1968, Häxan was re-edited and re-released in the US as "Witchcraft Through the Ages", with narration by William S. Burroughs and a jazz score by Daniel Humair.
There are three restorations of the original Swedish version of Häxan:
- 1976 Swedish Film Institute tinted photochemical restoration
- 2007 Swedish Film Institute tinted photochemical restoration
- 2016 Swedish Film Institute tinted digital restoration
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CUTS:
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Blu-ray A America- Criterion Collection - No cuts, includes two versions of the film:
- "Häxan" (1922) - 2016 Swedish Film Institute tinted digital restoration (105:45).
- "Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1968) (76:42). -
Blu-ray A Canada- Criterion Collection - No cuts, includes two versions of the film:
- "Häxan" (1922) - 2016 Swedish Film Institute tinted digital restoration (105:45).
- "Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1968) (76:42). - Blu-ray ALL Limited Edition United Kingdom- Radiance Films - No cuts - includes the restored original version (105:43) with 14 seconds of restoration text on the Disc One presentation, (105:28) on Disc Two without the text, the 1968 English version (76:45), the "Esoteric Cut" (84:33), and the 1990 French version (82:28).
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Blu-ray B France- Potemkine Films - No cuts, includes two versions of the film:
- "Häxan" (1922) - 2016 Swedish Film Institute tinted digital restoration (105:00).
- "Häxan: The Esoteric Cut" (1968) (84:26).
- "Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1968) (76:35).
- "Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1990 version) (82:22).
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Blu-ray A America- Criterion Collection - No cuts, includes two versions of the film:
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Comparison added by Eric_Cotenas on 20/09/19
Comparison last updated by Eric_Cotenas on 09/10/24UPDATE LOG:
23/09/19: Updated notes.
Please ensure you read our disclaimer.
21/06/21: Added France, Canada.
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