The Blair Witch Project
The Blair
Witch Project, a nearly fully improvised film, has three students
exploring the woods around Burkittsville in search for the mythical Blair Witch
that used to haunt the area in the 1940’s and has been blamed for the disappearance
of children from the local area. It is a film within a film that has been shot
completely in first person and the three actors carry the film camera with and
record all the events both mundane and terrifying.
A remarkable feat of the Blair Witch Project is its use of improvisation. Apart from a loose
frame for the story and the introduction, which starts in the town, the actors
are more reacting to what the producers put them through, as Tatara states: “Nearly all of "The Blair Witch
Project" is improvised. Myrick and Sanchez's truly inspired approach to
the film was to let their cast wander the woods for several days with a tape
recorder, 16-millimeter camera, and home video camera in tow, documenting the
distant noises and disturbing warning signs that their "directors"
were leaving for them in the cover of darkness.” (Tatara, 1999:2)
illustrating how much the actors were on character when disturbed at night
without following a script, which further adds to the realism the directors
were seemingly heading for. The whole situation was catered towards the three
characters slowly losing their minds and perhaps by interfering as little as
possible the directors managed to achieve that effect perfectly.
Figure 1. Bleak (1999)
Another great contributor to the believability of the
film is a little child, whose mum is being interviewed on the first day. While
his mum tries to tell the myth of the Blair Witch to the camera, her child
repeatedly claps his hand over her mouth as if trying to quieten her. As a
toddler, it would be unlikely that the child would have been told to do that
which further adds to the tension and uneasiness of the Blair Witch Project.
The three main characters in the Blair Witch Project decided to use their real names, to further add
to the realism of the film within the film which perhaps also lets more of
their own personality seep into the characters they are portraying. Ryan says: “The three actors use their real
names, and it's a choice that reflects the conviction they bring to the roles.
The way the narrative unfolds is straightforward and framed as a documentary,
but it wouldn't work without some finely calibrated judgment by Donahue,
Leonard and Williams. Each establishes a defined personality, and their
responses to every new crisis are very persuasive. They illuminate character,
even in the gathering darkness. The aura of credibility in The Blair Witch
Project owes much to their contribution.” (Ryan, 1999:2) demonstrating the importance of these actors as their well-defined
characters contribute to the illusion of their reactions to the events unfolding around
them, through this means all the inter-character interactions, arguments and
emotions may be felt as more real by the viewers.
Figure 2. Lost in the forest (1999)
As the Blair Witch
Project makes use of first person camera only, the characters never recap which
leaves the viewers to fill in gaps that are off camera, there is also a
considerable amount of information just portrayed through sounds at night, when
the film on the camera is nearly black and characters as well as actors are at
their most vulnerable, as Cover states: “The film draws us in with hints about what's
happening off camera. Whether you believe completely human evil or something
mystical is at work, there's ample evidence to support your theory. "The
Blair Witch Project" creates a waking nightmare with the most basic
ingredients: our instinctual fear of cold, hunger, darkness and unseen
predators. It shows that our grip on sanity is weaker than we believe, and our
fears are stronger.” (Covert, 1999:2)
perhaps illustrating how both actors and characters together dip into the
madness he shooting of the film has held for them, which again greatly amplifies
the realism-like style that definitely seems to be achieved by just mixing the
absence of a few everyday comforts together with a local myth, that has driven
the main characters anyone to their brink of insanity over time.
Figure 3. Insanity (1999)
The Blair
Witch Project is a low budget film that has gained great reputation by
not showing the monster that has been
hinted at for so long but still being utterly terrifying, as Tatara states: “"The
Blair Witch Project" is scary because it doesn't really show you anything
... a lesson that other horror directors would be well-served to learn. There's
only a brief moment when you see blood, but it registers like a howitzer. For
the most part, the soundtrack is what does it to you.” (Tatara, 1999:2) implying it’s not giving
the viewers the solution they have become to expect after getting them
delivered by films like Jaws or Alien. Which makes the Blair Witch Project even scarier, as it caters to the viewer’s fear
of the unknown which, depending on the person, could be much greater than any
monster mankind can bring onto the screen.
Altogether, The
Blair Witch Project is a film that, even with (or maybe just because) a
very low budget, gained a great reputation as it differs from other horror
films by not showing the culprit, the hunter at the end and leaving that space
blank for the viewer to fill in which might be done with more imagination and
finesse than the producers could have ever done and with that provoking the
most primal fears to the surface, which might be the reason why it is such a
success.
Illustration
List:
Figure 1. Haxan
Films (1999) Bleak [Still of the
Blair Witch Project] available from: http://flowersoffleshandblood.horror-extreme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/blairwitch.jpg
(accessed: 24/3/2015)
Figure 2. Haxan
Films (1999) Lost in the forest
[Still of the Blair Witch Project] available from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbsNuKaI3IwqFeVjmXQVmtLEl1URhtIzIPhg38QjtnIPXYh7cFl_zGTDEBsT_bEyLQC-NEoIKNk3V5UuHs9NpuVM-XcrHwDJP8s-9BE4E8nWWksv_IBEh34boLqCBQcQBSFFUUxwatzA/s640/The+Blair+Witch+Project+Screenshot+3.jpg
(accessed: 24/3/2015)
Figure 3. Haxan
Films (1999) Insanity [Still of the
Blair Witch Project] available from: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DuyeQYQqnhk/hqdefault.jpg
(accessed: 24/3/2015)
Bibliography:
Covert, Colin. (1999) Available from: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/11487466.html (accessed:
24/3/2015)
Ryan, Desmond. (1999) Available from: http://articles.philly.com/1999-07-16/entertainment/25523879_1_myrick-and-sanchez-blair-witch-project-filmmakers (accessed:
24/3/2015)
Tatara, Paul, (1999) Available from: http://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9907/22/review.blairwitch/ (accessed: 24/3/2015)
A thoughtful review for a film I know you didn't enjoy!
ReplyDeleteNice review, Mailin :)
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that you need to italicise any other film names you mention too...