Witchfinder General (film)
"Witchfinder General" is a 1968 British horror film, also known in the U.S. as "The Conqueror Worm." It has gained a cult status despite being made on a remarkably low budget of under £100,000. The film is very loosely inspired by the historical figure Matthew Hopkins, a self-proclaimed witch-hunter during the English Civil War, who is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of over 300 women. The narrative follows Richard Marshall, a soldier who confronts the cruel practices of Hopkins and his associate John Stearne as they terrorize a village with their brutal methods of witch-hunting.
Upon its release, the film sparked controversy due to its graphic depictions of violence and torture, resulting in heavy censorship in Britain while it found success in the U.S. market. Critics initially panned it, but over time, it has been re-evaluated and is now often praised for its performances, particularly that of Vincent Price as Hopkins. Today, "Witchfinder General" is recognized not only for its horror elements but also for its commentary on themes of power and bigotry, making it a significant piece in the genre's history.
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Witchfinder General (film)
- Release Date: 1968
- Director(s): Michael Reeves
- Writer(s): Tom Baker; Michael Reeves
- Principal Actors and Roles: Vincent Price (Matthew Hopkins); Hilary Dwyer (Sara); Ian Ogilvy (Richard Marshall); Robert Russell (John Stearne)
- Book / Story Film Based On: Witchfinder General by Ronald Bassett
The 1968 British low-budget horror film Witchfinder General, also known in the United States as The Conqueror Worm, has become a cult classic. (The movie was renamed in the United States in an effort to tie it to better-known movies based on Edgar Allan Poe stories that featured Vincent Price, but there is no relationship at all between the movie and any Poe story.) It was purportedly made for less than £100,000, which even in 1968 was an almost absurdly small budget for a feature film. Adding to its cult appeal was the fact that its director died of a drug overdose at age 25, less than a year after the movie was released.
In 1968 and 1969 the movie was highly controversial for its depictions of torture and violence. Many critics considered it intentionally sadistic and gruesome when it was released, although subsequent "slasher" movies certainly exceeded it in terms of graphic portrayals of gore. Nonetheless, for the era it presents an unusual amount of onscreen torture and intense violence.
It was heavily censored in Britain, where it was initially released and panned by critics. It was released essentially uncut in the United States, where it was a financial success.
Witchfinder General is very loosely based on the depredations of a real man named Matthew Hopkins, who lived from around 1620 until 1647. Hopkins was a self-declared witch-hunter who sought out witches in southeastern England during that nation’s Civil War. His approach was to torture individuals who had been accused of witchcraft and charge local magistrates for the service. Although he was never given the title by Parliament, Hopkins called himself the "Witch-Finder General." He and his colleague John Stearne are believed to have killed more than 300 women between 1644 and 1647.
Plot
As the film opens, the credits run behind a victim who is being hanged. This sets the grim tone that characterizes the movie. The story line begins in 1645 with Richard Marshall, a Roundhead in the English civil war, defeating an enemy and saving the life of his captain. Marshall is given leave, and he rides home to visit Sara, his lover, and her uncle and guardian John Lowes, the Brandeston village priest.
Lowes gives Marshall permission to marry his ward but asks him to get her out of Brandeston. At the end of his leave Marshall promises to protect Sara and sets out to return to his unit. On the way he unknowingly meets the "witch hunters" Hopkins and Stearne. He gives the torturers directions to Brandeston.
Once in the village Hopkins and Stearne start arresting suspects, including Lowes. They torture the priest and are about to kill him when Sara intercedes, offering sex to Hopkins if Lowes is spared. When Hopkins is called away to another village, Stearne rapes Sara. This makes Hopkins disdain her and resume torturing Lowes. Before they leave town, Hopkins and Stearne kill Lowes and two women.
When he returns to Brandeston, Marshall is aghast. He swears he will kill Hopkins and Stearne after he "marries" Sara and sends her to another village. Believing that Sara is safe, Marshall rides off in search of the witch-finders.
Out in the countryside Hopkins and Stearne have been separated. Marshall finds Stearne, but the torturer manages to escape. Stearne rejoins Hopkins and warns him that Marshall is set on revenge against both of them. They make their way to the village to which Sara has fled where they set a trap for Marshall.
When Marshall learns where Hopkins and Stearne are, he and a band of comrades ride to the village. Marshall falls into the trap set by Hopkins. The witch-finders arrest Marshall and Sara and take them to the castle for interrogation. Marshall is forced to watch as Sara is tortured, but he will not confess to being a witch. Instead he vows once more to kill Hopkins.
Marshall manages to free himself and crushes Stearne’s face with his foot as his comrades near the dungeon where the tortures take place. They enter after Marshall has begun to attack Hopkins with an axe. The soldiers are shocked by what Marshall has done. One of them shoots the mutilated Hopkins to end his suffering. This unhinges Marshall who bellows "You took him from me!" Sara is also beyond reason and just screams repeatedly.
Significance
Witchfinder General was trimmed and censored for British release, and it was still controversial. Critics detested it. However, in the US market it was virtually untouched, and it was financially successful. Renamed The Conqueror Worm, voice-overs of Vincent Price reading from Poe’s poem were added as a prologue and epilogue in order to justify the new title.
It soon developed a cult following, and after the director died, it began to gain mainstream supporters. Critics who were horror aficionados began to praise the movie, especially the actors. Price in particular was noted for an uncharacteristically controlled performance as Hopkins. In 2005 Total Film magazine named it the fifteenth-best horror movie of all time.
Like many seemingly overlooked cult movies, Witchfinder General had influence far beyond its theatrical impact. Despite its completely spurious connection to Poe, it prompted a new series of Edgar Allan Poe movies from its production company, American International Pictures. Several of the films once again starred Price.
It also launched a number of copycat "violence" movies in the horror genre in the early 1970s. This was particularly true in Germany, where Witchfinder General had been a hit. A couple of the films featured respected actors like Herbert Lom and Christopher Lee. Others, notably the 1971 releases The Blood on Satan’s Claw and The Devils, were direct successors to Witchfinder General. Like many AIP releases, they filled screens at drive-in theaters across the United States at the time.
Most importantly, Witchfinder General is now regarded as a horror classic with inventive workarounds to accommodate its low budget. The focus today is more on what the film has to say about politics, power, and bigotry than on the violence and cruelty of some of its action.
Bibliography
Buxton, Darrell. The Shrieking Sixties: British Horror Films 1960–1969. Parkville: Midnight Marquee, 2010. Print.
Cabell, Craig. Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General: The Biography of Matthew Hopkins. Mount Pleasant: History, 2006. Print.
Chibnall, Steve and Julian Petley, eds. British Horror Cinema. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print.
Day, Jason. It’s Only a Movie . . . Isn’t It? Witham: Phantom Encounters, 2010. Print.
Egan, Kate and Sarah Thomas, editors. Cult Film Stardom: Offbeat Attractions and Processes of Cultification. London: Palgrave, 2012. Electronic.
Lampley, Jonathan Malcolm. Women in the Horror Films of Vincent Price. Jefferson: McFarland, 2010. Print.
Meikle, Denis. Merchant of Menace: The Life and Films of Vincent Price. Hailsham: Hemlock, 2015. Print.
Pirie, David. A New Heritage of Horror: The English Gothic Cinema, Revised and Updated. London: Tauris, 2008. Print.