The Blair Witch Project

Year: 1999 Rating: R Overall Evaluation: 9.0 Significance Suppositions Story Style 9.0 / 10 10.0 / 10 8.0 / 10 10.0 / 10 Click HERE for evaluation criteria.

Style

I think the style of this film is its greatest strength. The film is rated "R" for language (it uses the word "f**k" 133 times) - not for gore, nudity, or violence as in most so-called horror movies. The idea behind the film (a fake documentary) was so original it continues to be a topic of interest years after its release. It is reported that the actors were given no more than a 35-page outline of the mythology behind the plot before shooting began and believed that the Blair Witch was a real legend during filming. Only after the film's release did they discover that the entire mythology was made up by the film's creators. Nearly all the events in the film were unknown to the actors beforehand and all the dialogue was improvised. This made the acting and dialogue VERY believable. I had a sense through the whole movie that these were not great actors - rather they were really going through these experiences. The film was made on real video cameras (well, one was a 16mm film camera). It was shot in real time - the actors actually going through the hardship and shocks depicted in the film. There are no special effects, and there is no soundtrack. When promoting the film, the producers claimed it was real footage and the fact that some people still believe it bears testimony to the director's skill in achieving the effect they desired. These factors made the film completely convincing, and much more terrifying.

Story

The story is about three college kids who go hiking into the woods to film a documentary about the so-called "Blair Witch" mythology. They get lost and the film centers around their trying to escape both the woods and whatever it is that is following them. What follows is a true horror movie (as opposed to slasher films). It depicts the kind of things that truly terrify those who have experienced what the actors did. There is no need for special effects, eerie music, or things jumping out at you. Anyone who has been in the woods at night or has experienced the dread of being alone when "something is out there" will tell you that this is far more scary than a mummy or hockey-mask wearing killer. Those who have not had similar experiences or haven't the imagination to step into the actor's shoes will probably find it dull and irritating.

Suppositions

There is no suspension of belief required here. If the backstory to this movie were true this is exactly what we would expect to find - both in the story and the filmography.

Significance

Due to the documentary style of shooting (and it being an alleged collection of lost footage) it is a bit more difficult to discover any "moral" or message to the film. However, one of the strongest elements in the movie is that of overcoming the stress and terror of the situation by working together and remaining loyal to friends in a crisis. Not bad for a "cut-rate" thriller!