The Witches

The Witches

Mark of the Devil 2

Uncut Edition

DVD-R

Trash Palace

Mark of the Devil II (Hexen geschändet und zu Tode gequält 1972) is the sequel to the original 1969 Mark of the Devil. Also known as The Witches and by its rather colourful title of Witches: Violated and Tortured to Death, it is a further exploration of the cynicism with which the witchhunters quested for booty of one kind or another.

The original Mark of the Devil was directed by Michael Armstrong and produced by Adrian Hoven and while filled with very strong content (and noted for its violence) also placed a strong emphasis on mood as well as plot. As can be discerned by the notorious alternate title, the follow-on now directed by Adrian Hoven, while having its moments, is more of an exploitation film which rackets up the torture and gore factor. That being said there is absolutely nothing wrong with a good dose of exploitation cinema and this certainly fits the bill.

The original actors did not all return but the performances are still solid. Reggie Nalder returns as Natas, he was excellent in the original and just as downright terrifying in Witches. It is clear the point being made with his name, while he may see himself as a witchhunter and the adversary of Satan, he is actually more evil than any possible witch or demon. He is such a disturbing presence that he really carries the show in both films.

Anton Diffring, who plays the head prosecutor of witches replaces Herbert Lom from the original and I think he really brings home the banality of the witch persecutions. He is such a bureaucrat, using his position for sex, chattel and property. Over and over again we come face to face with the fact that people were accused of being witches and hunted and killed for issues related to ego, sex and above all, property than anything else. The depiction of the way in which the simple innocent play of a child (such as trying to fly) or the dark humour of a wisewoman is twisted by the witchhunters into something demonic is very successful.

The story of The Witches is well developed starting with the simple premise of revenge. Alexander von Salmenau defends a witch against the brutalities of Natas, a witchunter, the count is killed and the witchhunters assistant dies when pushed into the frozen water by the counts very young son. This triggers a vendetta between the witchhunter and Elizabeth von Salmenau (a powerful and significant local figure) and her child. Soon accusations fly, tortures unfold and the brutality of the witch trials is displayed (if not exploited) in a truly brazen fashion.

There are moments which are truly electric, I felt the scenes with the child having to see his mother tortured and indeed being tortured himself for supposed having wolves teeth and a cleft palette (a sure sign of being a devil’s child!) were especially atmospheric. The inanities the priest babbles quoting from Thomas Aquinas and others to prove how the child could be fathered by the devils sperm was both amusing and horrifying. Amusing in the sense that it was such rubbish, horrifying in that many people believed such nonsense and it cost so many lives.

The torture scenes are suitably ghastly with all manner of innovations from heated steel shoes to being lowered on a sharpened wooden dildo. Mark of the Devil II while not as impressive as the first is still a very successful work of cult cinema.

This is the uncut edition on DVD-R including an extra trailer and is a reasonable edition in English with burnt-in Dutch sub titles (they do not detract from the film). It is of good quality and includes all the sex and violence cut from earlier releases on video.

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This review will appear in Volume 2 No.6 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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