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Writers and directors of contemporary horror films face the difficult task of how to frighten modern cinema
audiences. Many of these viewers no longer shock easily. They have most likely seen, and as a result, are
desensitised to, every kind of disturbing violence, creature or alien, serial killer or psychopath, and have viewed,
and are increasingly sceptical of special effects.
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But in The Blair Witch Project, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez have achieved maximum disturbance with a minimum
of effects. The film chronicles the fear of three people -- which has proven enough to intrigue and alarm millions.
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In the film, three student filmmakers set off into the Black Hills Forest of Maryland to shoot a documentary on a
local legend. The Blair Witch is rumoured to have haunted the forest for two centuries and to have been responsible
for a number of horrendous murders. The adventurers are: assertive director Heather, 'cool guy' cameraman Joshua,
and commonsense funny guy Michael who is responsible for capturing the sound.
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They begin by shooting a series of interviews with townsfolk. This has two significant effects: firstly it
establishes a humorous tone which serves an important contrast to the later dramatic mood of The Blair Witch
Project. Secondly it instils a scepticism in the legend of the
Blair Witch. The stories told by the townsfolk are diverse and contradictory; no one agrees exactly who or what the
Blair Witch is. However this itself is an important part of folkloric exchange. The opening stages of the film
suggest that Heather is eager to be part of the myth-making. Anyone who has ever been to a slumber party or camping
and has listened to ghost tales and urban myths will reflect upon these during the opening scenes of Blair Witch.
It may remind the viewer of a time where everyone told the same stories but insisted that they knew someone who knew
someone that this actually happened to. We could be these likable, twentysomething students.
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The film's stylistic set up works to reinforce its mystique. The Blair Witch Project is more than a film within a
film. It's a documentary of a documentary within a film.
The film has been described as a "meta-documentary" or "mockumentary". Manipulating the vogue of "fly on the wall"
documentaries, its strength is presenting a fictional story using
realist styles and conventions. There are no opening credits, the actors share the characters' names, much of the
dialogue is ad-libbed and the actors are responsible for some (all, I think) of the film's camera work. The
disadvantages of having a low budget are used to the film's advantage and give it a finish of non-fictional
authenticity. The ambiguity surrounding the film's origins have further added to the folklore debates (did you hear
the one about this low budget flick being a complete manipulation by Hollywood executives?).
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The Blair Witch Project appeals to fears that are familiar or accessible, for instance being lost, desperate,
hungry, suffering frustration and fatigue, and being afraid of the dark. The disconnection that occurs between the
film-maker characters appeals to human fears of rejection, abandonment or alienation. Heather argues that people are
never lost for long in the civilised USA but this statement
reinforces a contemporary concern that even in the technologically advanced modern world, the wilderness remains
present and threatening. Strange twig and rock formations are amongst the most disturbing special effects of the
film, and the hint of a forest spirit brings the woods alive in scenes reminiscent of Kurosawa's Throne of Blood.
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The characters are ultimately hunted by something unknown that is never seen by the viewer. The terrorising force is
never given a description and its sounds are indecipherable. Thus the 'horror' is psychological, and is mainly
evidenced through scenes such as the characters chaotically fleeing from the threat; they are pursued and
the hand-held camera continues filming. Such nausea-inducing disorientation is chilling as it appeals to the basic
fears of the unknown, invisible, and indecipherable. Often the camera movements and lack of lighting make it
impossible for the viewer to know exactly what is going on, so we rely on the voices of the characters. When they
cry, "what was that?" that is exactly what the viewer wonders. The audience is not in a position of privilege in
relation to the characters; what they do not know, we do not know either. Through the action it chooses to omit, the
film is able to tap into a range of anxieties. A viewer cannot necessarily disbelieve in the threat of something they
cannot see.
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We follow the characters' reactions as their fear grows. The viewer may learn that there is nothing more disturbing
than watching people on screen, who may look like us or our friends, and who had originally seemed so brazen and
confident, suffer a slow yet complete mental and emotional meltdown.
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The film trusts in the audience's imagination, which may seem a rare treat in modern cinema. The film asks many more
questions than it answers. In fact, it relies on this engagement for its success. So beware of the hype of The Blair
Witch Project. The film's strength is not consistent action. Its wonders lie in its simplicity (which is what many
indie film fans have traditionally responded to in viewing their low budget favourites), and best of all the film
assumes intelligence on the part of its audience. Viewers who have this quality will 'fill in the blanks',
working with the film to generate its fear. What an imaginative viewer can conjure in their head is worse than
anything that can be depicted on the screen.
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Details
Blair Witch Project, by Artisan Pictures 1998.
Written, Directed and Edited by: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez.
Producers: Gregg Hale and Robin Cowie.
Cinematography: Neal L. Fredericks.
Music: Tony Cora.
Cast: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael Williams.
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Citation reference for this article
MLA style:
Kate Douglas. "The Scare Witnesses Project: 'Blair Witch Project'." M/C Reviews 10 Jan. 2000.
[your date of access] <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/blair.html>.
Chicago style:
Kate Douglas, "The Scare Witnesses Project: 'Blair Witch Project'," M/C Reviews 10 Jan. 2000,
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/blair.html> ([your date of access]).
APA style:
Kate Douglas. (2000) The scare witnesses project: 'Blair witch project'. M/C Reviews 10 Jan. 2000.
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/blair.html> ([your date of access]).
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![[image]](http://movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/guide/01913601.jpg)