A gothic's gothic

Rating: Null/10 (22 January 2003)

Here at last is a film that can with all justification wear the mantle horror, in its richest sense. Gone are the axe murderers and green vomit spitting demon possessed, gone are all the bug eyed monsters and even the more sympathetic ones. At the same time, we recognize in Heather's character Victor Frankenstien's obsession, i.e., the hubris that leads us all into the woods when we're not absolutely sure where we're going. That's the dilemma of the human experience, and that's why Blair Witch works for so many of us, I think. We all make Heather's error a hundred times or more in our lives, and we drag people along who either don't know how to fend for themselves or actually can't. And that's when the heartache begins, as the old song goes, because the way out isn't clearly marked. And while the woods may not be as filled with tigers as they seem and the world may not hate us, the tigers are still chewing bones, and the world does not exactly love us, either. As for the controversial camera work, it's pretty clever to create a plot wherein whatever the camera does is basically going to be correct. These are student film makers, right? At the same time, to those who believe the actual film makers got sloppy, please check out the more recent editions of the film with the outtakes, a couple of which are genuinely wretched. No, a lot of serious thought beyond just marketing went into this piece. My favorite scene in the film is when Heather, exasperated, insists that people don't get lost in America. Right behind this, Michael and Josh begin singing "the Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful". Whether it was intended or not, the film makers comment that people do get lost in America, and they don't have to be in the woods either.
All in all, the film is a fine piece of psychological horror and a decent outing for the actual film makers, Sanchez and Myrick. Clearly there's always room for improvment, but I don't know if it's in any of the areas ("Genuinely scary films like the Exorcist or the Shining") some people are suggesting. I'm of the opinion that this one stands up all by itself, in a way that most films people call "scary" seldom can. It displays a little confidence in the imagination, not only in the imagination of the audience, but in the imagination of its cast. That's a rare achievement in these days when most American film makers use special effects as a crutch. I think the Blair Witch Project is one of those films that lends the horror genre some much needed credibility, and all kudoes go to Sanchez and Myrick.