Quite a historic production, “Viy” was the first Soviet-era horror film to be officially released in the USSR and one of the most influential Russian films of all time, particularly due to its startling visuals and effects courtesy of directors Konstantin Yershov, Georgi Kropachyov, and perhaps most notably, artistic director Aleksandr Ptushko. The film was included among the “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” and now finds its way to a stunning Blu Ray release, courtesy of Eureka.
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The story revolves around a group of seminary students, who, despite the strictness associated with the fact that they have their lessons by monks, are anything but disciplined, frequently getting drunk, and joking all the time, as the introductory scene that has them making a goat read the bible highlights.
As the students are sent home for vacation, three of them get lost on the way in the middle of the night. One spots a farmhouse in the distance, and they ask the old woman at the gate to let them spend the night. She agrees, on the condition that they sleep in separate areas of the farm. As one of them, Khoma Brutus, lies down in the barn to sleep, the old woman comes to him and tries to seduce him, which he staunchly refuses. She puts him under a spell and makes him lie down so she can climb on his back. She then rides him around the countryside like a horse. Khoma suddenly finds that they are flying in her broomstick and realizes she is a witch. He demands that she put him back down and, as soon as they land, he grabs a stick and beats her violently. As she cries out that she’s dying, he looks and sees she has turned into a beautiful young woman. Horrified, he runs back to his seminary, where he finds the Rector has sent for him.
Khoma is told that a rich merchant has a daughter who is dying and needs prayers for her soul, and that she specifically asked for Khoma by name. He refuses to go, but the Rector threatens him with a public beating, so he relents and finds he is returning to the farm where he met the witch. The girl dies before he gets there, and to his horror, he realizes she is the witch, and that he is the cause of her death (but he tells no one). The girl’s father promises him great reward if he will stand vigil and pray for her soul for the next three nights. If he does not, grave punishment is implied. Khoma spends the next nights in the church where her body is placed, but each night is worse than the previous and Khoma gradually loses his grip with reality.
Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov create a rather intriguing narrative mix, as it is presented through the juxtaposition of religion, magic, comedy and horror, in a rather precarious balance which they manage though, to keep on tracks for the whole duration of the film. What happens to Khoma could be perceived as the concept of crime and punishment, for him not being particularly faithful or obedient, and for treating the witch as such, but the approach of the two directors is more playful than didactic, with the repercussions of his nights in the church and all the horrid supernatural things that take place there, being rather funny that horrible. The same applies to a number of other comments, as in the case of the drunkenness of Russians, which extends to all aspects of society, from intellectuals and lords to monks and farmers, while the nature of the latter, with their constant tendency to mock, and to sacrifice those they perceive as outsiders being eloquently depicted.
On another element, the concept of the femme fatale finds one of its apogees here with Natalya Varley giving a great silent performance (with the same applying to the actress who handles her voice here, Klara Rumyanova) as an old witch, a dead body that is eventually resurrected, a young woman in despair and a supernatural entity. Her performance benefits the most by both her beauty and her intense stare, which occasionally is the main source of horror in the movie.
Where the film truly thrives though, is on its audiovisual aspect. Aleksandr Ptushko creates a rather impressive world where the ritualistic appears side to side with the gothic, the monstrous, and the supernatural, with the concept of the dead witch and the various demons that appear in an otherwise holy setting being as impressive as possible. The combination of the aforementioned with Karen Khachaturian’s music, which manages to represent all the aforementioned elements in the most eloquent fashion, the practical special effects that seem much ahead of their time and the overall cinematography of Viktor Pishchalnikov and Fyodor Provorov result in a true audiovisual extravaganza. Lastly, R. Pesetskaya and Tamara Zubova’s editing retains a rather fast rhythm that works quite nicely for the episodic nature of the narrative.
This review would not have been complete without mentioning the impervious performance of Leonid Kuravlyov as Khoma, who manages to portray a plethora of feelings and statuses, ranging from cheeky, happy, smart to despaired, mad and stupefied with the same artistry. His acting carries the film from beginning to end in a truly great effort
“Viy” is a great film, which goes much further than its supernatural horror premises through the prowess in direction, acting, but most of all, audiovisual aspect that deem the movie a true epic.
