Viy 'Spirit of Evil' (1967)
04-27-01 | 12:15 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
http://www.mondo-digital.com/viy.html
I'm lucky enough to live close to a place that has some of the more obscure titles available for rental. After reading the enthusiastic review at mondo-digital, and seeing some of the imagery from the film, I was eager to get a look at Viy. In my own rambling way, I'm going to concentrate more on my impressions of the film, instead of the technical aspects of the DVD, which are adequately covered elsewhere. It looks great, and sounds good. The music is wonderfully done, and as it should, helps create the perfect atmosphere.
This is a kind of fairy tale writ large, but the human element is the most important factor in making any fantasy seem real. We must empathize with the characters in order to care about the (often bizarre) things that are happening to them. Viy finds an able protagonist in Khoma (Leonid Kuralev). He is no hardened ghostbuster or fearless vampire killer, but a guy who just wants to get by, while circumstances beyond his control bring him into conflict with the supernatural. I liked the way the seminary was portrayed, not as the quiet enclave of bookish, pious monks, but as a home for orphans and wayward youth by another name. It rings true, because in a hard world, the seminary would be the best option for the unwanted. Khoma, through a series of misadventures, ends up being assigned the task of keeping watch over the corpse of a local wealthy man's daughter. He must say prayers over the body for three consecutive nights, alone with it in the church. The daughter, as it turns out, is a witch, and dead or not, she has some nasty plans for our young protagonist.
Viy is a good film, but like many of the better ones, it's hard to categorize. It's been called cult-horror, and it's been called fantasy, and both are true enough, from a certain perspective. I've been trying to think of points of reference, and it's a struggle. Hollywood certainly wasn't making anything like this in 1967. 'Russian Hammer film' (no pun intended) might be close to the mark. As you would expect, extensive use is made of the picturesque Russian countryside, architecture, and townsfolk, so the verite aspect is there. The art-direction is where things start to cook, with some incredibly innovative sets and mechanical effects, and one of the creepiest churches ever portrayed on film. When the ectoplasm really starts to hit the fan, the effects take center stage. There are some truely cool and unforgettable images here. Some of them have every bit as much impact as when they were new, and some of them are comical in their naivete. This is not a film for those who are mired in the sensibilities of modern horror, or slashers. If you can appreciate the skills it took to create The Wizard of Oz, or Jason and the Argonauts, you'll like this just fine. Check out Viy for a creepy, involving, and refreshingly different evening's viewing.
I'm lucky enough to live close to a place that has some of the more obscure titles available for rental. After reading the enthusiastic review at mondo-digital, and seeing some of the imagery from the film, I was eager to get a look at Viy. In my own rambling way, I'm going to concentrate more on my impressions of the film, instead of the technical aspects of the DVD, which are adequately covered elsewhere. It looks great, and sounds good. The music is wonderfully done, and as it should, helps create the perfect atmosphere.
This is a kind of fairy tale writ large, but the human element is the most important factor in making any fantasy seem real. We must empathize with the characters in order to care about the (often bizarre) things that are happening to them. Viy finds an able protagonist in Khoma (Leonid Kuralev). He is no hardened ghostbuster or fearless vampire killer, but a guy who just wants to get by, while circumstances beyond his control bring him into conflict with the supernatural. I liked the way the seminary was portrayed, not as the quiet enclave of bookish, pious monks, but as a home for orphans and wayward youth by another name. It rings true, because in a hard world, the seminary would be the best option for the unwanted. Khoma, through a series of misadventures, ends up being assigned the task of keeping watch over the corpse of a local wealthy man's daughter. He must say prayers over the body for three consecutive nights, alone with it in the church. The daughter, as it turns out, is a witch, and dead or not, she has some nasty plans for our young protagonist.
Viy is a good film, but like many of the better ones, it's hard to categorize. It's been called cult-horror, and it's been called fantasy, and both are true enough, from a certain perspective. I've been trying to think of points of reference, and it's a struggle. Hollywood certainly wasn't making anything like this in 1967. 'Russian Hammer film' (no pun intended) might be close to the mark. As you would expect, extensive use is made of the picturesque Russian countryside, architecture, and townsfolk, so the verite aspect is there. The art-direction is where things start to cook, with some incredibly innovative sets and mechanical effects, and one of the creepiest churches ever portrayed on film. When the ectoplasm really starts to hit the fan, the effects take center stage. There are some truely cool and unforgettable images here. Some of them have every bit as much impact as when they were new, and some of them are comical in their naivete. This is not a film for those who are mired in the sensibilities of modern horror, or slashers. If you can appreciate the skills it took to create The Wizard of Oz, or Jason and the Argonauts, you'll like this just fine. Check out Viy for a creepy, involving, and refreshingly different evening's viewing.
