| Witchhammer | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Otakar Vávra |
| Written by | Otakar Vávra Václav Kaplický Ester Krumbachová |
| Starring | Elo Romancik |
| Cinematography | Josef Illík |
| Editing by | Antonín Zelenka |
| Release date(s) | 23 January 1970 |
| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Czechoslovakia |
| Language | Czech |
Witchhammer (Czech: Kladivo na čarodějnice) is a 1970 Czechoslovak drama film directed by Otakar Vávra. It is considered Otakar Vávra's magnum opus. The title (Malleus Maleficarum) is also translated as Witches' Hammer or Witchhammer.[1] The story of the film is based on Václav Kaplický's book Kladivo na čarodějnice (1963), a novel about witch trials in Northern Moravia during the 1670s. The black-and-white allegorical film, full of symbols, follows the events from the beginning until the trial and execution of the priest. Unwillingness to stop the evil in the beginning only encourages the inquisitor to graduate his accusations and use torture. The vicious circle scares everyone from resistance.
These trials started when an altar boy observed an old woman hiding the bread given out during communion. He alerted the priest who confronted the old woman. She admitted that she took the bread with the intent to give it to her cow to double its milk production. The priest reported the incident to the owner of the local estate who, in turn, called in an inquisitor, a judge specializing in witchcraft trials. Boblig von Edelstadt, the inquisitor, commenced an ever escalating series of trials, eventually involving hundreds of people. Eventually, 112 people were burned at the stake.