The Blair Witch Project Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)August 9th, 1999
Chilling, Spine-Tingling “Blair Witch Project”
by Homer Yen
(c) 1999
It’s been a few weeks since this much-talked about film has been released. I’ve heard how critics have labeled this as the scariest movie in the last 20 years. I’ve heard how much the material is unsettling. And, I’ve heard that many people suffer headaches after watching this film because the footage is shot using hand-held cameras and thus the picture is shaky. And after absorbing all of these tales, a general sense of eerieness began to stir within my stomach. I became more curious to know about the Blair Witch Project, yet I was also afraid at the same time. This fear was probably caused by a combination of anticipation and anxiety that manifested within mind. When you don’t know what to expect but only know that it’s something that can only be tremendously frightening, that’s the most intense fear that you can have. It eats you, it taunts you, and it drives you mad.
In “BWP,” three students shooting a documentary mysteriously disappear in a heavily wooded area in western Maryland. A year later, the video footage is found, and the events that you see are supposedly the last days that the students were ever seen again. Heather, Josh and Mike are all excited to be a part of this project. It should only be a day or two of interviews with the local denizens of a small town where the Blair Witch myth has had the most resonance. After that, the three would travel into the woods to see if there’s any evidence to substantiate the statements made by the local folks. Most of the townsfolk dismiss the Blair Witch as just folklore with no basis in fact. But they do come across a few that are more cautious with their statements. “I don’t really believe in her, but I do believe enough in her to know not to go into those woods,” one woman says. Another eccentric woman tells of how she once saw the witch and described her as a haggardly old woman covered with fur that seemed to float on air. The Blair Witch may be nothing more than fodder for tabloid newspapers or perhaps a story similar to that of Bigfoot. Nonetheless, the three pack up their gear, and begin to explore the deep woods where the Blair Witch is said to roam.
Their situation quickly worsens. They lose the map, they begin to hear unexplainable sounds in the dead of night, and when they wake up they find evidence that someone has been there. After much pleading by a frightened Josh and Mike, Heather believes that the best thing to do is to leave. But no matter what they do, they seem to always make the wrong choice. They walk around in circles as they fall short on supplies as well as morale. Soon, they fear that they are being hunted by something unseen. The fright factor begins to quickly escalate as each one slowly turns on one another and as each begins to lose their own sanity. Fear is slowly settling in, and the transformation is utterly disturbing.
What makes their fear that much more gripping is that they have no idea what’s out there. The otherwise pristine woods transforms into an unsettling landscape as branches cast strange shadows, the leaves ruffle in a most disconcerting way, and the howling wind sounds like cries of help possibly from the tortured victims of the Blair Witch. Their flashlights can not see far enough into the distance. When they run, the cameras are focused at the ground, which doesn’t allow the audience to see where they are going. This is equally frustrating and frightening. Like me, their fear was probably caused by a combination of anticipation and anxiety that manifested within their minds. Is there really anything out there? No one can be really sure. Regardless, I found myself turning my head several times to avoid seeing what was on the screen.
With its documentary-like style, the plight of the students (though completely fictional) seems very real, as does the fear that they (and the audience) experience. Unlike conventional scary movies like “Scream” where scenes allow us to shriek in delight, the audience uttered not a sound – complete dead silence. The film is not about the Blair Witch itself, but rather how fear overtakes us, strips us of our sanity, and reduces us to shriveling weaklings. It’s haunting, it’s frightening, it’s gripping and it deserves a strong recommendation. But be warned, for even now I am still chilled by the film.
Grade: A-
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