Review: The Love Witch (2016)

Okay, I mentioned I needed a pallet cleanser after Witches of Eastwick, so I present: The Love Witch.

The Love Witch is so good. So, so good. You should watch it. I almost don't want to review it because I think this movie is better to go into without knowing too much. But it is so strange, and beautiful, and weird, and gorgeous... you should just see it.

If that's not enough for you, I'll start with the basics. Elaine (Samantha Robinson) plays a witch with the most incredible blue-toned eye make-up. The movie starts with her moving to California to start over. “I’m starting a new life,” she declares matter-of-factly, reflecting on the death of her love, Jerry. The death of former loves is... common in Elaine's life, as the audience soon learns. Moving into a gorgeous house full of manic color tones (who said witches need to live in dark, drab conditions?), Elaine starts weaving her magic spells to make men fall desperately in love with her.

"It's one bedroom, two bath, with a walk-in cauldron nook!"

That appears throughout the film to be her main goal: to be loved. She is single-minded in this pursuit, manipulating scenarios to come in contact with her next target, spinning potions and love spells to ensnare their minds.

Do you feel ensnared?

Now, this plot could easily have produced an offensive, anti-feminist romp; Elaine, after all, seems to be the definition of internalized anti-feminist messaging. She coos that she wants to take care of a man and be adored in return; she says that, inside, she's "just a little girl dreaming of being carried off on a white horse." But through the excellent directing of Anna Biller (who also wrote, edited, and scored the film), Elaine's internalized messaging becomes a movie monster in and of itself. Her desire for love cuts a path of destruction that is every bit as horrifying and fun as any from a slasher movie. The subversion makes The Love Witch a sort of ironic horror comedy, using the anti-feminist dialogue and situations as camp.

Compared to the Witches of Eastwick and the spellcaster in I Married a Witch, Elaine is also so much more personally powerful and self-possessed. Biller lingers on her spellcasting scenes, which seem to crackle with a kind of passionate energy, and it soon becomes clear throughout the plot that no one can stand up to Elaine's powers.

As Biller shows, Elaine is always in charge of her own destiny. She may live in a state of self-delusion, but she's the one who put herself there. Ultimately, the movie shows that it is the idea of love that has power over Elaine, but not any man.

Also worth noting: this movie is GORGEOUS. Shot in 35mm, with soft focus and bright, Technicolor hues that resemble the brightest of 1960's original Star Trek episodes, The Love Witch seems to be a film from another era, but a bit crisper and cleaner. Every shot is beautiful, but some are actually breathtaking in their composition and color usage. Some visuals, as well as many surrealist choices, reminded me of the Tarot-card inspired style of Alejandro Jodorowsky, but with much, much more pink.

The visuals also help support the more feminist tone: unlike actual, vintage Technicolor movies from the 1960s and '70s, which is clearly the main aesthetic influence on The Love Witch, Biller's film subverts the male gaze. Elaine is shown as powerful in her sexuality and the angles support that power, rather than objectifying her. The men, however, are treated visually more as sexual objects, which is ultimately how Elaine (at times subconsciously) sees them. It's a fascinating twist that is worth looking out for as you watch.

Like I said, I think you should go into this film without knowing too much, so I'll stop there. The Love Witch is a fun, bizarre, and beautiful film with an awesome and powerful (if self-sabotaging and confused) witch. I cannot recommend the film enough as both a visual and story experience.

Rating: 5 out of 5 bites