I'm in love with The Love Witch

What's this? Another post? Already??

So I'm a little late to the game on this one and no doubt anyone remotely interested in watching films that are about witchcraft or the occult in general will have most likely seen Anna Biller's 2016 The Love Witch already. Well I hadn't until the other week and let me tell you something - I LOVED it.

I'd seen stills from this film floating around the internet (specfically from the first scene we see the protagonist in the Victorian tea rooms) and up until I tuned into The Witch Wave's podcast episode interviewing Biller I had assumed it was a film from the 1960s (this is a really good episode and I'd highly reccomend checking it out!)

I mean, just look at it? You'd be easily fooled into thinking this film was relased around the time of classics like Breakfast at Tiffany's. To be perfectly honest, even looking at it now, I am still asounded that this film was only relased four years ago. The retro visuals are absolutely impeccable, from the colour treatment to the film itself, to its costume design and stylings - all done by Biller herself. Is there anything that woman can't do?? - to the choice of actress playing the lead. Samantha Robinson has a face and demenour that literally looks as if it was specifically crafted to be a 60s starlet and send this little sapphic spellcaster's heart all of a flutter.

Anyway, enough about me gushing over the beautiful visuals and cinematography, though I could quite happily rabbit on about this to anyone who'd let me. The story of The Love Witch follows Elaine, an unlucky in love embarking on a new start after the tragic death of her lover.

Elaine is desperate to find her prince (something I think most of us can relate to in one way or another) and as result, dabbles in spell casting, rituals and potion making in an attempt to make men fall in love with her. And if you know anything about magic, you know how dangerous it is to interfere with anyone's free will. 

The film also makes an interesting feminist commentary on how women are subservient to men. Despite Elaine being desperate for what is seeminly a traditional fairytale romance, the film flips society's script on its head, ultimately leaving our femme fatal the one with the power. 

I wont ruin too much of the plot for you but I highly recommend you watching The Love Witch if you're anthing life me and have nostalgia for a time before you weren't born. It's campy, dark, provocative and all round a really fun watch.