Featured Film Review
'The Craft'1996 Columbia Pictures Starring: Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell and Rachel True Length: 97 minutes approx (VHS)
This teen-angst laden movie starring a 90's bratpack of teen- chiller/thriller/slasher/drama stars is a relatively teen-drama style look at Witchcraft. The story revolves around the magical exploits of Nancy (Fairuza Balk) – the resident goth weirdo, Bonnie (Neve Campbell) – the recluse turned slut, and Rochelle (Rachel True) – the oppressed bitch. Add Sarah, played by Robin Tunney, into the mix – the suicidal 17 year old who brings the power to the circle.
The film doesn't have the soft-focus approach to magic as often seen in Buffy or Charmed, nor does it have the fireballs and lightning bolts approach that pretty much every other film takes toward magic – instead there has obviously been some research into the topic, with convincing quarter calls, circle casting, simplistic blood-ritual, healing circles and sympathetic magic seen throughout the film. The girls share the downtime both before and after their rituals, again mirroring common circle activity with social time for the coven.
The characters are edgy in a teen way, with the usual collection of angst and rage and self-loathing expressed by each girl, but each also has a sufficient layer of reality to make the character both believable and to make their motivations acceptable and their characters ultimately `likeable'.
The supporting cast are recognisable by anyone who attended high school in the 80's or 90's– the bully's, the bitches, the sport studs and the blind-to-it-all teachers. The parental cast are, by and large, forgettable, with only Nancy's mom making any kind of impact on the film at all.
The magic shop owner, and the person I imagine that the Director thought would be the representation of a High Priestess is wet in her portrayal of a mysterious and powerful woman, with a wonky accent and demeanour, and shows considerable wooden acting skills in her attempted prevention of a fleeing teenager, but redeems herself by managing to keep several hundred candles alight in a draughty shop without them blowing out with all the to-ing and fro-ing going on and without the store burning down, so she redeems herself on that front.
The music throughout the film is funky, with Elastica, Portishead, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Spacehog, and the now almost universally recognised them to Charmed in it's full version making it an enjoyable backdrop to the plot as it unravels.
There are some questionable concepts in the film which may grate on the experienced or learned viewer – the term `Manon' used in reference to "Spirit" or principle of "All" by the girls becomes overused within about 5 minutes of it's initial introduction (Manon! Who? Manon!! What?? MANON!! I don't understand!! Manon Manon Manon!! Oh, now I get it…on with the plot…), the `Glamour' section which is pure Hollywood and inspired a hundred and one fluffy sites about Witchcraft and how to cast a beauty spell, and the concept of a Natural Witch, which somehow seems to combine the principles of Family Trad (on a genetic level) mixed with "someone who's quite nifty at the Craft without needing to practice", again inspiring a quasi-fluffy generation to think that Magic isn't something that you have to work at, you just wriggle your nose and away you go…
Overall the film is a good watch, easy on the eye and doesn't require the brain to be engaged in order to be enjoyable. I defy anyone who watches it not to want to visit the beach at night with some rocks and some firewood (fish in a bag and butterfly in a jar optional!). At least 3 magic scenes could be directly lifted into a `real-life' circle or spellcasting scenario and the final scenes of Nancy and Sarah (esp. Nancy) are very well done end the note on a comedy high for the film.
Reviewer: Cabochon
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