Blair Witch Project

Despite it's popularity in 1999, it was not until recently that I watched the independent horror film, "The Blair Witch Project," written and directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. The film is shot as if it is a real life documentary/video diary of three college students named, Heather, Josh, and Michael (the actors real names are used). Heathers character is a young film maker who brings two peers, Josh and Michael along with her to film a documentary on the Blair Witch. The location is in the fictitious town Berkitsville, Maryland, formally known as Blair. They are exploring the myth of the Blair witch who was supposedly the cause of hundreds of missing children, and dead tortured people found in a wooded area where the "witch" resided. Before heading into the infamous woodland, they go around the town interviewing people of the town on what they know about the Blair Witch. The film has sudden cuts and random shots between the interviews, i.e. the three of them cracking jokes at the grocery store. This gives the audience a sense of confusion, "Is this real?" Although in 2012, we are now used to fake reality shows and movies, but in 1999 this film probably lead some people to wonder if this was indeed a documentary of three college students that went missing, and this was the footage left behind. Because of this sense of "reality" it may have contributed to the suspense and popularity of the film. Unlike most horror films, a lot is left to the imagination for a majority of the film is the three students reactions to being lost in the woods, and hearing suspicious noises at night. The witch is never shown, but as each night passes, the three discover clues around their tent that the witch has been watching them. The subtlety adds to the fright. By the 6th night, Heather and Mike awake without any sign of Josh. The next two nights, they only hear his voice calling for help amidst the pitch black. By the last night, Heather and Mike try to follow his screams and come across an abandoned shack they did not notice before. It wasn't until they reached the basement of the shack that Heather starts screaming and Mike drops the camera. Heathers camera drops at the very end too implying the Blair Witch killed her. Mike being turned against the wall while Heather is being murdered. Earlier one of the interviewees said the Blair Witch would make some of her victims face the wall while murdering another person. This shot is seen right before Heather dies. The audience never sees the witch. This is where the movie ends. In most of the film, Heather is holding the camera, and shooting the two men, while carrying on a dialogue. In the beginning they crack jokes. i.e. Heather zooms in on a dead mouse in the woods and says, "What killed this mouse, witch craft?" The film continues into stressful situations where the two men are yelling at Heather because they are lost, and each day becomes more chaotic. The three of them look dirty, tired, and scared as more time passes. In the beginning Mike and Josh used the camera more, and as they realize they may not ever escape the woods, Heather is the only one using the camera, because Josh and Mike are sick of doing the film. Most of the film is shot in black and white, with only a few color shots in the beginning. With the random clips and cuts and unsteadiness of the camera, it gives an even more of a sense that "this is real raw footage". For it's time, I find this film successful because of the "home video" type look, and the lingering presence of the unseen witch, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats. http://youtu.be/cMQQpmm5u3w