I hadn't seen the British/German coproduction "Mark of the Devil" since its initial release in 1970, and could only recall one image from this now infamously violent film: an accused blonde witch having her tongue slowly pulled out. For us kids back then, this was enough to guarantee the picture an enduring rep. Having just watched the film again, almost 40 years later, I am now stunned that we kids were allowed to watch this movie in 1970 at all, featuring as it does not just that legendary tongue yank, but also whippings, burnings, a tar & feathering, thumbscrews, beatings, Chinese water torture, skewers, branding, a spiked chair, beheadings, an eyeball impalement, stretchings on the rack, and several rape sequences, all in fairly realistic detail, and all carried out in the name of the Church in the furtherance of exposing disciples of Satan. (No wonder free barf bags were famously given to all the film's theatre patrons back when!) Today, these exploitative shock elements strike me as being somewhat of a distasteful necessity, as the filmmakers are purportedly endeavoring to expose the cruelties of the age. Taking place in an unnamed locale in what seems to be the early 18th century, "Mark of the Devil" has lots more going for the adult horror fan than just these scenes of gruesome torture. Herbert Lom is quite excellent as Lord Cumberland, the impotent chief witch-hunter (the viewer must gather that if Viagra had been available 300 years ago, many hundreds of women might have been spared!), baby-faced Udo Kier very fine as his apprentice, and Olivera Vuco extremely sensuous as Vanessa, an accused hotty. The picture has been beautifully shot and handsomely produced and, perhaps best of all, features a gorgeous score by Michael Holm that will likely be running through your head for days afterward. This lovely melody is all the more striking, given the ugliness so often shown on screen. A nasty piece of Euro horror, to be sure, and most certainly not for the kiddies, the film is superbly presented here on this great-looking DVD from Blue Underground, loaded with so many extras as to make your tongue hang out....
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darksong-128 June 2007I will remember this as being the film with so much relentless screaming. With torture scenes that remind you of the hell details by Hieronymus Bosch. Particularly unnerving is the horrible Chinese water torture treatment on one luckless accused prisoner - That itself adds so much visual horror to the whole idea if you ever tried to imagine it in effect. It's both depressing and maddening at the same time. Which makes it all so great for being believable and historically true. Perverse Christian officials all running around committing unspeakable acts of cruelty on the innocent they deem as fit for it and to satisfy their own greed and lust. The arrival of Count Cumberland at the helm making it worse. His presence is dark and brooding and we can sense how corrupt a character he is. Another great performance is by -Udo Kier as a young devoted Christian trainee who begins to doubt the ways of Cumberland. The film is well made with good soundtrack that reminded me of the music in Cannibal Holocaust.-Buckets of blood and screaming galore fest.
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gridoon27 February 2001Most of the reviews I've read about "Mark of the Devil" tend to over-emphasize the "graphic torture scenes" aspect of the film, but if you're expecting this to be just a sickening piece of trash cinema you may be surprised. The historical context lends unexpected weight to the story, and there are some interesting character conflicts between Herbert Lom and Udo Kier. Although repellently violent at times, and definitely not for everyone (that "removal-of-a-tongue" scene is pretty grisly), this film does not deserve to be sloppily dismissed. (**1/2)
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TonyDood14 June 2005There's no point trying to understand the draw of a film that rolls around in the mud of the darker aspects of human nature without shame--torture, mutilation, misogyny, injustice and despair as thematic content--there's nothing new or even so unusual about being attracted to these things, and no need for apology. If there's a market for something someone will try to fill the niche.
"Mark Of The Devil" belongs in a category of exploitation film that is hard to define. It's not "scary." It inspires dread, but hardly "fear." It's not the goriest film ever made--it may have been at the time but is fairly tame today. It's not the sickest by far--Asian pseudo-snuff films and the "Faces Of Death" series raised the bar to its highest level of taboo-shattering. It IS exploitation, of course--whoever sees it is unlikely to be looking for an education on how witch hunts were once carried out. No--I put "Mark Of The Devil" in the same category as "Cannibal Holocaust," "Last House On The Left," "Salo," and a greasy, dripping handful of other films that are not far from the exploitation genre of "Sickies." These are movies that dare to point out, if they work for you, that is (there's always someone eager to point out how "boring" these movies are, of course) how truly nasty and relentlessly unpleasant life can be. Their message is, simply: "As bad as you thought things were, they're far worse." Again, discussing the appeal of that message belongs in another review, I'm content knowing it exists, and that's why movies like "Mark Of The Devil" were created.
For my money, this old, old film delivers a wallop like no other. It's campy, trashy, ugly, and beautiful all at once. It's stupid, perverse, poorly executed and mean in an almost magic way. Like "Cannibal Holocaust," it opens with a lovely, lyrical theme song that, in 90% of viewers at least, would normally inspire memories of sentiment, love, emotions of serenity and beauty. You are coaxed further along into this state by the lushly photographed panorama shots of a German countryside in full bloom, and the quaint and fascinating sight of horse-drawn carriages. Then, before you know it, you're pulled out of this reverie by being forced to witness a non-graphic but genuinely obscene depiction of the raping of a caravan of nuns. It's a nasty, ugly bit of business, and a cruel juxtaposition (not unlike similar, but somehow less revolting, moments in "A Clockwork Orange" which would come a few years later), all the moreso for the misleading score, which carries on as if the molestation of nuns is just more flora and fauna. The director knows it isn't--it's as if he's laughing sadistically at his audience perhaps--at the very least, he knew what he was doing, from a psychological stand point. This, and other similar moments in this film, are not accidental.
And therein lies the genius behind these "Sickies," above and beyond the standard, forgettable exploitation fare, no matter how realistic the gore or plentiful the nudity and foul language. Exploitation films like "Mark Of The Devil" were carefully designed to make you feel something you didn't expect to feel, something beyond fear or nausea...they get under your skin and work on your psychology. By the time the final victims are dispensed with in this type of film, the average viewer has been sated (or, most likely, overdosed) with the concept of Life As Garbage, and is invited to now return to whatever real life she/he exists in and compare. The "missing ending" to "Mark Of The Devil" notwithstanding, it is near impossible not to come away from the commonly seen end of this film without feeling depressed, angry, frustrated, exhausted and unclean. And, considering the focus of the movie is atrocity committed by man against his brothers and sisters...that reaction is certainly appropriate.
Is this type of film necessary, or even entertainment? Obviously it is, or these films wouldn't have had the shelf life they've had. Exploitation movies come and go, but some of these films rise to the top of the swill. "Mark Of The Devil" has earned its blood-stained spot on the shelf of movies that go one step (or perhaps a few more) beyond where most viewers are comfortable or even interested in going, and over thirty years later this movie still has the power to offend, disgust, provoke and amaze. Considering the variety of exploitation material available today, that's quite an accomplishment, if you think about it. -
preppy-328 November 2009This is a movie supposedly based on real accounts of the witch hunts in 15th-19th century Europe. Albino (Reggie Nalder) is an evil corrupt witch hunter in a small town. He, at random, accuses people of being witches and tortures and kills them. Lord Cumberland (Herbert Lom) arrives in town with his helper (Udo Kier). Kier falls in love with beautiful Vanessa (Olivera Katarina). Cumberland tells Albino that he is in charge of witch finding now. In revenge Albino accuses Vanessa of being a witch and has her locked up. Things escalate and ends up in an all out rampage.
This is the infamous film that was "rated V for violence" (actually R rated) and free vomit bags were given to people who attended the movie. It was a huge hit in the US and spawned many sequels. What this is is a badly dubbed German exploitation film full of pointless female nudity and graphic violence. The acting ranges from OK (Lom and Nalder) to downright lousy (Kier and everybody else). Still this DOES work. The 2004 Blue Underground DVD is uncut and has a pristine print with strong color and good sound. Kier and Katarina are both a attractive and make a likable couple. There's a beautiful music score and some incredible scenery. Also the frequent bursts of VERY graphic violence are incredibly disturbing: people are burnt alive; a tongue is torn out; a topless woman on the rack is burnt with a hot branding iron; a man is stabbed in the eye...it goes on and on. Worst of all is the character of Baron Daumer. Young, attractive actor Michael Maien is shown being beaten up and tortured throughout the course of the film. I almost turned it off when he is forced to sit bottomless on nails as his feet are whipped! This is a vicious unrelenting film. On one hand it IS exploitation. On the other hand this is (I've heard) a pretty accurate representation of what went on way back then. Recommended--if you can get the Blue Underground DVD. -
abduktionsphanomen47114 April 2021Mark Of The Devil - 1969 (I would rate this a C-) This movie has a lot of hype going for it, yet it fails to have any lasting impact. Even for the time period, this movie fails. The story line has a lot of promise, though the hysteria of witches is poorly done. There is little characterization to lead to credibility that the people being tortured are actual witches. It is understood that most people tortured were not witches, yet without characterization, there was little compassion for those being tortured. Without empathy for the victims, this became a run of the mill gore flick, without much gore. The torture scenes, though not overly graphic by todays standards, are adequate, but nothing special. Even the hype of the ripped out tongue fails to have any lasting impact for me. The musical score was awful and not overly fitting for a torture movie.
To its credit however, the movie was fairly well acted, even though the dubbing was hideous. There is also a historical value to the film, as it tries to show the hysteria of witchcraft running rampant in a small town. It certainly shows how easily people are persuaded by the powers that be, and how easily society can be lead astray by hysteria (of any kind).
Its worth a look, but dont expect to be moved by it. -
tomgillespie200227 November 2017Michael Reeves' horror classic Witchfinder General made an impressive turnaround at the box-office in spite of its modest budget. Following the witch-hunting exploits of Matthew Hopkins in 17th century England, the movie was disturbing, gruesome, and neatly disguised as a history lesson in an attempt to dodge the censors. The success of Witchfinder naturally led to more witch-trial horror films, most famously being Ken Russell's The Devils, although he denies he was inspired by a film he called "nauseous." It was a big hit in Germany, and their own stab at the folk horror sub-genre came in the form of Michael Armstrong's Mark of the Devil. Using clever marketing (posters warned of a V for Violence certificate and theatres handed out vomit bags to the audience), it was a runaway success, although it has spent the past few decades caught up in the video nasty storm and hacked to pieces in the editing room.
In a small town in early 18th-century Austria, residents are routinely treated to public executions of those accused of dabbling in the dark arts. In charge of finding the witches hiding in their midst and torturing them to confess is Albino (Reggie Nalder), an ugly man who accuses any unfortunate young woman who spurns his advances of performing witchcraft. Albino enjoys and abuses his position of power, until the dashing Count Christian von Meruh (Udo Kier) arrives in town, quickly catching the eye of beautiful, buxom barmaid Vanessa (Olivera Katarina). He is there to announce that famed and highly-respected witch hunger Lord Cumberland (Herbert Lom) will soon be joining him to put an end to the folly carried out by Albino and his cronies. But when Vanessa stands accused of false charges of baring the 'mark of the devil', the Count starts to question his master's methods and motivations, as well as that of the Church.
Mark of the Devil is one of those few horror movies that actually lives up to its reputation. While it certainly isn't the most horrifying film ever made and won't upset your stomach (as the poster claims), it revels in the many scenes of torture and death. Joints are ripped from sockets, digits are squashed, a tongue is removed, and many are burned alive, and almost every torture device imaginable is employed. These scenes initially have the desired effect, but the narrative quickly falls into a repetitive cycle of violence and badly handled love scenes between the Count and Vanessa frolicking on the grass, made all the worse by some atrocious dubbing. It does make a legitimate point however, and points a finger at the hypocrisy of an institution who torture and murder 'by the book' while looking down on the likes of Albino for doing the same for sexual gratification. It would be difficult to admit to 'liking' Mark of the Devil, but it sits as one of the more intriguing entries into the short-lived sub-genre. -
Bloody hell!!! I tell you, I'm used to seeing rough and cruel horror films but I assure you this one is really hard to watch at times! You can either take that as a recommendation or as a warning! Mark of the Devil portrays the rites of witchfinding near Austria/ Germany in the 17th century. Honorable men who're satisfying their own bloody and perverted lusts by killing young women in the name of God Himself. This film shows a lot of resemblance to the British classic starring Vincent Price The Witchfinder General only it's a lot more explicit and raw in other words: a lot more `exploitation'-like! Mark of the Devil contains multiple sequences in which girls are severely tortured, mutilated and eventually killed! It may be disgusting at times, but it's a very realistic portrayal of the absurdity and horror that actually took place once. The arrogance and naiveté of the Catholic Church is terrifically presented through the performances of Herbert Lom (Lord Cumberland) and Reggie Nalder (Albino) who still their appetite for terror by abusing God's name. Potential viewers who're interested in medieval torture-techniques will have the time of their lives while watching this film! The whip plays a leading role in this film, along with other bizarre methods such as burnings, the ripping of tongues and fingernails, stretching people and a truly horrific ritual that involves freezing cold drops of water.
The scenery and used locations are magnificent and the guiding music is absolutely brilliant. Mark of the Devil really belongs to the greatest films ever made in the category of European nasty' exploitation. The film can even count on a solid cast including a very young Udo Kier! Here, he is at the very beginning of a rich career that is still growing to be more impressive. It's a thrill to see a film featuring this living Cult-cinema legend at young and promising age. Udo Kier plays Herbert Lom's pupil, a very devoted witchfinder-to-be . devoted that is, until he falls head over heals in love with a beauty who's accused of witchery! Mark of the Devil also stars a couple of ravishing girls (you'll learn that presumed witches are a damn good-looking species) that definitely live up to the Hammer beauties around that same time. Whatever you do don't let the bad reviews scare you off! Mark of the Devil isn't nearly as bad as they say Just because some people can't handle a share amount of graphic violence doesn't mean the film is awful. -
One of history's finest examples of man's inhumanity to man in the name of religion, and a subject perfect for cinematic exploitation, witch-hunts in Central Europe resulted in the trial, torture, and execution of thousands of victims.
'Mark of the Devil' is a sensational account of the atrocities inflicted upon innocent men and women, branded as witches by the witch-finders, often as an excuse to satisfy their own needs and those of the church. Director Michael Armstrong spares no gruesome detail in this salacious tale of sadism, sex and death set in 18th century Austria.
Udo Kier plays Christian, an apprentice to Herbert Lom's Count Cumberland, top dog amongst witch-hunters. Christian believes that his boss is above reproach, and faithfully carries out his orders without question.
When he is sent to a small town to prepare for the arrival of his boss, Christian meets buxom barmaid Vanessa and falls for her ample charms. The local witch-finder, Albino (played by creepy Reggie Nalder), is also attracted to the pillow chested wench, but when his unwelcome advances are spurned, he accuses Vanessa of being a witch.
On the arrival of Count Cumberland, Christian does his best to get Vanessa freed, but to no avail; it seems that the Count doesn't wish to have his protégé distracted from his work by comely babes with magnificent heaving bosoms.
The nasty Count also has his hands full trying to separate a young nobleman, Baron Daume, from his wealth, claiming that he is possessed by the devil. Of course if the Baron gives all his worldly goods to the church, then he can go free; otherwise he gets the chop! Christian thinks this is all a little unfair, but keeps quiet; however, when he sees Count Cumberland killing Albino after an argument, and witnesses the incarceration of an entire family after trumped up charges are made against them, he decides that enough is enough. He releases Vanessa who rallies the townsfolk against Cumberland. An angry mob attacks the witch-finder and his men, seeking bloody retribution.
What makes 'Mark of the Devil' such a raw visceral experience is the no-holds barred approach to its torture and execution scenes. When you know that the gruesome acts you are witnessing were based on actual torture methods used on 'witches', their impact is heightened. Although not overly gory, the sheer nastiness of what is happening on screen is enough to shock.
Not quite deserving of the self-proclaimed title 'the most horrifying film ever made', Armstrong's movie is nevertheless a fairly harrowing experience and a must see for fans of exploitation cinema. -
ma-cortes23 January 2020Gruesome and exploitative film with abundant sensationalistic scenes and flinching shots of torture. Set in 1700 Austria, a young witch-hunter: Udo Kier, is an apprentice who follows his superior, Herbert Lom, a known Inquistor travelling across the county judging, pursuing condemning the suspicious people and the heinous underlings : Reggie Nader, Herbert Fux , Johannes Buzalski. Then the young man has serious doubts about their activities and to be aware the brutality, injustice, falsehood on the inquisitive trials. Things go wrong when the doubtful youngster has an enjoyable romance with a sexy girl, Olivera Katarina, then the latter is framed to be a hag. Along the way, other women accused to be witches : Gaby Fuchs, Ingeborg Schoner and husband : Adrian Hoven who also produced, are cruelly tortured.
This is a B entertainment based on Historical fiction and it cannily captures outrageous scene tortures and a thunderous period full of superstition, great ignorance and fear when innocent people could be chased, and confess to acts of witchcraft just to get the torture to stop. Witchcraft, necromancy and love story do not mix, as a twisted romance takes place at a medieval set between a witch-hunter apprentice and a gorgeous sexy woman accused to be hag. These Witch Finders were inspired by "The Malleus Malleficarum", the witches' hammer , what may be the most blood-soaked book in human history, it is instructed the clergy on how to locate, torture and kill all the free-thinkiing women during Witch-hunt, in fact history tells fifty thousand are captured and burned alive at the stake. The Mark of the Devil has notoriously graphic torture scenes that add to the mayhem , though the strange part is that based on true stories. It is not for the squeamish, as the horrible tortures include a naked blonde girl was stretched on the rack, Chinese torture, slashing, stabbing, young women being tied to stakes screaming while fire burning them from below.
Other films in similar style are as follows : the classic Witchfinder General or The Conqueror Worm 1968 by Michael Reeves with Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy . The Devils 1971 by Ken Russell with Oliver Reed, Vanessa Redgrave. The sequel : The Mark of the Devil by Adrian Hoven with Reggie Nader . And Inquisicion 1977 directed and starred by Paul Naschy with Daniela Giordiano, Antonio Iranzo.
The motion picture was regularly directed by Michael Armstrong, though Michael Reeves was first hired, as he was set to shoot it, but he passed away before filming was to start. Armstrong is a craftsman who worked as an assistant in Witchfinder General, he has directed a few films, such as : The haunted house of horror and Screamtime. He is usually a movie writer, such as Black panther, The sex thief, Shoestring, Adventures of a private eye. Rating : 5/10. And, at the time considered to be a video nasty, banned in many countries. Including vomit bags at the cinemas, rated V for violence and deemed to be positively the most horrifying movie ever made. Passable for some ambiguity, brief period piece and a lingering, grim nature. -
Woodyanders4 November 2007The wicked Lord Cumberland (splendidly played with venomous aplomb by Herbert Lom) tortures and murders various hapless folks who have been accused of witchcraft in 18th century Austria. The vicious Albino (the strikingly ugly Reggie Nalder in peak nasty form), naive young pupil Count Christian von Meruh (a solid performance by a really young Udo Kier), and sadistic executioner Jeff Wilkens (a perfectly hateful Herbert Fux) assist Cumberland in his savage crusade. Director Michael Armstrong presents the bleak story in a grimly serious and straightforward manner, creating a glum, hopeless and despairing humorless tone which in turn makes the plentiful foul and disgusting violence displayed herein that much more horrific and disturbing. Moreover, Armstrong certainly doesn't flinch from pouring on the nauseating brutality with shocking ferocity: women are burned at the stake, tongues are torn out by the roots, people are repeatedly stabbed, a nude man gets placed on a chair made out of spikes, and one unfortunate guy is subjected to agonizingly prolonged water torture. Poor Michael Maien as Baron Daumer in particular gets severely mistreated by his cruel tormentors. Among the lovely young ladies who are grossly manhandled are Olivera Vuco as fiery peasant girl Vanessa Benedikt, Gaby Fuchs as beautiful blonde Deirdre, and Ingeborg Shoner as the luscious nobleman's wife. Worse yet, all this ghastly depravity has a depressing basis in historical fact. Both Michael Holm's lush, melodic score and Ernst W. Kalinke's pretty, polished cinematography serve as sharply ironic contrasts to the incessant parade of horrendous on-screen atrocities. For all the admitted vile sensationalism, this picture does offer a scathing indictment of the hypocrisy and debauchery committed by evil men doing God's work in a time when fear and superstition were the repressive norms. A harsh and unsparingly revolting ordeal of a film that definitely lives up to its notoriously sick reputation.
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billcr1212 August 2012Ah, the good old days, when men were men, and women were witches. Mark of the Devil takes place in Germany during the time of the Inquisition, when as many as eight million people were killed as heretics, in order to save their souls. Of course the dearly departed usually had land which was then taken by the church for practical reasons.
Cumberland(Herbert Lom) is the chief inquisitor, and his ambitious assistant, Christian(perfect name), travel throughout the land, picking out nubile girls for torture on the rack, and other imaginative entertainment, such as brandings and burning at the stake. Being a man of the flesh causes Cumberland to lust after Vanessa, a beautiful peasant girl he meets on his journey. She is stamped with Satan's mark and attempts to run away from the lunatics in charge. Grade B is an accurate description of Mark, and I kept waiting for Vincent Price to appear. Lom is sufficiently nasty enough to keep the movie interesting enough to watch to the end. -
Andy Sandfoss29 January 2000I saw this way back in my high school days at a drive-in on a triple bill with "Last House on the Left" and "The Possession of Joel Delaney" (it was definitely the weak feature on that bill). Frankly, all of us watching at the time found it nasty and laughable. Recently I have been able of course to obtain it on DVD. I did so more for nostalgic reasons more than anything else. Bur I watched it thinking maybe it needs an adult appreciation. Time has not been kind to "Mark of the Devil"; whereas in the past I would have been disturbed by its pointless repetitive violence, now I must point out just how really DULL this film is. When people weren't being torn apart and burned, what little action there was played out at a snail's pace, and did little that was creative or even mildly interesting. So, aside from the graphic, ill-conceived torture scenes, the film offers little. This territory was covered much more productively in "Witchfinder General", aka "Conquerer Worm". That film had a definite point to make about the futility of violence that utterly escapes the exploitationist creators of "Mark". Besides, no movie that offers its viewers "stomach distress bags" can be taken seriously. It would have been better if they had offered: a; No-Doz tablets, b; profound apologies, and c; a refund.
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I'm a bit puzzled by the amount of negative comments for 'Mark Of The Devil'. To me it was a very effective and entertaining drama (not horror) with a witchcraft theme. Similar in many ways to Jess Franco's 'The Bloody Judge', a movie which generally has a better reputation for some reason. 'Mark Of The Devil' is a much more satisfying movie. Also gorier and with a stronger cast (veteran Herbert Lom, living legend Udo Kier, and Franco semi-regular Adrian Hoven). Forget the naysayers, this is flawed, true, but highly recommended to fans of Mario Bava and Hammer horror.
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aaarodgers13 June 2020I've recently heard of this film from a the intro theme to Hobo With a Shotgun. An awesome love letter to the exploitation genre of the 70s. I didn't have much high hopes of watching it, besides for the soundtrack, but I persisted anyways, and found that it was surprisingly really good. No, I wouldn't give it an 8, but its definitely a 7 in my book. This movie's positives consist of the following: Interesting plot, unique characters, depressing tone, great soundtrack, and wonderful set and costume design. This film is definitely worth a watch, if you like the exploitation genre or you just want something weird, but interesting to watch. At times this film was hard to watch but proceeded stone face cold knowing that it's still a movie. Yes, this movie is brutal! So keep that in mind. Other than that, you have a good life.
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hudson-todd20 May 2019This film, which I first saw in the 70s, has a remarkable ability to hold a horror fan's attention despite, or perhaps because of, its sadomasochistic content. It is an exploitation piece that is shockingly graphic for it's time and which borders on being torture porn. It appeals to the puerile freak-show lover that hides in the shadows of many a horror fan's mind. Taken for what it is - and for its target audience - it does what it does remarkably well, despite a decidedly wooden performances by Herbert Lom and Udi Kier, both of whom rely more on their striking appearances than their acting talent. This is true of most of the cast, in fact, from the leering clerk to the caricature scar-faced red ruffian, to the various bombshells accused of witchcraft. They make up in appearance and screen presence for what they lack in acting. But at the end of the day, this film belongs in the criterion collection of the serious classic horror movie buff.
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kosmasp11 November 2019Not something a certain person calls witch hunts nowadays, but real ones. Also while he might actually have no moral compass, most of the women that were accused of witchcraft had one. Maybe even all of them, because most of the time women accused were just females that didn't obey society/their husbands or other males.
That is what the movie is telling us for example. The movie itself is not really that good, the effects for the time though? Quite nicely done! The infamous tongue scene (you'll know what I mean once you watch it, could be anything, yes?) for example. Another thing with this: everyone seems to be dubbed. Seems like everyone was allowed to say their text in their native language and then they got professionals to re-do the dialog. For better or worse. It's kinda fun I reckon -
sunznc6 February 2007Why anyone would want to add this to their collection is beyond me! Takes place in Austria-1770. A time of superstition and religious persecution. The killing of many innocent people-accusations of witchcraft. The film contains graphic scenes of torture and despite the fact that the film is poorly made and dubbed, the scenes are disturbing. No, I didn't need a barf bag but I certainly did flinch during some of it. The film is foreign made and dubbed in English. The editing and lighting are poor. Oddly enough, the film has a beautiful score and lavish costume's and sets. It's a bit jarring actually. The acting seems mediocre because of the dubbing. I couldn't wait for the film to be over however, I will admit that there is something sort of curious about it. Lousy dubbing but beautiful scenery and that music....a sick, strange film. Don't want to sit through that again.
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A free translation for "Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält" would be something like - witches bloodily tortured. The English title "Mark of the devil" is much weaker and lead us to believe that we will see another traditional film about witches and inquisition.
But "Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält" offers something more - it's a hybrid - a mixture of exploitation and historical film. It's based loosely on real facts. The action takes place in the 18th century Austria and describes the proceedings of the inquisition. This film is much stronger than "Witchfinder General".
"The Witchfinder General" is a good film (it features Vincent Price, as the witchfinder), but it's completely predictable. We know from the beginning that eventually the good will defeat the bad, and love will, of course, prevail. On the other hand "Hexen..." tries to show the terror spread by the inquisition witchfinders at the time, and their abuse of power - they don't hesitate in using all means possible to achieve their private goals (all in the name of God) - rape, torture and murder are used for satisfying their lust and enriching themselves and the Church. The torture scenes are shown in detail - burning, stretching, bleeding, crushing, ripping out of body parts (for instance, tongues). But don't let me mislead you, the torture scenes in "Mark of the Devil" are tame by today's standards (if you compare them with what some films made in Hong Kong, Japan or elsewhere show nowadays). Still some of these scenes are grizzly enough - The girl that is tortured, bled, and has her tongue ripped off and is finally delivered to the flames! Her muted face, after so many tortures, is already resigned to fate, her tied body is lowered down to the fire and the flames consume her body. All in the name of God!
"Mark of the Devil" is an exploitation film, so the girls tortured are all of them pretty and are shown (of course!) naked. By the way, men are also tortured in this film. Check out the water-drop torture! Still I would like to see a film that showed the inquisition in more depth. "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Poe proves that through imagination we can relive the horrors of the inquisition. One should try to get more inside the torturers and tortured, and show their fears, hopes - in short, their lives (inside and outside). But for this would be needed the powerful imagination of Poe or the erudition of Aldous Huxley (The Devils of Loudun).
Anyway "Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält" is a good offering and, in my opinion, better than the contemporary "Witchfinder General" (1968)that is OK but it's just a harmless entertainment, while "Hexen.." (Mark of the Devil) is more crude and less well-behaved, and leads you to think.
A sweet melody (that reminded me Riz Ortolani's one in "Cannibal Holocaust") appears and reappears constantly in this dark film. Curiously, it enhances the film. The sweet comments on the sour. -
poolandrews29 October 2004The opening sequence is set in the middle of some forest somewhere, the local witch finder known as Albino (Reggie Nalder) lies in wait. They ambush a waggon full of nuns, they force it off the road and attack the passengers. We then cut to a town square, a large crowd of people have gathered to witness the torture and execution of the unfortunate people from the waggon. A man has his hand cut off and is coated in feathers, while two women are lowered alive into a huge fire, setting them alight. These are the brutal ways of Albino and his gang of witch hunters. As witchcraft has spiralled out of control Count Cumberland (Herbert Lom) and Count Christian Von Meruh (Udo Kier) are sent to the area to try and bring some order and check the local witch finders methods. The film thereafter is really just a collection of fairly brutal torture scenes, we see various accused have their thumbs crushed with thumb screws, branded, whipped, beaten, forced to sit on a chair of nails, their tongues ripped out, burned alive, beheaded and various other forms of torture, whats not to like?! These scenes are presented in a simple way, their there to shock. The film doesn't try to glamorize them, there brutal acts of torture and are presented that way. Directed by Micheal Armstrong, this is a pretty good horror film. The script certainly fleshes out the characters nicely, the Albino character is shown as a total monster, raping, torturing, making up false charges, murdering, and enjoying the benefits like power and money. Lord Cumberland is basically the same, however he justifies what he's doing in the name god, and seems to believe it. Christian is a young man, learning his trade from Cumberland, he falls for a falsely accused woman from the village, Vanessa (a sexy Olivera Vuco). She manages to plant doubt in his mind about his and Cumberland's brutal ways. Corruption is also explored, and how various individuals could gain from having someone accused of witchcraft and basically murdered, technically within the law at the time. A nicely paced mix of brutal torture/action and plot/character development. The film also seems to have very good production values, great authentic looking period costumes and locations, the music's quite appropriate sounding too. Acting wise, Herbert Lom steals the show as Lord Cumberland. If you can make it through the torture, rape and sex then you should be rewarded with a good little film. I liked it.
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GrauFrau24 April 2003I give this movie a 5, but only for its humor value. I would consider this more a shock-drama than a horror movie, and that's being generous.
The carnal elements of the witch trials held an attraction to makers of cheap, gory movies. Sensationalism and sado-eroticism aside, a few of these films gave the viewer a thought-provoking slice of history, both poignant and compelling. This movie, however, is not one of those.
The movie opens with some scrolling text about the witch hunt hysteria, and quotes the same wildly inaccurate "facts" and avers that the movie is based on true accounts. Next in the film comes a scene of soldiers, under the direction of a witchfinder, attacking a carriage full of nuns and one monk. The monk and youngest nun are captured for trial, the rest are raped and murdered. All of this is shot through a semi-arc lens upon which several large specks of dirt can be seen while the opening credits roll. If I could tell film makers just one thing, I'd tell them to keep the freaking lenses clean.
While all this is happening, we get our first taste of the movie's theme music. It is a horrid little piece of elevator music, all strings and choir, and I swear it sounds like a cross between `A Summer Place' and `He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'. It's completely over-the-top with its romantic dreamy mood. At first, I thought it was very asynchronous to have this kind of music during the scene of violence played out on the screen, then I thought I would give the director (or dubber) the benefit of the doubt and assume he was trying to contrast the tranquility and beauty of the countryside and the explosion of ugly human violence. Alas, this credit was ill gifted. As it turns out, this music runs through the entire movie (with brief breaks for screams and such). The inappropriately romantic upbeat quality of the music adds some real comedy to the movie. For example, in one scene, our young idealistic protagonist, Christian, bursts into a tavern to see Albino, the local witchfinder, tormenting locals. This scene is meant to be a sort of Young Good Guy challenges Old Bad Guy, wherein they lock eyes and exchange glares, but with the romantic music going, it seemed like they had both discovered love at first sight. It doesn't help that our hero looks seriously girly and Albino moves with all the mincing grace of an aging queen.
To continue, after the opening, the film cuts to the monk and nun being denounced by the witchfinder amidst the stereotypical jeering rabble of peasants. Yawn. The nun is burned alive without a trial. The monk, also without a trial, has the fingers of one hand chopped off and is then stripped, tarred, feathered, and chased through the streets. He is surprisingly calm throughout this, or just a really bad actor.
*** SERIOUS SPOILING BEGINS*** A small village is under the dreadful domination of the local witchfinder (Albino) and his henchmen, all of whom are sadistic and lascivious pond scum. The chief witchfinder, Lord Cumberland, a man of tremendous fame and terrible repute, enters the story to check up on Albino who has been torturing and executing his victims, err, the witches, without benefit of evidence or trial, and Cumberland strongly disapproves of this. Bully for him! Compared to Albino, we are supposed to see Cumberland as a judicious and pious man of God. Righhhhhht. Well, his apprentice, our hero Christian, who is a witchfinder in training, certainly idolizes the man, so maybe he's ok. Or maybe Christian is in for a big letdown. Meanwhile, Christian is falling in love with a buxom tavern wench (Olivera), questions his faith in the Church, his admiration of Cumberland, and has several run-ins with Albino. The heroine is adequately equipped from the neck down, but she has a lazy eye that wanders a bit and often makes her looked cross-eyed. It quickly became a distraction and a game of `who is she looking at'. Scenes of torture occupy most of the film's brief 90 minute run time. There's nothing overly shocking here, even in the uncut `Collector's Edition' I have. Mostly there's lots of mud and blood and the victims screaming out unusually articulate protests of their innocence. I doubt that anyone could be quite this erudite on the rack, but at least they give us some much needed insight into the religio-political dynamics of the church and class system oppressing the poor... or something like that. I started tuning out at some point, when I realized I wasn't sure who was getting tortured - the witch or the film viewer.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason to who gets arrested, with the exception of lovely young women who are arrested just so the henchman can molest and torture them. One fellow, a bona fide Prince, is arrested and tortured so that he will sign over all his gold and property to the church. Another couple are arrested, along with their small children, because they put on puppet shows with marionettes. I put it to your own discretion as to whether this is evidence of Satanism or not. As for period accuracy, the costumes are close enough to not be jarring. The sets are accurate, but that's easy to do in Europe where plenty of squalid little villages and castle ruins have remained unchanged. The film was made in Austria and looks it. The scenic shots are duly breathtaking, and the villagers look suitably muddy and pockmarked.
Now, for all its flaws, there actually are some elements of this film that work. The dialogue between the idealist Christian and his mentor, the jaded and corrupt Cumberland, do explore some of the genuine issues of that time. Christian also explores some philosophical issues with his new girlfriend Olivera, as she is more humanist/naturalist than the typical churchgoer. Working in a tavern in a small Medieval village will do that to you. As for the validity of the narrator's claim that the movie was based on true events, this is somewhat true. Wealthy people were sometimes charged with witchcraft in order to size their property, and many local witchfinders were corrupt sadists who had to be chastised by the Church. One of the tortured women, upon being sentenced to death, thanked the witchfinder for his `mercy in giving her the release of death to end her torment', and this statement is more or less accurate, as documented in witch trial records.
As is painfully predictable from the first time Christian and Cross-Eyed Mary, err, Olivera meet, Olivera is arrested on charges of witchcraft, mainly because Albino can't stand to see anyone happy. As Olivera languishes in jail, the torture and tensions between the local yokels and the Church's representatives escalate. Christian frees Olivera and she rallies the peasants to rebel. Chaos ensues, many die bloodily. The end of the film has some nice touches of irony. It is NOT a happy ending for our heroic love birds. The mob, swept up in anti-Church sentiment, kill Christian in a comically gruesome fashion. Olivera arrives too late. Cumberland gets away unscathed!
There is one plot point in the film that was never fully exploited, and could have added more punch to the end of the film. Remember the couple who were arrested for having puppets? The husband is locked in solitary confinement and submitted to a form of water torture. He goes gradually mad. We know this because the view through his eyes is shot with a blurry red lens. I had hoped he would finally snap, break out of his bonds and go on a maniacal rampage. But the film never returns to him. In fact, his wife, after being liberated by the peasant rebellion, searches for her children, and once reunited with them, is happy to just go home. She never even bothers to look for her husband!
I think it would have been a really great twist if at the end of the movie, we find out that Olivera really was a witch in league with the devil, and starts zapping people with fireballs or lightning. Then she would hop on her broomstick and yell `Thanks for the kicks, suckers!' and zoom off into the sky. Oh well. A re-write probably was not in the budget.
More or less cheap entertainment if you're not squeamish about fake blood and screaming. -
Manna-29 October 1999After such a plethera of fine independent films, we returned to a classic. Anchor Bay reissued Mark of the Devil (1970) aka Hexen bus aufs Blut geqialt, in all its splendid, uncut glory. And Widescreen to boot! The 90 minute film is basically a German docu-drama, depicting the stories of three people who are falsely accused of Witchcraft during the Inquisiton era. Hold onto your tongues, this film has some of the most gruesome torture scenes ever! The location of the film is breathtaking as is its lead character Vanessa. The movie combines tragedy with an ethereal 70's-type soundtrack, that really makes your buzz sink in. Leave it to the Europeans to pull off another terrifying classic.The remastering job is excellent on the Anchor Bay copy and we suggest you add it to your collection as soon as possible!
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happyendingrocks7 May 2011Mark of the Devil is a great example of a film whose impact is hampered by the hype surrounding it. Though advertising materials proudly proclaim it to be "positively the most horrifying film ever made!", even the most grisly moments here never sway the movie anywhere near that dubious title, and anyone who would actually need to make use of the gimmicky stomach distress bags used to promote the film during its theatrical run wouldn't be likely to have any interest in attending this cookout to begin with.
So, surely this cavalcade of tortures is destined to fall short of the expectations it brazenly touts. Yet, despite its failure to achieve its lofty goals, Mark of the Devil is still an effective and sometimes dizzying exploitation exercise that features some truly stunning and unforgettable moments of sheer sickness that pack an extra nauseating punch when you realize that the fictionalized deeds on display are accurate approximations of events which actually unfolded during one particularly dark period of human history.
The majority of the film's most shocking content is confined to a single protracted torture sequence, but this extended and horrific set-piece ensures that Mark of the Devil won't be easily forgotten. When an accused sorceress gets her fingers maimed one by one in a vise, the camera doesn't flinch, but you probably will. The most chilling moment of the tableau is the calm disassociation of the witch-finder, who tells his young apprentice, "We must never weaken in performing God's work", just before his henchman yanks the condemned witch's tongue out of her mouth by the roots. This moment, which is depicted in nearly every poster and piece of cover art for the film, is an indelible image that can be considered the direct source of the film's infamy.
Elsewhere, Mark of the Devil has serious problems maintaining its unsavory tone. While there are several other scenes that portray the loathsome handiwork of the film's fiendish holy crusaders, these are sometimes offset by some bafflingly cheesy moments, such as the montage that cements the romantic subplot, which features our lead heroine frolicking in a meadow with Udo Kier set to the accompaniment of a '70s smooth jazz soundtrack. Likewise, the film's climactic villager uprising is scored by a piece that seems lifted from one of John Wayne's war movies, and the vengeful come-uppance doled out to some of our villains is so rushed it feels like an afterthought, unfolding far too briefly and un-spectacularly to offer much pathos.
The acting is also decidedly uneven, though the dubbing may be at least partially responsible for this. Still, two performances in particular carry the entire movie; Olivera Vuco's sultry Vanessa proves to be a spirited and engaging heroine, and Reggie Nalder's turn as Albino, a cadaverous lecher who projects cold malevolence in every frame he's in, easily steals the show.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Mark of the Devil is how handily the film transcends its exploitation roots by making a strong case for itself as a dramatic period piece. Though a history buff will probably spot inconsistencies, to a layman the costumes and sets are extremely well-realized, and since the film dwells on wretchedly indisputable historical facts, there's no avoiding the horror inherent in its portrayal of a society willing to disregard its humanity in favor of religious fervor. This theme remains inescapably and disturbingly current, and it becomes impossible not to think of modern-day events as we witness the hypocritical and monstrous piousness on display here.
The doubly bleak conclusion ends things on an unsettling note (sorry about the spoiler, but the bad guys ultimately win), and though things get a bit slow and talky at times, the overall effect of Mark of the Devil has a fittingly bitter aftertaste. While the film probably doesn't go far enough to satisfy the more ravenous sector of the grindhouse audience most likely to embrace it, this remains a surprisingly thoughtful essay about mankind at its worst. I'm not sure if the "cult classic" label applies here, but there's no denying that this successfully unpleasant offering makes its Mark. -
OK, so I might be a die hard horror movie fan that's pretty much seen it all, but I still don't see what the fuss was about with this movie. I was quite prepared to watch truly gruesome scenes, but when "The End" finally appeared, I felt cheated. The torture scenes are fairly tame, especially when compared a movie of true horror brilliance as Cradle of Fear. Admittedly, the main bad guy, Cumberland, was well cast and Udo Kier does well as his assistant, but I've been a fan of Udo's for a long time now and there's little he can do wrong in my eyes.
But anyway, on a scale of 1 to 10, for gruesomeness, I give this movie a 5. Watch Cannibal Holocaust, Cradle of Fear, Beyond Re-Animator for some really gory stuff. -
suspiria1030 May 2004Herbert Lom, Udo Kier and Reggie Nalder star in this rather infamous film about superstition and religious persecution in 1770 Austria. Supposedly taking the torture scenes and cases presented from historical documents Mark of the Devil is a classic exploitation whose reputation is preceded only by its' ad campaign. Famous for giving out barf bags I think it is a lot tamer than the hype would let you to believe. Filmed in lovely Austria Mark of the Devil is a solid flick with excellent photography. The acting is above average with the several genre vets chewing the scenery quite well. The tale of witchcraft strangely enough features no witchery and focuses on the lies and deceit of the time as the basis of the tale. If you like exploitations check out the film. There are a few bloody torture scenes but is not nearly as graphic as some would lead you to be.