A Skin For Dancing In: Possession, Witchcraft and Voodoo in Film

by Tanya Krzywinska

The cinema of the occult celebrates the irrational and the magical, and it offers powerful and seductive narratives of desire, transgression, and fantasy. Why are magic and demonology such attractive subjects for filmmakers? Is the cinema of the occult an expression of a cultural need for the experience of the sacred? What cultural meanings are invested in demons, witches, possessed nuns, and voodoo priests?

Paperback

First published December 30, 2000

Reviews

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanya Krzywinska’s monograph is difficult to find, which is a pity. This is an insightful study of the occult within cinema, broadly defined. Some television shows are discussed as well as a few television movies. The majority of what Krzywinska addresses, however, are theatrical releases. Her book falls into five main chapters, each discussing a variety of movies. Some of the movies don’t have the best of reputations.

First she considers demons and the possessed nuns trope. This played itself out historically on occasion and the conceit led to filmmakers exploiting it. The second chapter looks at “Demon Daddies” and the Oedipal complex. She makes the astute observation that demons are hypermasculinized beings. Chapter three addresses witch cults, pagans, and the concept of sacrifice. There’s a lot going on here and the witches carry over to the next chapter as well, the main theme being witches as seductresses. The final chapter handles voodoo films with some coverage of zombies.

I mention elsewhere (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) that one of the aspects of this book that stands out is Krzywinska’s understanding that people come to understand various cult phenomena through film. Many scholars underestimate just how much film impacts perceptions of religious and supernatural ideas. It’s clear that this book get that. It’s just a shame that it’s so difficult to locate. It deserves to be read widely.