This just in from the “You Just Never Know What the Hell Will Show Up on Tubi” Department. Here’s a ’50 Finnish horror flick called Return of the Witch. Now, I’m no scholar on Finnish horror movies. In fact, I think this is the first one I've seen. What is interesting about it is that it predates a lot of similarly themed American horror films by several decades. For example, Witchouse 2, which I reviewed a little while ago for this column, could play as virtual remake of this flick if you squint hard enough as the set-up is nearly identical.
A husband-and-wife team of scientists are brought in to excavate a swamp that backs up to an old wealthy guy’s mansion. They do some digging and uncover the body of a witch that had centuries before been staked inside her grave. They foolishly remove the stake, much to the locals’ protests, and before long, a naked, raven-haired beauty named Birgit (Mirja Mane) is found wandering near the grave. The team brings her inside and gives her shelter, and she in turn causes the men to become a bunch of horndogs. She also causes a several calamities among the locals (although to be fair, most of them are just strange coincidences) who come to believe that she is the reincarnation of the witch.
Again, I’m not a scholar when it comes to Finnish horror movies, but I do know for a fact that us prudish Americans did NOT have scenes of nekkid women running around in our horror movies during the ‘50s. While it’s far from a T & A parade, Return of the Witch is much more blatantly sexual than anything Hollywood would dare try to get away with at the time. Heck, there’s even some choice four-letter words here too (in the subtitles at least). I’ll admit, I kinda wished it went a little further with the nudity than it did, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t surprising, and most of all, fun. I mean, you’ve got to wonder if Lifeforce and Species didn’t take a page out of this flick’s “Naked Woman Turns Men into Brainless Victims” playbook.
Mane is feisty and frisky in the title role. While the rest of the film is a tad uneven and perhaps a bit creaky at times, her performance is easily the best thing about the movie. It’s always a blast to watch her whenever she’s on screen. Mane’s vivacious screen presence is so enchanting that it’s no wonder all the men in the movie fall all over her. I also thought it was neat that her character is less a malevolent temptress and more of a carefree cutie-pie who just so happens to accidentally curse you.
In short, Return of the Witch is sure to cast a spell on you.
AKA: The Witch. AKA: The Witch Returns to Life.
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