MovieChat Forums > Witchfinder General (1968) Discussion > One of the all-time great westerns

One of the all-time great westerns


Ok, so it is set in East Anglia but that doesn't stop it from basically being a British western. All those shots of a vengeful Ian Ogilvy charging through the countryside on his horse!

It remains a truly disturbing film, the scenes of the "witches" being killed have lost none of their power since the film was released. Price makes an excellent villain in what is, I think, his best performance. Ogilvy is no less impressive as the man driven by, and ultimately overtaken by, pure rage.

I can't think of many better revenge westerns offhand. There's the Eastwood revenge trilogy obviously (Outlaw Josey Wales, High Plains Drifter, Unforgiven). But I would say this film is as key to British cinema as The Searchers is to American cinema. It really is that good.

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Probably stretching things to call it a Western but it definitely riffs on a lot of the tropes of the Western. Those pursuit scenes you mention made me think of The Searchers straight away. A lot of Leone-style grotesque villagers too. And the backdrop of a different Civil War.

Get out as early as you can
And don't have any kids yourself

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Many critics have called it and "anglo western" and I agree in the same way as there are "red westerns" set in the USSR et cetera. It is a western in style but not setting.

I don't think of it as a horror really, more as you say a UK western or historical drama. And I am a very big classic horror fan.

"Nothings gonna change my world!"

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The film-makers agreed at the time that they were making a Western. ☺

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I never thought of it as a western but I suppose it could be. If it is, I consider it one of the few westerns I'd actually like.

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I'd never consider this a western but when I first saw it I thought it was like 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly' of Horror films. So I guess I see where you're coming from.

Superb film.

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