In 1835, Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol published Mirgorod, which was a collection of short stories that revolve around Ukrainian life. One of those stories was the novella Viy, aka The Viy, focusing on a demonic creature of the same name. Though the story’s folkloric source is unknown, scholars believe it may have been inspired by St. Cassian the Unmerciful. Some tales said St. Cassian had eyebrows that went down to his knees and were raised during Leap Year. While Mirgorod wasn’t financially successful at the time, it was received positively, particularly from Vissarion Belinsky and Leo Tolstoy. The first film adaptation of Viy was a silent film in 1909, but the film has since been lost. Though not an adaptation, Mario Bava’s 1960 film Black Sunday was loosely based on Gogol’s novella. The first feature film adaptation came seven years later with the release of the Russian film called Viy.
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Rating
When several seminary students are sent out for vacation, three particular students end up getting lost in the woods. The three take up residence in a small farmhouse where an old lady lives and sleep for the night. She tries to seduce seminarian Khoma (Leonid Kuravlyov), but he refuses, prompting her to cast a spell on him. Flying on his back, she reveals herself to be a witch, and once they land, Khoma beats her to death. She suddenly turns into a young woman named Pannochka (Natalya Varley), and Khoma runs off in fear. He returns to his seminary, where he’s summoned by the rector to meet with a rich merchant needing prayers. Turns out his daughter, who’s the young woman Khoma nearly killed, requested Khoma by name to offer his prayers. Khoma is promised gold if he succeeds, but he ends up being haunted by her demonic forces.
The first thing to mention is that I watched this twice, mostly because I started nodding off the first time. Somehow, this feels appropriate since the movie has a very dreamlike quality to it, like a nightmare or fever dream. As the film progresses, there’s a sense of uneasiness and dread that persists to the end in a big way. Given when and where this was made, many of the effects are dated, but that adds to the general uneasiness. Also, when things start to get strange, the editing gives the film even more of a dreamlike and disorientating feel. Acting-wise, everyone turns in a fine performance, with Leonid Kuravlyov and Natalya Varley standing out. Leonid mixes mild comedy with pure terror well, and Natalya is delightfully over the top as the witch. When the demons show up, everything is tinted green and there are some harsh camera angles used.
As mentioned above, I had a hard time watching the film initially, so this film may not appeal to everyone. The pacing is deliberately slow, almost as if nothing is happening, and that can put many people off. However, if you’re willing to stick with it, you’ll be rewarded with a very intense climax of trippy visuals. By today’s standards, the demons and the titular Viy look crude, but it works for this film’s style. Some may also be put off because the story isn’t very well-known and isn’t as accessible as other older stories. If nothing else, it’s worth a watch just for something different and to see what Russian filmmaking was like. Given Hollywood’s current trend of revisiting familiar stories several times over, I wonder what a modern version would be like. Until then, Viy is a strange curiosity that’s worth discovering and giving a watch.
