I saw this movie under the title "The Conqueror Worm", perhaps in tribute to the Edgar Allen Poe poem of the same name first published in 1843. The movie is not based on Poe's poem or have anything to with its title, except perhaps as a statement about human mortality and the inevitability of death. The story takes place in 1645 England, amidst the war between the Royalist Party of King Charles and followers of the Parliament Party of Oliver Cromwell. Falling between the cracks of this major enterprise were local outlaws meting out their own form of justice, in this case, the investigation and burning of witches, pretty much on the whim of the person putting himself in charge. Matthew Hopkins was such a man, a real life historical character who was responsible, with his followers, of putting over three hundred people suspected of being witches to their deaths within a three year span.
Vincent Price portrays the Witchfinder General without the usual flamboyance and theatrical flourish of characters he portrayed in "The Tingler" or "Diary of a Madman". And similar to 'Madman', the bloodletting in this picture looks all too bright and phony to be real, but for whatever reason was accepted by viewers of the day. The use of fire engine red blood in pictures today would most likely be considered caricature of an earlier time. But that was then.
I got the biggest kick out of Matthew Hopkins' (Price) so called test for witchcraft in a person. Bodily restraining a person and dropping them into a water filled moat, if they drowned, they were free of guilt as a witch. But if they floated or saved themselves by swimming, it confirmed their guilt, and they would either be hanged or burned at the stake! Of all the no-win propositions, this one certainly took the prize!
As a longtime fan of Vincent Price, I found the film entertaining enough, what with its frequent violence and bloodshed notwithstanding. His character Hopkins in many respects stood above the fray, and delegated the dirty work to his principal assistant John Stearne (Robert Russell). A most disagreeable chap, Stearne got his kicks out of torturing and maiming, but as most cowards would, didn't much care for the idea of getting beat on himself.
Vincent Price portrays the Witchfinder General without the usual flamboyance and theatrical flourish of characters he portrayed in "The Tingler" or "Diary of a Madman". And similar to 'Madman', the bloodletting in this picture looks all too bright and phony to be real, but for whatever reason was accepted by viewers of the day. The use of fire engine red blood in pictures today would most likely be considered caricature of an earlier time. But that was then.
I got the biggest kick out of Matthew Hopkins' (Price) so called test for witchcraft in a person. Bodily restraining a person and dropping them into a water filled moat, if they drowned, they were free of guilt as a witch. But if they floated or saved themselves by swimming, it confirmed their guilt, and they would either be hanged or burned at the stake! Of all the no-win propositions, this one certainly took the prize!
As a longtime fan of Vincent Price, I found the film entertaining enough, what with its frequent violence and bloodshed notwithstanding. His character Hopkins in many respects stood above the fray, and delegated the dirty work to his principal assistant John Stearne (Robert Russell). A most disagreeable chap, Stearne got his kicks out of torturing and maiming, but as most cowards would, didn't much care for the idea of getting beat on himself.