The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) Review

You must have patience, even while people die. Only thus can the whole evil be destroyed. You must let it grow. -The Judge Folk horror- one of my favorite film sub-genres. It’s was a short-lived period in both British television and film during the 60's and 70's. There is an emphasis on mood, Gothic landscape, and British folklore. Witchcraft and paganism are often the central themes. I first came across folk-horror in a different way: music. Last year or so, I got in Hauntology music. Not to get too philosophical but the critics define it as “nostalgia for lost futures”. In simple terms, it's a form of electronic, experimental music originated in Britain. Often it includes samples of vintage TV/film recordings and library music. UK artist Belbury Poly, a.k.a Jim Jupp is one of the most prominent musicians of this kind. One of his songs is a hypnotic 70’s psychedelic-synth track called “Scarlet Ceremony” off his album The Owl’s Map. It contains a single line uttered by Margaret (Michele Dotrice) from The Blood on Satan’s Claw. After hearing it, I knew I had to find this movie stat! Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General (1968), Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man (1973), and Piers Haggard’s The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) make up the folk horror "trinity". The first two are the most talked about and worthy of praise. Those films are spectacular classics in their own distinctive way. Blood on Satan’s Claw is a peculiar and relentless horror film that best represents the sub-genre. The film is set in 17th century rural England. One day a young plougher Ralph Growers (Barry Andrews) discovers a one-eyed, fur covered skull in the dirt. He goes to tell the local Judge (Patrick Wymark). Since he doesn't believe in witchcraft, he's not interested in entertaining Growers’ concerns. By the time Growers goes to get the skull to present to the judge, it disappears. In the meantime, Angel Blake (Linda Hayden) finds a grotesque claw and passes it among her peers. Soon enough, evil sprouting from this creature is spreading around the village causing the teens to rebel in vile ways. Blake leads a coven of kids to perform deadly rituals in a desecrated church. They collect pieces of Satan’s skin found on their victims’ bodies to summon their "master" to life. When the Judge returns from London, he realizes witchcraft has taken over his town. He must find a way to stop Blake, her coven, and remove the Satanic evil for good. Linda Hayden delivers a strong performance as the beautiful, charismatic ringleader Angel Blake. She starts off as a mischievous, fun teenager when she discovers the claw but you know something is off when Cathy Vespers (Wendy Padbury) keeps her distance.  Most of her scenes are some of the most controversial aspects of the movie. Blake strips down and tries to seduce her instructor Reverend Fallowfield (Anthony Ainley). Then, she orchestrates a ritualized rape and murder of Vespers. Though edited, the latter scene is very hard to watch. Other than the use of graphic violence and sexuality, it is Blake's striking blue eyes that do most of the talking. Even under thick heavy brow-liner, as silly as it looks, there's no denying Blake loves to be consumed by this demonic spirit and is willing to do whatever Satan wants. The activities of Angel Blake and her band of Satanic misfits symbolizes the "free love" counter-culture and the loss of innocence that followed between the late 1960s and early 1970's. Screenwriter Robert Wynne-Simmons took inspiration from this period. This includes horrific crimes committed by Charles Manson Family, known for murdering actress Sharon Tate in the summer of 1969. He was also inspired by England’s own major crime story of 1968-the 11-year-old murderer Mary Bell. Watching Blake and the others under Satan’s power is shocking and disturbing to witness. Yet, it does bring a level of realness to the film's witchy themes you don't find in most folk horror films.

Patrick Wymark, who also appears in Witchfinder General, gives a good performance as the Judge. He can be campy at times but you believe in his journey from being a skeptic to turning into a witchfinder. His abusive tactics make us question if he's just as evil as Angel and her coven. Despite his noticeable character arc, the Judge is unfortunately not a fully developed character. The judge has no choice BUT to be the town’s savior. By the time the ending comes, his “heroic” moment doesn’t feel as earned as it should be which is disappointing. The only aspect I found endearing about it was the final shot of Judge’s face. His expression is profound. It’s one of the moments of the film that stayed with me. A mix of shock, disbelief, and uncertainty rather than a peace of mind. It’s as if he was wondering when witchcraft will make its way back to the village in the unforeseeable future.

  There are other plot moments that don’t seem to go anywhere or feel incomplete. Circumstances surrounding specific characters are not discussed to its fullest, particularly the romance around Peter Edmonton (Simon Williams) and Rosalind (Tamara Ustinov). When Rosalind gets sent to the asylum, we never hear from her again. Instead, we're left with Edmonton seeing her hand being replaced by a hideous claw. Later, he experiences a similar fate by leaving him with his hand amputated. You also have the off-screen character, Meg Parsons, who Reverend Fallowfield referenced. Who is she? Was she a witch? None of these questions get answered but taking the main circumstances of the film into account, you can make the assumption she was a witch. In regards to Rosalind having the claw, I think maybe she was supposed to be the "Angel Blake" of the film. These script hiccups, no matter how or little irritating they can be, give more gothic flair to the film if you allow it. The screenwriter’s original script was supposed to be an anthology of three stories. Tigon British Productions wanted Wynne-Simmons' script to be more like Witchfinder because it was their most successful film at the time. So the script underwent many rewrites and Simmons never had the chance to properly wrap up some plot points, including a stronger resolute for the Judge. Hence also the 17th-century rural setting and a single drowning sequence. Even the title changed many times from “The Devil’s Skin, “The Devil’s Touch" during production, then to “Satan’s Skin” for its initial release. It was changed for its re-release. I may be in the minority here, but I think the current title fits. It sounds as sinister and tragic as the movie. Haggard’s movie differs from Michael Reeves’ folk horror tale. What I love about this film is that it is more than another witch hunt. The Blood on Satan’s Claw relies on rural landscape and dreadful mood. You get a strong sense of what it is like living in the English countryside during this time. Haggard makes you experience the Gothic setting, its gloomy weather, and dense woods. He submerges the audience's eyes down to the ground. When he zooms into the grotesque skull at the beginning of the film we are forced to get close and personal to evil itself. The overhead shot of the coven's procession at the decrepit church gives a glimmer of beauty to the film. We experience the good, bad, and the terrifying that encompasses this village. Haggard set out to create a folk horror film and he succeeded where other folk horror films in this "unholy trinity" don't. But none of this wouldn't have happened had Wynne-Simmons' meticulous writing hadn't focused on the British folklore and land that surrounds them in the first place. 

Marc Wilkinson’s orchestral score is so memorable it’s frightening. The main theme mostly consists of wind and string instruments. They create this stream of ascending and descending notes. The tones are hypnotically strange and creepy. You can imagine walking through a forest with the eerie, chipper pattern in your head.

Wilkinson’s score is a weird one, yet it invokes a sense of dread and mystique. It's one of the best I’ve heard from any folk horror film. That may sound blasphemous to fans of The Wicker Man. I do adore that movie's soundtrack. But unlike the musical and less horrific tones of its successor, TheBlood on Satan’s Claw soundtrack resonates more with the themes you would expect from a folk horror film is a film that deserves more attention than it receives and is one of the best horror films of the 1970s. Despite the movie’s flaws, it is worth giving a watch. The cast gives great performances, even though they all have their campy moments which make the film more enjoyable. However, its graphic violence and sexuality may make some audiences feel uncomfortable.

is raw and fearless in its portrayal of demonic possession creating havoc in a small English village centuries ago and will go down as a folk horror classic. If you are interested in exploring folk horror, this is a must-see film I highly recommend seeing.