The Blair Witch Project
Dr. Marilyn Willis
Hum/150 Introduction to Film Studies
October 16, 2008
The filmmaker’s intent was to make viewers believe in and respect the paranormal realm of this universe. It was also the filmmaker’s intent to have viewers (by the masses) believe this documentary was a real life encounter and not just a prank. By this token, interest concerning spiritual, ghostly and paranormal activity spread throughout the nation at an all time high.
In order for any film to be a success, it is always necessary to create a perfect theme. The principal theme, however, set out for this movie was as follows: Three young amateur filmmakers trapped in a haunted wood; they were cold and lost without any food, weapons, map of direction, or protection. For seven days they were taunted by a century old entity which lurked within the deep forests of the old town, formerly known as Blairsville. Hence, the name Blair Witch originated (fictitiously) from more than a hundred years ago in the state of Maryland. A few subthemes within this film were the scenes at a place called Coffin Rock, an off course gravesite, a creek (in which they kept circling back to unawares), and an old abandoned house in which they reached their final destination with death.
As far as moral value in this film, in actuality, there were two particularly shown within the story. The first moral was to have a certain level of respect for the dead and the spirit realm. We believe the reason they were being hunted and haunted was based on the fact they defaced the evil spirit’s domain. When the group disturbed the rock formations and cut the branch insignias down from the tree, they aroused this witch into wanting revenge. Further research proclaims that by cutting the symbolic branch (which symbol means “warning”) Heather defaced an actual portal in which the spirit of the woods used to enter and exit the worldly and spiritual realm (www.blairwitch.com). By doing this, she...