Lokis (film)

Lokis (Polish: Lokis. Rękopis profesora Wittembacha, lit. 'Lokis. A Manuscript of Professor Wittembach') is a 1970 Polish fantasy horror film written and directed by Janusz Majewski, and based on the 1869 Prosper Mérimée horror novel of the same name. "Lokis" is Mérimée's misspelling of the Lithuanian word lokys for "bear".

Lokis. Rękopis profesora Wittembacha
Directed byJanusz Majewski
Screenplay byJanusz Majewski
Based onLokis. A Manuscript of Professor Wittembach by Prosper Mérimée
StarringJózef Duriasz
Edmund Fetting
Gustaw Lutkiewicz
Małgorzata Braunek
Zofia Mrozowska
Hanna Stankówna
Music byWojciech Kilar
CinematographyStefan Matyjaszkiewicz
Edited byLidia Zonn
Production
company
P.P. Film Polski
Running time
100 minutes
CountryPoland
LanguagePolish

Plot

In 19th century Lithuania, Pastor and folklorist Wittembach is invited to stay at the home of a young nobleman named Count Michał Szemiot. Arriving at the mansion, he is told that Szemiot's mother has been driven mad after an apparent bear attack in her youth, and is now sequestered at the estate. Doctor Froeber, who treats the ailing Countess with old-fashioned remedies, reveals that the villagers of the estate claim that Michał is possibly the son of the bear that attacked his mother all those years ago. Michał soon begins to display animal-like behavior that grows worse as time goes on. In the end, a completely devolved Michał/Lokis brutally murders his bride by tearing out her throat with his teeth before disappearing into the woods, never to be seen again.

Cast

Production

Lokis was written and directed by Janusz Majewski. The film itself is based on the Prosper Mérimée's 1869 novella of the same name.[1]

Reception

Modern

Stephen Thrower on the website Movies and Mania commended the film's atmosphere, characterizations, cinematography, and visuals. However, Thrower criticized film's overall restraint in regards to the horror aspects of Mérimée's original story.[2] Adam Groves of Fright.com offered the film similar criticism, calling it "a well made though somewhat monotonous work of atmospheric horror."[3] Dave Sindelar from Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings gave the film a mostly positive review, comparing it favorably to the works of Val Lewton, while noting the film's runtime and slow pacing.[4]

Awards

In 1971, the film earned for Majewski the "Best feature film director ex-aequo" award at the 14th International Festival of Science Fiction and Horror Films, Sitges, Spain,[5][6] as well as Polish film awards.

References
  1. Marek Haltof (2 February 2015). Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-4422-4472-6.
  2. Thrower, Stephen. "Lokis – Poland, 1970 – reviews". MoviesandMania.com. Stephen Thrower. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  3. Groves, Adam. "Reviews- Lokis". Fright.com. Adam Groves. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  4. Sindelar, Dave. "Lokis (1970)". FantasticMovieMusings.com. Dave Sindelar. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  5. Sitges Film Festival: 1971 awards
  6. An Outline History of Polish Culture, 1984, ISBN 83-223-2036-1, p. 362


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