I did something rare for this review. I actually did a bit of research. If I may pull the curtain back just a bit, my typical approach to the movies I cover is trying to go in as blindly as possible. I make it a priority to read little to no synopsis or watch any trailers; it truly enriches the experience. For this movie, however, I did a little bit of researching through the medium of podcasting on the legend of John Bell. I had never heard the name and really wanted a point of reference for his story. I came across this awesome podcast, Wild Wasteland, who talked about the history of witches in America as well as Bell.
When you think of the word “witch”, what is the first thing you picture? Is it a cauldron? Is it a woman with green skin, a large pointy hat, and a big nose? I’ll be the first to admit that up until a few years ago, this was where my mind went. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina really broke that within me. Much like a great deal of our modern folklore, and other stories featuring witches, we’ve been sadly misinformed. I don’t want to steal away too much from this episode, so I recommend checking it out for yourself. However, John Bell is said to be the only man in all of history to ever die by the hands of a spirit.
His story is fascinating to watch unravel. Much like our perception of witches in modern culture, I would wager that most of us don’t know enough of the goings on surrounding Bell, his mysterious death, or what happened afterward. The filmmakers behind The Mark of The Bell Witch are here to fill in some of those gaps. This docudrama sits down with historians on the subject while re-enacting some of the details often lost to the history books. That may be the strongest weapon in their arsenal. Oftentimes there is only a little portion of this story that sees the light of day. However, Mark embraces the history long before the fabled story we know and long after. I truly admired the structure of this film, the way in which everything followed one cohesive story.
Unfortunately, that may be the only thing worth admiring. Mark makes the attempt at bringing in other mediums to convey its story. Whether that is the dramatized elements reenacting the story or animation dubbed with voice overs; it just comes across sloppy. The story of John Bell is incredibly fascinating but here I found myself often bored. For not even a 90 minute movie, the mismatch of portrayals drags this movie to feel like a three hour movie. There is no engagement for the audience. Maybe that is my own personal bias coming through but with documentaries I want to feel the passion of the filmmakers making the movie. Mark lacks both the passion and conviction to effectively make the documentary hard hitting and entertaining.
Overall, The Mark of the Bell Witch is a far cry from the legacy of the story that inspired it. While the filmmakers do effectively bring more depth to John Bell’s story, they fail to do anything with said depth. The mix match of mediums that bring this legend to life conveys a mess that would make even the Bell Witch blush. Its dramatized and animated elements help make Mark stand out. However, it ends up with a messy and bland final product that proves sometimes simple storytelling is all you need, especially with a legend like Bell’s. The Mark of the Bell Witch is marked by the plague of boredom.
RORSCHACH RATING
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