‘VIY’, AKA ‘SPIRIT OF EVIL’ (1967) DIRECTED BY: KONSTANTIN YERSHOV & GEORGI KROPACHYOV A FILM REVIEW BY HARRY HEELEY

Welcome to the third year of our annual cooperation with the University of Derby  These reviews were written by second-year students on the Creative and Professional Writing Programme at the University of Derby as part of their ongoing non-fiction work.  Today we welcome Harry Heeley to the site with a review of ‘Viy’ or ‘Spirit of Evil’ (1967) Directed by: Konstantin Yershov & Georgi Kropachyov

‘Viy’ or ‘Spirit of Evil’ (1967)
Directed by: Konstantin Yershov & Georgi Kropachyov, Soviet Union,
77 mins.

Quick disclaimer before I jump into this. I watched this film with subtitles and poor ones at that. The film however, more than made up for this. I have never appreciated the idea of watching a film in its original language until I watched ‘Viy’. Watching a film in a language I was not overly familiar with as well as questionable subtitles yielded some challenges but thankfully, I was able to piece character and plot together with thanks from impressive set-pieces and an awesome soundtrack. At its core ‘Viy’ is a horror, with a bit of comedy sprinkled throughout.


Releasing on the 27th November 1967, ‘Viy’ (or ‘Вий’ in Russian) was distributed by Mosfilm. Inspired by a novel of the same name (Written by: Nikolai Gogol), it holds the title of being the first Soviet-era horror film to be officially released in the USSR. To my shock I learnt that the film was made for ₽550,000 (Soviet Roubles) or £2,902 in 1967. Today that would be £44,765. The amount of creativity needed to accomplish this is unparalleled by many other low-budget horror films I have seen.


Before I get carried away with the many intricacies, I feel a plot outline is due. Viy’s opening is rather unassuming. Seminary students getting drunk and naturally, getting lost. Then in a rather contrived coincidence, they take shelter with a witch. It doesn’t take long before our central character, Khoma Brutus (played by Leonid Kuravlyov) discovers the truth. After the witch flies him away he beats her down, killing her as they fall. It is then that he realises he has killed a landowner’s daughter. He attempts to run from the situation by returning home, only to get called in to give a vigil to the same woman. He is tasked with staying in a church for three days, protecting the body from evil spirits, while he himself intoxicates himself with a different kind of spirit.


I have decided it best to split this review up into two sections. I am defining this cut-off as the point where Khoma must stay with the body. I will begin with the negatives before praising this film for what it must be praised for.


Foremost I would like to say that the first section is a soup of different tones. Gloomy settings as well as foreboding music create an amazing and tense atmosphere. This is immediately shattered by quick tonal jump. The film will turn wacky and whimsical only for the music to change to low and discordant only a few minutes later. Not only this, but the pacing and editing is very odd, going from night into day in a matter of minutes with no evident shift in time, it just happens. It can be disorientating; like a mistake rather than something intentional. It would also appear that the cast forgot how to act in the first section.


The plot suffers from editing; it is never really made clear what is happening during certain sections. The introduction for example. After the altercation with the witch, Khoma leaves the scene to go back home. This is not done particularly well, as it just cuts to him back at home, seemingly unaffected by the events. It feels like a scene was deleted that should’ve stayed around.


I have to say there is interesting camera work throughout the entire film. My favourite comes from when Khoma is intoxicated. The camera is using a shallow focus and it is shot directly behind him. We can only see the back of Khoma’s head. He drunkenly sways as does the camera, yet the background (as well as the actors within it) somehow remains static. This scene of pure hallucination would be perfect in a horror film. Yet, due to the dialogue that comes prior, it seems more comedic. I am not quite sure as to whether this was intentional.


I think one of the main issues of ‘Viy’ comes with the fact that it is too inconsistent. Though it is branded as a horror/fantasy. It never really blends the two. It seems to me to be a horror comedy. Something, that upon looking the film up seems to be a consensus. Even then it felt like watching two separate films, with the same actors. One scene will have jolly music, drinking and amusing cuts. Then, in the very next scene, it would be night with either jarring music or an impressive use of a diegetic, uneasy silence. While a character is doing something serious as seen with the landowner, it will immediately jump back to a funny, easy going comedy.


The second half is a far better blend of the two genres, and by that I am referring to horror and comedy. Khoma’s first entrance into the church illustrates this quite well. We see an excellent use of props and lighting. For example: the way in which the body of the woman is illuminated but Khoma is only visible when he either comes close to the body or is lit by candlelight. All props feel intentional, belonging there, having a purpose. Take this solid groundwork for a horror film and mix in some comedy. The filmmakers achieved this by the acting and camera work. Some scenes even make use of slapstick comedy.


Here is another example: Khoma will back away in fear and accidently hit a chair and tumble. Not ground-breaking comedy but it is extenuated by the serious nature that precedes it. The actor also chuckles fairly frequently during these scenes and has an exaggerated warble in his voice. I recall in one scene he seemed to break the fourth wall, looking almost straight into the camera as if he were talking to the audience. So very different aspects of filmmaking coming together to join the two desired genres together. The ending is explosive too, experimentation with stop motion animation for the demons that attack Khoma as well as brilliant costumes and make-up effects for the livelier members of the undead.


Overall, Viy has a rocky start and doesn’t seem to know what kind of film it wants to be. It finds it’s place in the second and final act and owns it brilliantly. A superb use of budget and impressive visuals lends this to be a must-see film for every horror fan - if you don’t mind a bit of comedy that is! It is for these reasons that I give ‘Viy’ an 8/10.

Harry Heeley is a student in his second year of creative and professional Writing at the University of Derby. He balances University work with novel writing and film watching. He would most likely brand himself as a lover of horror, psychology, and writing. He spends most of his time re-watching TV shows and horror films that he can quote from like a living script. He enjoys staring into space with the hope that the words will begin to write themselves. He ‘enjoys’ thinking about the intricacies of life and tries not to break down while doing so.

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