The Witches

The Witches

Year: 1967

Runtime: 111 mins

Language: Italian

Directors: Luchino Visconti, Mauro Bolognini

ComedyDrama

A quartet of five loosely‑linked vignettes examines women’s places in contemporary society. A famed actress checks into a mountain resort, stirring jealousy among other women and desire in the men. A stranger helps an injured man to the hospital. A widowed father and his son search for a new wife and mother. A man plots revenge to defend a woman’s honor. A bored housewife confronts her husband, telling him he’s lost his romantic spark.

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Timeline & Setting – The Witches (1967)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Witches (1967). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Heddaby, England, Africa, Wales

The story unfolds in the remote English village of Heddaby, built around a ruined church and tight-knit families. The village atmosphere is insular, suspicious of outsiders, and heavily influenced by local lore. Gwen's backstory in Africa contrasts with the village's superstitions, while Ronnie's relatives in Wales become part of the wider web of connections surrounding the events.

🗺️ Rural setting 🏰 Isolated village ⛪ Ruined church

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:43

Main Characters – The Witches (1967)

Meet the key characters of The Witches (1967), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Gwen Mayfield

A schoolteacher who returns from Africa after a nervous breakdown, bringing a rational, observant mindset to a village obsessed with superstition. She navigates local hostility and uses her knowledge of magical practices to interpret strange events, while risking her own safety in the process.

👩‍🏫 Teacher 🧠 Rational 🕯️ Courageous

Reverend Alan Bax

A wealthy figure who presents himself as a minister but hides that he does not fully embody the clerical role, wearing the collar for security and control rather than faith. His influence and secrecy help maintain the social order, even as the church’s authority wanes.

🔒 Authority 🕯️ Hypocrisy 🕵️‍♂️ Deception

Ronnie Dowsett

A gifted pupil whose close relationship with Linda becomes a focal point of village tensions. He experiences a dramatic turn when he falls into a coma, symbolizing the fragility of youth caught between belief and reality.

🧒 Gifted 🩺 Vulnerable 🧭 Youth

Linda Rigg

Ronnie’s partner whose romance with him triggers suspicion and fear within the village. Her relationship becomes a battleground for defenses of tradition versus modern understanding.

👧 Youth 💔 Forbidden romance 🧙 Witch rumor

Granny Rigg

A grandmother figure whose reputation as a witch feeds fear and superstition in the community. Her presence intensifies the villagers’ suspicion of anything beyond their accepted norms.

👵 Elder 🧙 Witch rumor 🫖 Superstition

Stephanie

The coven’s leader whose interest in a ritual of longevity drives the central conflict. She is cunning, powerful, and willing to manipulate others to achieve her ends.

🧙 Witch leader 🔮 Ritual ⚔️ Ruthless

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:43

Major Themes – The Witches (1967)

Explore the central themes of The Witches (1967), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪄 Witchcraft and superstition

Witchcraft and occult beliefs permeate the village’s daily life, shaping rumors and guiding actions. The witches’ coven stages a ritual-centered fear that others attempt to interpret as real danger. The tension between rational explanation and magical thinking drives the central mystery. Gwen’s Africa-based knowledge clashes with the village’s folkloric explanations, highlighting the power of belief.

🔎 Religious authority and secrecy

The Reverend Bax presents a facade of piety while guarding hidden motives and maintaining social control. The church’s ruin mirrors the decline of genuine spiritual guidance in the community. Secret agendas and protective lies reveal how authority can manipulate fear to preserve the status quo. The investigation into Ronnie and Linda’s relationship exposes the hypocrisy underlying public virtue.

👩‍🏫 Female resilience

Gwen embodies rationality, education, and courage as she faces hostility and danger. Her determination to understand the phenomenon leads her to confront the coven and fight for Linda’s safety. The story centers on a woman’s agency within a male-dominated village politics. Her return to Heddaby after trauma underscores the theme of personal resilience.

🕯️ Ritual violence and sacrifice

The plot culminates in the threat of a life-extending ritual that hinges on the sacrifice of a pure maiden, intensifying the sense of imminent danger. The ritual frame elevates fear into a tangible menace that destabilizes the community. Gwen’s act of defilement and the coven’s downfall resolve the tension between ritual power and moral authority. The resolution emphasizes the destruction of the cycle of ritual violence.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:43

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The Witches Summary

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The Witches Summary

The Witches Timeline

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The Witches Timeline

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The Witches (1967) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

The Witches (1967) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

The Witches (1967) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow