The Craft (1996)
Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/?ref_=mv_close
Hi all! Today, we're diving into the renowned cult classic The Craft. I LOVED this film! It captures the awkwardness of teenage girlhood and the euphoria of finding community. It's aesthetically gorgeous and unearths a myriad of ideas about power, revenge, and women finding an avenue to exercise power.
Synopsis: After transferring to a Los Angeles high school, Sarah finds that her telekinetic gift appeals to a group of three wannabe witches, who happen to be seeking a fourth member for their rituals. Nancy, Rochelle, and Bonnie, like Sarah herself, all have troubled backgrounds, which combined with their nascent powers lead to dangerous consequences. When a minor spell causes a fellow student to lose her hair, the girls grow power-mad.
Set in the 90s, the film centers on Sarah Bailey, a troubled teen with psychic powers. As the new girl at her private Catholic school in LA, Sarah soon attracts the attention of popular jock Chris Hooker. He shows interest in her, which she reciprocates. Chris warns Sarah about the three outcasts of the school. Bonnie Harper, Rochelle Zimmerman, and Nancy Downs. He goes on to describe the trio. He grossly details Bonnie's burn scars from a house fire, completely skips over Rochelle (highlighting her invisibility by her white peers), and deems Nancy a whore. They are all rumored to be witches.
After witnessing her lifting a pencil with her mind, the trio starts to befriend Sarah. Nancy warns her about Chris, claiming that he's not as nice as he presents himself to be. After a date with Chris, he spreads a false rumor that they had sex and that she’s “easy”. The newly formed friend group decides to create a coven and use magic to better their lives.
The newly formed coven performing their first ritual
Source: https://screenrant.com/the-craft-movie-behind-scenes-details-trivia/
Sarah casts a love spell on Chris, Rochelle casts a revenge spell on racist bully Laura Lizzie, Bonnie casts a spell for beauty, and Nancy a spell for power. The spells are immensely successful: Chris becomes infatuated with Sarah, Bonnie's scars on her back miraculously heal and she becomes more confident in her appearance, Laura begins losing her hair, and Nancy’s stepfather has a fatal heart attack, enabling her and her mother to cash in on his life insurance policy and move into a luxurious high-rise apartment.
High from the success of their spells, Nancy encourages the others to join her in a rite called the "Invocation of the Spirit". In the days that follow, Nancy becomes increasingly callous and engages in risky behavior that endangers her life and those of others.
Women have never been allowed to obtain and wield power in the more traditional, material ways until very recently. Witchcraft was one of the few ways women were able to exercise power and have agency over their fates. Whether through love spells, abundance spells, or even hexes, women have been able to gain a sort of metaphysical autonomy to cope with their oppression. Nancy directly mirrors this. The magic she has gained through the coven has given her the autonomy she lacks in the material world. However, the trauma and abuse she has endured has made her vindictive, so when she obtains this power, she wields it like a tyrant. While she is powerful, her lack of vulnerability leads her down a dark path. One where she is ruthless and devoid of empathy. Seeing this emerging darkness in her, Sarah unsuccessfully attempts to bind Nancy’s powers, turning the whole coven against her.
The Invocation of the Spirit
The trio invades Sarah’s dreams, tormenting her with visions of snakes, rats, scorpions, and making her believe that her parents have died in a plane crash. They then try to drive her to suicide. Initially terrified, Sarah successfully invokes the Spirit and is able to heal herself. She scares off Bonnie and Rochelle with glamours of them horrifically scarred and losing their hair. She then successfully binds Nancy’s powers, stripping her and the rest of the coven of their magic.
While it’s fun to see the girls have fun with their newfound magic, it’s ultimately a cautionary tale. Every spiritual practice requires discernment and the destruction of ego. Without proper healing and responsibility, you will lose yourself in whatever power you acquire. It will only end poorly for you.
I will say, this film follows a trope that I take issue with. It shows women—young, old, and in-between—tapping into magic. Whether it's innate or something they find, we see these female characters finally get to exercise power and freedom in a narrative where that is very limited. Inevitably though, the characters become power hungry and use their newfound magic for evil. Then, usually violently, the women get stripped of their magic. It acts as a reprimand as well for women who are able to exercise a form of power—especially over men. In The Craft, I especially applied this to Rochelle. She's the only black character we see onscreen. She uses her magic to punish her racist bully and the brutal stripping of her power made me...wary. Racism and white supremacy are not only "bad", they are systems of oppression that actively harm its targets. Why must the oppressed be punished for subjecting their tormentors to a fraction of the torment they've endured? Not even in fantasy or escapist media can the oppressed get well deserved revenge or justice.
While a celebration of magical girlhood on the surface, The Craft warns about the dangers of unchecked power and the devastation it can cause.
XOXO, Michaela
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