by Ted Davis
Also Known As: Spirit of Evil
Directed by: Konstantin Yershov, Georgi Kropachyov, Aleksandr Ptushko
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: In 19th century Kiev, unabashedly repulsive seminary student Khoma Brutus (Leonid Kuravlyov) survives a harrowing adventure where he was ridden though nighttime skies by a withered old witch of indeterminate sex (Nikolay Kutusov), then is summoned almost immediately by powerful Cossack landowner Sotnik (Aleksey Glazyrin) to pray for the salvation of his beautiful daughter Pannochka (Natalya Varley), whose immortal soul is in jeopardy. The unprincipled Khoma must stand vigil for three consecutive nights over her funeral bier, with each succeeding sunset bringing fresh horrors, and with the last night heralding the arrival of the most dreaded and monstrous Viy, the shambling King of the Gnomes!
Purr Blurs: At the start of the movie, in the seminary courtyard among a mass of young students, one seminarian pets a tuxedo cat.
As the old witch and Khoma fly above, two black cats scamper underneath them, and the pair plummet immediately to earth.
On the first night, as Khoma begins the sacred rites, four black cats race across the wooden floor past Pannochka‘s coffin while letting out unearthly screeches.
As Khoma lights candles around the bier, two black cats run up some nearby stairs making the same strange yowling sound.
Later on, after Khoma has managed to get through a second and more horrific night, an anxious and evidently superstitious dog barks and howls, as an unconcerned black cat passes behind him.
During the climatic third evening of the ritual, a reanimated Pannochka calls forth the fearsome Viy, which also serves as the cue for the four black cats to dash once again over the floorboards.
Final Mewsings: We guess the four cats probably had better things to do on the second night of the vigil.
Many thanks to Yayoi Neko for also letting us know about the cats in this film.
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