Robert Eggers’ HANSEL & GRETEL (2006)

Film auteur Robert Eggers made an astonishingly impressive feature debut with 2015’s THE WITCH (yes, also spelled THE VVITCH, the source of much debate and castigation). The production design, cinematography, performances, and more were far beyond what many seasoned filmmakers could accomplish even with decades of experience. This was followed by THE LIGHTHOUSE, the elongated allegory of damnation and identity told through camera and editing approaches of the early 20th century. And genre nerds of all sorts are eagerly anticipating the release of THE NORTHMAN in the coming weeks (opening in the UK on April 15 and USA on April 22) with its blend of old world savagery and Scandinavian mysticism.

But there is another title in Eggers’ filmography that has recently surfaced on the internet—his 2006 short film HANSEL & GRETEL. Based on the Brothers Grimm fable, the short seeks to evoke the macabre silent films made around 1915 or so (right up to the introduction of German Expressionism in 1920’s THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI). This is specific period is reflected in the use of a pastoral setting, with deep blacks and ultrabright whites washing out part of the frames. While it doesn’t match the verisimilitude of the era like THE LIGHTHOUSE (not a lot of tracking shots back in the 1910s), it still showcases Eggers inherent talents for establishing mood, evoking tones and emotions, and combining the familiar settings with a very specific brand of nightmare.

True, it’s not as good as 2020’s criminally under-appreciated GRETEL & HANSEL (watch this movie, dammit!), but with a far more limited budget, cast, and other resources, Eggers establishes his voice that mixes the early 20th century beginnings of film with the psychological approach of 21st century cinema, creating a promise of incredible talent that he would go on to fulfill in his future endeavors.