The Hexer (film)

Lore & Background

The Hexer was directed by Marek Brodzki in his directorial debut. The film had a high budget for contemporary Polish movies and an extensive marketing campaign. Its cast included many stars of Polish cinema, and the music was composed by Grzegorz Ciechowski. The film was aimed at both fantasy fans and a general audience, and was tied to promotional campaigns including toys, games, and the first official English translation of The Witcher.

The story is loosely based on Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher book series. The film was essentially the then-unreleased 13-episode television series condensed into a two-hour film. The final release was described as the third version, rearranged and shortened. Some fans initially objected to the casting of several major roles, leading to a meeting between producers and fans that appeased most protesters. Screenwriter Michał Szczerbic demanded his name not appear in the closing credits, citing two major departures from his original script.

Reader's Guide

The Hexer is significant as the first cinematic adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series, but it is widely regarded as a failure. It received generally negative reviews, with critics praising the actors and music but criticizing the chaotic plot, poor special effects, and incoherent structure. Reviewers noted that the film tried to summarize too many plot elements from the planned TV series, resulting in a fragmentary narrative that evoked laughter in audiences. The special effects, including a plastic dragon, were described as low-quality and obsolete.

Despite its poor critical reception, the film's music score by Grzegorz Ciechowski won the 2002 Polish Film Award for Best Film Music and the Fryderyk award for Best 2001 Original Soundtrack. The film has been described in academic research as a widely recognized example of the weak level of Polish cinema's entertainment releases and a common butt of jokes among Polish science fiction and fantasy fans. In later retrospectives, it has been called 'the film we all want to forget' and 'crushed by the reviewers and laughed out by fans.'

Did You Know?

• The film had a budget of 19 million Polish zlotys, very high for contemporary Polish movies.
• The film's music by Grzegorz Ciechowski was nominated for the 2002 Polish Film Award for Best Film Music but did not win.
• Andrzej Sapkowski expressed his negative opinion about the film with a single obscene word.