Directed by René Clair and released in 1942, ” I Married a Witch” is lighthearted and romantic comedic fantasy tells the story of a witch who put a curse on a man named Jonathan Wooley and his descendants for exposing her and her father in the Puritan town of Rockford. The curse this witch, Jennifer, placed was for Jonathan and all his male descendants to forever be unhappy in love and to always marry the wrong woman. Jennifer’s father, Daniel, also cast a spell that day – to protect his and his daughter’s spirits for 270 years. 

Free at last, Jennifer and her father roam around as clouds of smoke, causing mischief amongst the strange new vernacular, attire, and landscape they have stumbled across. They discover what became of the most recent descendant of Jonathan Wooley, a man of the name Wallace Wooley: a politician set to marry the daughter of a newspaper publisher who is also a key financial supporter of his campaign. Holding true to the curse, this arranged marriage is forced upon both Wallace and his fiance. Intending to Wreak further havoc on Wallace for the sins of his forefather, Jennifer pleads for her father to give her a human body. He obliged her, but since her previous body was destroyed by flames, her new one would be born from flames. As he set a hotel on fire, Jennifer’s new body was created, but from amidst the flames, she called out for rescue from the fire. Wallace, a true gentleman, heard and came rushing in, putting his life in danger to save her. 

This was the day before he was to be wed and two days before the election, and Jennifer did her very best to make him fall in love with her naturally. When that did not work, she brewed up a love potion to give him, ignorant that not long later, she would accidentally take the potion herself. A woman whose heart was once solely filled with revenge came to fall in love with Wallace, despite the love potion (which I believe nullified after her father took matters into his own hands to break the union and return Jennifer to the tree from which they emerged) and was willing to give up her lies, her magic, and even her life for Wallace. Wallace, whose main ambition was to become governor, risked his aspirations, reputation, and future for Jennifer. It shows that love truly can overcome all, so long as one has enough heart to allow the seed of love to bloom into a garden. Jennifer’s father, so consumed with hate and revenge, turns against his own daughter, showing a clear contrast between Jennifer and her father. Throughout this film, the concept of blaming an individual for the actions of their ancestors repeatedly occurs. Although I disagree entirely with the principle, it makes sense that Jennifer wishes the worst upon the man who caused her death, not rationally thinking through the implications on innocent individuals who have committed no such atrocities and may not share the same beliefs. It shows character development in that Jennifer can look beyond Wallace’s bloodline and see him as the individual he is. 

My summary of the film is factually accurate, but I fear it does not truly portray the humor of it. Believe me, although any summary may not show it, the film was written in such a way that it is truly a silly and lighthearted comedic romance. However, I must advise you not to think too deeply about the logistics of the film. It may sound like a ridiculous statement, and it certainly goes against my nature, but to analyze this film too far could ruin it, in my opinion. It is like analyzing Beauty and the Beast, for example. Rather than speculating whether every inanimate object corresponds to a human being, simply taking the film at face value provides more enjoyment. Not many films share this particular quality, but I noticed long ago that fantasy films or books often overlook certain inconsistencies or details that others from an outside perspective or even from another era can notice. So, yes. It does indeed make sense that a man who was alive for 800,000 years and apparently caused Pompeii was not immortal enough to be fire-resistant during the Salem Witch Trials.

Overall, ‘I Married a Witch’ is one of the most delightful and entertaining fantasy films I have ever seen, and I highly recommend it.