Some of the most influential works of fiction go unnoticed by the general public until the right adaptation comes along. Hardcore sci-fi fans might have read “Who Goes There?” when it came out in 1938, but most fans know it as John Carpenter’sThe Thing. Some examples require a few attempts to reach worldwide success. Look atThe Witcher, which inspired the ill-fated film and TV projectThe Hexer.
Andrzej Sapkowski wrote six novels and 15 short stories inThe Witcherseries, becoming a cult classic in Eastern Europe. CD Projekt Red’sbeloved trilogy ofWitchergamesbecame the face of the franchise, spawning a hit Netflix series in the same vein. However, Polish filmmaker Marek Brodzki is responsible for the first cinematic take on the material.
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What isThe Hexerabout?
On an unnamed continent in a fantasy world,an infant named Geraltis taken from his home and family. His parents are victims of the Law of Surprise, an ages-old social contract that demands subjects pay a life debt by giving up their firstborn child. Geralt undergoes brutal trials and mysterious physical mutations to become a Hexer. Geralt and his allies live as outcasts and hunt the monsters that threaten innocent lives. After Geralt finishes his rituals, he sets off to save people. Geralt fights a dragon, defeats bandits, and rescues a princess. He meets his true love, a friendly bard,and his fated daughter. Along the way, Geralt finds a mortal enemy who he must battle to the death. Fans will remember most of the beats from the source material, even if there are some significant changes.
Why wasThe Hexerso poorly received?
The biggest problem withThe Hexeris its structure. The film came with a price tag of 19 million Polish zlotys (around $4.6 million), a sizable budget at the time. The film overspent on marketing as well. By all accounts,The Hexerwas meant to be a Polish answer to Hollywood productions. Unfortunately,The Hexerwasplanned as a TV series. It eventually received 13 episodes, but the film became a sort of glorified trailer for the show. Subsequently, the 2-hour film is packed with cut-together events that would only make sense as individual episodes. The editing, pacing, and narrative structure ofThe Hexermake no sense because of its bizarre construction. This results in individual scenes being fun nostalgic adventure stories, while the film as a whole is a complete mess.
WatchingThe Hexerwith very littleknowledge ofThe Witcheris a confusing experience. The early scenes are mostly inexplicable. Fans will recognize young Geralt’s trials and the monsters he hunts, but newcomers will be perplexed. Conversely, fans will be irritated by the many significant changes to the source material. Geralt’s mentor and surrogate father, Vesemir, is reimagined as a random priest, even though there is a different old witcher who borrows some of his traits. Geralt is treated as an outcast by other witchers in the film for no clear reason. The film invents a school of all-female witchers, despite the entire profession being men in the books. Priestesses Nenneke and Iola are killed off. Falwick and the Order of the White Rose become the main villains of the story, forcing the film and series to vastly expand their roles.Every adaptation makes changes, but the rushed pace ofThe Hexerwas seen as a poor translation of the material.
How didThe HexeraffectThe Witcher?
The Hexerwas widely disliked by critics and audiences. The actors were generally praised for their performances. In keeping with director Marek Brodzki’s desire to makeThe Hexera massive blockbuster, the cast contains many of the biggest Polish stars of the era. The film also branched out into multiple other advertising mediums. Toys were produced, and tons of marketing campaigns worked with the film. Most notably, the first official English-languagetranslation of the original storiescame as part of the promotional effort forThe Hexer.The Witcherhas been translated into 37 languages today, but most examples came after the release of the hit games. For all of its faults,The Hexeris partially responsible for the English-speaking fanbase of the franchise.
The Hexeris a bit of a mess, but it’s an interesting chapter in the long history ofThe Witcher. One Polish creator took Sapkowski’s work and made it a worldwide sensation, while another made it into an unimpressive film and TV series. It’s a lesson in adaptation. Some stories need a different medium to conquer the world. Some critics of theongoing Netflix take on the materialhave praisedThe Hexeras a method of decrying the more recent series.The Hexerhas some charm, but it’s a strange experience. Fans of the franchise should check it out. It’s available for free on YouTube.The Hexermay have failed in its quest, but now that Geralt is a beloved icon, the film can live a new life as a fun curiosity.
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