bbbInaCzechtownintheseventeenthcentury,anelderlywomanentersachurchtoacceptcommunion.Hertruepurposeistocollecttheholyhostforamidwifewhoneedsittotreatanailingdairycow.Thewomaniscaughtandisforcedtoexplainhersacrilegiousactions.Religiousandsecularauthoritiesagreethatsheisinleaguewithwitchesandmayevenbeawitchherself.Thispromptsaninquisitionwhereconfessionsareobtainedthroughthreatsandtorture.Atribunalisheldtoprovidealegalfacade.Thoughthehuntisinitiallyconfinedtotheimpoverishedfringesoflocalsociety,thehysteriasoonexpandstothepointthatnoone,notevenleadingcitizens,issafe.Theultimatetargetisaclergyman,DeaconLautner,whodefiestherighteousmenofthetribunal. Basedonactualtrialrecordsfromthe1678to1695period,thiswellmadeCzechfilmfeaturesexcellentperformancesandstrongproductionvalues.Itissomewhatextremeby1969standards.