The Autopsy Of Jane Doe: The Witch & Powers Explained
The Autopsy of Jane Doe features a witch with powers deeply tied to the 17th century and the history of the Salem Witch Trials.
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The 2016 supernatural horror film The Autopsy of Jane Doe features one of the most complex witches in horror history. The film also marks Norwegian filmmaker André Øvredal’s first English language film. Starring Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox as Austin and Tommy Tilden, the father-son coroner duo is tasked with autopsying the body of an unknown woman. As they begin their search for a cause of death, the two are quickly confused by a lack of visible signs of trauma.
As they continue to dissect Jane Doe, Austin and Tommy uncover strange objects and inexplicable internal scarring. They notice that scars on her organs and the charring on her lungs cannot be explained, as there is no outward appearance of such injuries occurring. Furthermore, Tommy discovers a Jimsonweed, a plant that acts as a paralyzing agent and is not native to their location. Venturing deeper into the cadaver, they find a cloth with sigils and roman numerals written on it with a tooth wrapped inside.
They discover that the sigils were used as a tool to banish her uncleanly spirit, the roman numerals indicate that the date was 1693, and the Jimsonweed is native to the Northeast. Jane Doe was tried as a witch during the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. The scars on her organs, the removal of her tongue, the charred lungs, and the paralyzing agent explain how the New England Puritans attempted to kill the witch.
The Autopsy Of Jane Doe’s Witch & Her Powers
When Tommy comes to the realization that Jane Doe is a witch, he reflects on the inaccuracies of the trials. He tells Austin that most women tried and accused of witchcraft were innocent and fell victim to the ramblings of children. Jane Doe was not a witch at first, but the brutality of her accusers transformed her into the vengeful spirit of one. She experienced such severe torture that Jane Doe became a symbol for all innocent women murdered in Salem and her body lives on to enact revenge.
Jane Doe’s powers are derived from the moment she was tortured. The cloth inside of her includes a passage from Leviticus meant to condemn witches. As she was not a witch, the attempt to condemn her as one transformed her into a witch. Without the trial prosecutors forcing the cloth down her throat, she would not have become a witch in the first place.
The body of Jane Doe lives on to enact revenge on any and all people who attempt to take away her bodily autonomy, whether through an autopsy or otherwise. She stands as a symbol that works against the brutality of the Salem Witch Trials. The Autopsy of Jane Doe offers unique insight into the brutal workings of one of America’s oldest supernatural histories while providing a modern twist on the lore surrounding witchcraft and one of the United States’ darker historical eras.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/autopsy-jane-doe-movie-witch-powers-explained/