Greetings,
thanks to a friendly tip from Darren and the MB (see NoDS thread), I've been reading the NoDS script published in the DS Movies book back in 1999.
When I first saw NoDS (on the CBS television broadcast around 1973, I think--the movie only played my town for one week, and it was when we were away on a trip), my "read" on the story was that Angelique really was a Witch. Her death certainly could be regarded as an injustice (not to mention being technically illegal--not to put too fine a point on it, in the events depicted in the complete script, she was lynched by a mob consisting of a stump preacher and some deluded local stable boys, under the direction of certain of the local gentry who had a score to settle with the lady). I was surprised when I began to read online fandom back in the mid 90s to find that many fans' take on it was that Angelique, although a scheming adultress, was technically innocent of Witchcraft.
My current reading of Sam Hall's screenplay reinforces my original impression, that we're meant to understand that Angelique isn't just "witchy," but actually a Witch. Many of the scenes that clarify her "uncanny" abilities of course fell victim to the cutting room floor.
I hope to go into more detail later on, but am just curious what other fans of NoDS think about the matter.
G.