Editorial Review:

Description:
The Salem witch trials of 1692 are brought vividly to life in this compelling adaptation of Arthur Miller's play, directed by Nicholas Hytner ("The Madness of King George"). A group of teenage girls meet in the woods at midnight for a secret love-conjuring ceremony. While the other girls attempt to cast love spells, Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder) wishes for the death of her former lover's (Daniel Day-Lewis) wife. When their ceremony is witnessed by the town minister, the girls suddenly find themselves accused of witchcraft. Soon the entire village is consumed by cries of witchcraft, and as the hysteria grows, blameless victims are torn from their homes, leading to a devastating climax.

Amazon.com:
The Salem witch hunts are given a new and nasty perspective when a vengeful teenage girl uses superstition and repression to her advantage, creating a killing machine that becomes a force unto itself. Pulsating with seductive energy, this provocative drama is as visually arresting as it is intellectually engrossing. Arthur Miller based his classic 1953 play on the actual Salem witch trials of 1692, creating what has since become a durable fixture of school drama courses. It may look like a historical drama, but Miller also meant the work as a parable for the misery created by the McCarthy anti-Communist hearings of the 1950s. This searing version of his drama delves into matters of conscience with concise accuracy and emotional honesty. Three passionate cheers for Miller, director Nicholas Hytner, and costars Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. --Rochelle O'Gorman

The film shows young girls going to a secret meeting at night. [No dogs barking?] They each throw something in the fire. "It's the minister!" They scatter off. Is this the work of the devil? Betty is sick. The doctor is called but it is beyond his art. Are they bewitched? The turmoil in the village leads to a meeting. The Reverend Hale is coming to hunt for witches. Who is to blame? Will a romantic triangle create a jealous woman? Betty is examined for marks of the devil. The latest scientific information is used. Dancing around a fire at night? They blame Tituba! The third degree is applied to get a confession. Will she name names? Yes. The girls become a chorus in revealing names, like a chant.

Many more are jailed and threatened with hanging. John and Elizabeth Proctor have a problem. A judge arrives with armed men. Some women are brought to court, others are arrested. They are threatened with hanging if they don't confess. Would a rich landowner buy up the property of those condemned whose property was forfeited? Are the judges fooled by these young girls and their spectral evidence? The devil is loose in Salem, where is he hiding? John Proctor threatens Abigail Williams. The arrested are brought into court for trial. Do they believe in witches? Are the young girls frauds? Those who protest will be arrested and examined for guilt. Giles Corey accuses Putnam of charging people so he can buy their lands. Witchcraft is an invisible crime and only the victim can testify; their actions are their corroborations. [Was this all a form of mass hysteria?]

There is a showdown in court when Elizabeth Proctor is summoned to testify. Later the girls run into a stream [swimming?] and Mary Warren accuses John Proctor. The condemned are excommunicated and hanged. The crowd cheers at this gala festival! Giles Corey refuses to testify and is pressed to death (this saves his property from forfeiture). Abigail accuses the wife of the minister. Then she runs off with a large sum of money. [A comment on professional witnesses?] Will John Proctor confess to save his life and tell the court what it wants to hear? There is dramatic scene that is drawn out. The drama is heightened when things don't work out as expected. And so Justice is done to those who are in league with the devil.

The film says "The Salem witch hunt came to an end when people refused to save themselves by making a false confession". The historical record says people were disgusted by the accusations made against good honest people who were above suspicion. This is such an excellent drama that you know it is not historically accurate. These trials show the importance of cross-examining witnesses and the need for corroboration. One strange part of this story is the lack of young men to match the many young girls in this drama. Some kind of a hidden message? The DVD has a conversation by Arthur Miller where he talks about 17th century Salem. Did this happen only in Salem? Witchcraft trials were in fashion during the 16th and 17th century Europe; they did not happen in Medieval Times. Popular hysteria and delusions are not limited to 17th century Salem. Was this drama an allegory for the witch hunts of the 1940s and 1950s? Or the Stalinist purges of the same era? Your library may have a history book about these trials.

Average Rating:

Rating: - Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
The film shows young girls going to a secret meeting at night. [No dogs barking?] They each throw something in the fire. "It's the minister!" They scatter off. Is this the work of the devil? Betty is sick. The doctor is called but it is beyond his art. Are they bewitched? The turmoil in the village leads to a meeting. The Reverend Hale is coming to hunt for witches. Who is to blame? Will a romantic triangle create a jealous woman? Betty is examined for marks of the devil. The latest scientific information is used. Dancing around a fire at night? They blame Tituba! The third degree is applied to get a confession. Will she name names? Yes. The girls become a chorus in revealing names, like a chant.

Many more are jailed and threatened with hanging. John and Elizabeth Proctor have a problem. A judge arrives with armed men. Some women are brought to court, others are arrested. They are threatened with hanging if they don't confess. Would a rich landowner buy up the property of those condemned whose property was forfeited? Are the judges fooled by these young girls and their spectral evidence? The devil is loose in Salem, where is he hiding? John Proctor threatens Abigail Williams. The arrested are brought into court for trial. Do they believe in witches? Are the young girls frauds? Those who protest will be arrested and examined for guilt. Giles Corey accuses Putnam of charging people so he can buy their lands. Witchcraft is an invisible crime and only the victim can testify; their actions are their corroborations. [Was this all a form of mass hysteria?]

There is a showdown in court when Elizabeth Proctor is summoned to testify. Later the girls run into a stream [swimming?] and Mary Warren accuses John Proctor. The condemned are excommunicated and hanged. The crowd cheers at this gala festival! Giles Corey refuses to testify and is pressed to death (this saves his property from forfeiture). Abigail accuses the wife of the minister. Then she runs off with a large sum of money. [A comment on professional witnesses?] Will John Proctor confess to save his life and tell the court what it wants to hear? There is dramatic scene that is drawn out. The drama is heightened when things don't work out as expected. And so Justice is done to those who are in league with the devil.

The film says "The Salem witch hunt came to an end when people refused to save themselves by making a false confession". The historical record says people were disgusted by the accusations made against good honest people who were above suspicion. This is such an excellent drama that you know it is not historically accurate. These trials show the importance of cross-examining witnesses and the need for corroboration. One strange part of this story is the lack of young men to match the many young girls in this drama. Some kind of a hidden message? The DVD has a conversation by Arthur Miller where he talks about 17th century Salem. Did this happen only in Salem? Witchcraft trials were in fashion during the 16th and 17th century Europe; they did not happen in Medieval Times. Popular hysteria and delusions are not limited to 17th century Salem. Was this drama an allegory for the witch hunts of the 1940s and 1950s? Or the Stalinist purges of the same era? Your library may have a history book about these trials.

Rating: - The Crucible still relevant in the new millenium
I teach high school American Literature, and The Crucible is a regular part of our curriculum. We traditionally read it in the fall, accompanied by the Puritan literature of the period in which it is set. Students find it interesting and engaging, for the most part, but often have a tough time picturing the action. This film--which I was astonished to learn is the only English-language production--is beautifully done and artfully acted. I was also surprised to learn that Arthur Miller himself wrote the screenplay at age 81! I wonder why the film was not produced in the U.S. until 1996? The adaptation is faithful, though Miller himself made some interesting choices, such as dividing some of the soul-searching counterpoint to Danforth's legal juggernaut between the young Hale and an expanded character, Judge Sewell, who is nothing more than a background character in the original play. I especially liked the visual effect of the halo that appears around Elizabeth Proctor as she resolves to tell the only lie of her life in defense of her husband. Joan Allen (the Black and White mom from Pleasantville) gives another real-as-it-gets performance as the saintly yet very human Elizabeth. Another of my favorite moments with Allen occurs when she is taken away from her home to stand trial on the trumped up charges of witchcraft. In the play, John tells her to "fear nothing" and she responds in kind, but the stage directions make it clear she is terrified. Joan Allen delivers the line, "I will fear nothing" with an absolute iron will that infuses her character with heretofore unseen strength.

All in all, this film is worth a close viewing and it adds genuine depth to the reading of Miller's classic.

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Rating: - 3 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:

Day-Lewis sometimes goes too far over the top ("Because it is my name!!!") and the actor playing Reverand Hale seems like he was ported in to Salem directly from the 1970s, but the successes of this film adaptation outweigh the failures and make this a movie worth seeing, if not a great one.

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Rating: - Well made film, Poor history
Miller goes astray with his own imagination. This is a good looking film with easy to look at talent all around. The story however is pure Hollywood BS. What happened was an incident of a African slave teaching some local girls about her native spiritual customs which included using an ergot style drug. The resultant hallucinations and behavior so scared the heavily oppressive church officials that they quickly condemned to girls to death as witches, using a kangaroo court to scare and intimidate the people from any further experimenting.

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Rating: - Ture to the spirit
Although not in the same chronology the screen versions remains true to the spirit of the playwright. Arthur Miller of course wrote teh screenplay, but itlends itself to an interpretation worthy of the original drama.

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