The Crucible
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Movie Reviews of The Crucible
Movie Review: Stuporstition...
Summary: 4 Stars
A highly dramatic & disturbing film demonstrating christian lunacy if it goes unchecked. The classic account of the Salem Witch Tryals - this, perhaps one of the better ones, as it does not pander nor apologize for the alexithymic disease of the blindlight.
To those under the delusion that children do not lie {if 'Michelle Remembers' & Wenatchee, WA are any indication}, this film accurately portrays the self-righteous, hypocritical, corruption besetting the peasantly christians at that Puritanical tyme, with all its stuporstitious finger-pointing & paranoiac insanity, demonstrated by three little girls who, in order to avoid punishment, begin creating lies about several townspeople who are subsequently hanged at the gallows, & for a tyme, caused an hysteria wherein neighbors accused neighbors, for more spiteful reasons & jealousy issues, than actual diabolism.
So what was the true evil occurring in Salem? christian repression & false accusations fostered by children. The peasants needed some sort of excuse to break free of their doldrums, so the first thing that came along - the "crime of witchcraft" - became a venue to express all those sublimated desires of bloodlust - they needed to see & experience some sort of excitement , & so of course, they turned to The Devil for it. In this case, again, as representing all their sublimated animal desires.
Repression / Abstinence only leads to aberrant behaviour; as is evidenced in that era in history, as well as modern-day priests who molest altar boys & preachers who turn to prostitutes for an outlet.
Nowadays, the christian crutch must still preserve its fearful hold on its sheeple, but it is done in more covert means, while still maintaining guilt-inducements based on fear.
Also, even in this movie, not to mention books on the subject which have been available for three centuries now, it is plainly related that no real witches were ever burned at the stake, hanged, or given "the test" {that is, thrown into a lake to see whether she floats or sinks} - but rather these crimes were perpetrated against the common folk - so, weakans, as common as they are, have no basis in fact claiming the so-called "burning times" as relative.
As a matter if fact, the Magistrates themselves could even be seen as rather `satanic' characters - that is, they formed their own realities to enforce their particular views & gratify their lusts. I would rather have been an Inquisitor, or Magistrate, than a peasant any day! They were the ones who held the power, influence, the law-makers who were the directors of people's fates. The veritable Pontius Pilates of the period. And as we know, the true witches were sleeping with them!
So Abigail Folger {played by the succulent Wynona Ryder} was the major instigator, primarily accusing poor Tutuba, the well-meaning black slave woman, along with a slew of others, just so that she would not be blamed. Surely, a practice in self-preservation, but without acknowledging personal responsibility, blaming `the devil' in classic christian style.
John Proctor & his wife are portrayed as the most noble characters herein, as even unto the bitter end, he refuses to submit to the "Witch-Fynder Generale's" wishes - he just could not stomach the erzatz "confession" he was forced to make - damned if you do, damned if you don't. In the end, he is hanged with some others, as they pathetically utter `The Lord's Prayer' until hanging by the neck.
Overall, The Crucuble is recommended as a study into the blood-soaked christian history, as a misanthropological ponderation, lest it be conveniently forgotten, or at all forgiven.
Movie Review: Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Movie Review: The Crucible: A Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read The Crucible, seen it preformed on stage, and I still love the screen version best of all. I will admit that part of this may be from my own bias that Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the best actors I've ever seen. His performance doesn't disappoint in The Crucible either. As John Proctor he adds a realism and deep sympathy to a character, who on paper, I found rather contrived at times. The best lines of the move (the 'because it is my name' speech in particular) are Proctors and Day-Lewis performs them flawlessly. I've seen this movie a dozen times and I still get choked up.
Ryder is equally brilliant, delivering her lines with a good sense of the emotion behind them. She plays the conniving harlot quite well. The scenes in which Abigail attempts to further seduce John are very good and Day-Lewis and Ryder work very well together. The actress who plays John's wife does a stellar job with a less-is-more style of acting. She is very stoic, but this doesn't at all bely the emotion of her character. The actress who plays Mary Warren also does an excellent job. In fact, the only actors I didn't like were Putnam adults, who I thought frequently overacted.
To anyone who finds this movie boring, I'm afraid it's more of a reflection on them than on the movie. I'll be honest: There are no car chases, nothing is funny, there is no slapstick, guns, or dancing. There about ten seconds of nudity in the first ten minutes, but no sex. This is a character driven narrative with beautifully desolate settings, amazing actors and incredible lines (most of which are in middle English, but way easier than Shakespearian English). This is a double sided semi-historical film referencing both the Salem witch trials (which really happened) and the Mcarthy trials (which also really happened) and drawing allusions between the two of them. If that's above your head, I wouldn't brag about it, you're not actually entitled to be ignorant.
The only reason I gave this less than five stars has nothing to do with the movie. It is NOT supposed be historically accurate, I am aware of this, however, many people aren't. Because of this, people think John Proctor was a focal point of the actual trials (he wasn't at all) and that Abigail was a young woman (she was twelve), and that the Putnams only had one child (they had many) etc. This isn't meant to be a historical lesson, and shouldn't be taken as such. If this, however, whets your interest here are some suggested materials: The movie Three Sovereigns for Sarah (also fictionalized but more accurate). Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft, "Spellbound: Woman and Witchcraft in America (Worlds of Women), and a PBS video called "Secrets of the Dead - Witches Curse. You could also just check out the History Channel.
Movie Review: Years later, better appreciation for movie's direction
Summary: 4 Stars
The film version of Arthur Miller's The Crucible is quite a satisfactory visualization, especially for anyone who is looking for a good supplement to the play.
Being a film, the traditional play can be a little loose in its translation, usually a negative trait in transferring a work from book to film; but in this case it definitely gives the work a little more intensity. What the work loses in its claustrophobic atmosphere of being primarily in a courtroom, it gains in its hysteria-laden tone. Sometimes this works (Abigail's chilling screams in the courtroom have an eerie mood to them), and sometimes this goes to excess (case in point: Mrs. Putnam's screams are overtly hysterical to the point of overkill).
Still, bringing the play to film does have its advantages over all. We get to see the Puritan town of Salem, and the people who move about through place to place. The few scenes between Abigail and Proctor make their past history a little more apparent, and this helps in illustrating Elizabeth's cause for concern and her lack of trust in the initial part of the film. And, other parts of the play just work well outside, one of the best being Mary Warren screaming wildly after the girls turn on her, in which she frantically runs to the water and screams out against Proctor.
I had viewed this movie once before, thinking it quite mediocre at film's end, but, years later, watching it again, have a better appreciation for it. The film's intensity really picks up in the second half of the movie, particularly in Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal of John Proctor. One of the film's climactic moments, when Proctor gives his "Because it's my name!..." speech to Danforth, is perhaps the most impressive and dramatic of all the film's scenes.
Written as a reaction to the McCarthy trials, The Crucible's literal witch hunts are somewhat bizarre and somewhat chilling, and this film successfully and succinctly captures this mood. While this film is not a work of art, and certainly has some "Hollywood" in it, it is a satisfactory retelling in the long run.
The DVD version also includes an interview and behind the scenes between Arthur Miller and Daniel Day Lewis. If you aren't familiar with the story, you should check this part out.
3 ½ stars
Movie Review: A story of commitment to oneself
Summary: 4 Stars
We watched this film as part of our college friends book club (we are now in our 30's). I am not usually into period pieces (except isolated exceptions), but found this one interesting from a psychological and sociological perspective.
The performances are excellent, and the scene where Daniel Day Louis refuses to hand over the paper with his name is one of the most memorable, executed with a true, gut wrenching genuineness. The characters manage to conjure (no pun intended) sympathy and hatred from the audience, and despite the fact that I am not a huge fan of Winona Ryder, this was my favorite performance.
The story of betrayal, mass hysteria and persecutation still resonates with many "scapegoating" circumstances today and and historically, and the choices faced by the characters (John Proctor to live or die, his wife's struggle to forgive and attempt to save him, and Abigail's decision to dance a fine line between good and evil), is very powerful.
Like the media today, which sometimes presents events in a very slanted, and pigeonholed manner, the citizens of the town, saw the events with the same narrow knowledge base. In addition, they were blinded by their strict life style, condemnation of all that was "different", and lack of exposure to alternate explanations. It reminded me of other religious fanaticism experienced throughout history (Spanish Inquisition, etc).
The depiction of heroism, and what it means to remain true to oneself (as John Proctor) did, was admirable and genuine. Despite facing certain death, his honor and transference of land to his family was more importanht. It was as if with his death, he was also absolving himself from his guilt in betraying his wife, and would in effect be free of the extreme societal constrictions.
Excellent film-worth discussion and comparison to contemporary society.