The Scarlet Letter
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Movie Reviews of The Scarlet Letter
Movie Review: Essential for English Teachers
Summary: 5 Stars
As a movie buff, I give this DVD 1.5 stars. As an English teacher, I give it 5.
Cons:
Ultra-low budget production
Costumes meant to be dramatic, are actually comic
Filmed on video - looks and sounds almost submerged
Campy music is source of uproarous class laughter
Special effects that aren't special at all (i.e. hilarious meteor)
It takes at least one hour to get used to Meg Foster's eyes
"Boston" has the feeling of "this is all we could afford"
Actress who plays Mistress Hibbens attempts to act "near the edge" and instead plunges over it
Pros:
Extremely faithful to the book
Many critical scenes are reproduced word-for-word
High School appropriate, (unlike Demi Moore's version)
Would be rated "G" if it had a rating - no profanity or nudity
Quite compelling performances by Meg Foster and John Heard
Becomes strangely more and more believable as it progresses
Nice use of natural light and scenery
Convenient menus divided by titles of book chapters
Until someone decides to film this book properly, with a big budget, faithful script, THX sound and world-class actors, this 1979 PBS special on DVD is the only choice for English teachers.
There are, of course, two earlier versions. The first is a silent film that I have not seen. The second is from 1934 and I've seen enough of it to know that it is so hopelessly ancient, with choppy, jerky black and white cinematography and sound that seems to have come from an Alexander G. Bell wax cylinder, that high school students will likely be unable to connect with it.
The third version is this 1979 PBS miniseries on DVD. It is four hours long, and comes on two discs packed in one box. I have found that it lends itself quite well to being shown in conjunction with assigned chapters, and follows the book very faithfully.
All in all, I'm pleased with my investment, and while my students enjoyed laughing at some aspects of the film's (lack of) production quality, they certainly seem to have benefitted from it in terms of comprehension. I recommend it to my fellow English teachers without reservation, until something better comes along.
Final Note: My classes saw this DVD displayed on a big screen by a Hitachi CP-S318 digital projector feeding from a Panasonic DVD player. Crammed down to a 29 inch TV, I'm not sure if it would be visually tolerable. The big screen gives it, (and us,) room to breath.
Movie Review: Brilliant, faithful adaptation of Hawthorne's novel
Summary: 5 Stars
For those (including me) still smarting over the insultingly demeaning, appalling Demi Moore film "retelling" of this American masterpiece, this PBS version more than makes up for the crime. It is not only faithful to Hawthorne's novel, but it does an astonishing job of being very nearly the "visual" version of the story; in other words, it serves almost as a companion piece to the book. It being filmed on video intensifies the bleak reality of the situation and time, almost giving it a "live" aspect that would have been lost on film. Meg Foster is everything Hester Prynne should be, strong, intelligent, dignified and proud, yet passionate, sensible and utterly independent. There could have been slightly more differentiation between Kevin Conway's early vs. later Chillingworth (I would have liked to see the character more "eaten up" by his own evil in the end scenes), but he plays the unsympathetic role with a good deal of insight and individual touches; his eyes are especially expressive of his true thoughts. The most difficult role of all is Arthur Dimmesdale, as he could easily come across as a whiny, petulant idiot, but John Heard conveys a tortured, inner intensity that makes the Reverend's dilemma's vastly believable. You REALLY believe he is tormented by his guilt-ridden agony, and his final breakdown on the scaffold is overwhelmingly powerful, and packs an emotional wallop. The three young actresses (including the baby!) who play Pearl are amazingly believable and the director, Rick Hauser, is to be commended for handling them so as to come across as truly into their characters and not as a series of bratty, precocious turns that often distinguish children's appearances in movies. All of the supporting players do their bit to serve the drama, especially the actors portraying the Bellingham, Mistress Hibbins and John Wilson. Costumes and sets are, to use the word again, believable and completely abet the action, locale and characters. The other aspect to this presentation, what was originally a four-part series, is how unhurriedly the story is laid out. Those used to long novels that are filmed and crammed into a 2 hour time slot may be conditioned into thinking that the pace is too slow, but to me, it is a relief for once to see something score its points by taking time to play out all the subtleties and nuances of the story, which, again, played a significant part in its unerring realism. Strongly, unhesitatingly recommended.
Movie Review: Hawthorn's Scarlet Letter......an interesting metaphor for it's time......
Summary: 5 Stars
Hawthorn's Scarlet Letter is well played in this rendition of the TV series. There are many metaphors....the "Man in Black" in the forest, can be interepreted as the "Devil" or simply, the wild, untamed land within. Pearl, being the offspring of the passion and love of Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne, is herself a wild, untamed child. This, all in a society, set up by men, who wished to create a "Utopia", whereby all people within the confines of this community would be slaves to the Religious laws, the brutal laws, which caused anxt and suffering in this supposed "Utopic" society. Hester Prynne was made an example, so that the rest of the community would shrink back, would never allow their wild natures to emerge, lest they be severely punished or brought to the gallos. Laws made by men, under the guise of "God's Laws" - but who can truly know God's Laws? And were Hester and the Reverend truly sinners? Or were they truly in love, holding deep inside a true passion for each other and a deep love for Pearl. And isn't true love and passion as wild as the forest? As you watch this series, you will see that human nature cannot be tamed, and to do so, is more of a sin than those actions proclaimed as sinful by the mangistrates of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Enjoy!Movie Review: definitive film version of the first american classic novel.
Summary: 5 Stars
I am elated that this PBS production of the Scarlet Letter (1979) has received a DVD treatment. John Heard deals superbly with the dichotomies and private tortures of Dimmesdale. John Heard is not only physically gorgeous (helping us understand Hester's "fall"), but he seems more than able to effortlessly manipulate this classic and complex character. Meg Foster is the quintessential Hester Prynne. Equipt to portray the lead as both a feminist and a desperate mother to Pearl.The DVD also has behind the scenes footage.
This is the most accurate deftly-acted version of the first american classic novel. I highly recommed purchasing this DVd you will not be let down. Instead you will be provoked to question spirituality, America's puritanical early history, etc.
Well worth the money and your don't bother with the 1995 Demi Moore version. It got lost somewhere between One Life to Live and softcore Cinemax sexuality; it is dumb and a waste of your time.
Movie Review: This is the novel brought to life.
Summary: 5 Stars
If you want to truly experience Hawthorne's work, this version is for you. In contrast, the Demi Moore version bears little resemblance to the novel. To choose it over the PBS version would be akin to choosing a coloring -book rendering of the Mona Lisa over the masterpiece itself: you get an idea of what it is all about, but all the right colors and strokes are missing, and the drama and effect are lost.