Ian W
Solid film. Great acting from Danial Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. Although written as an allegory about communist persecution (McArthyism) - this is not explicit and if you weren't aware of that historical context, it wouldn't take too much away from the film.
Definitely worth a watch.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/29/24
Full Review
Jason C
I watched this in school and also we read about the book that the movie was based on and it's amazing. I loved the characters and the story line, the acting was also really good. I usually really dislike old movies, but this one has my heart and I even cried and teared up at the end. I recommend this movie to anyone who has not watched it yet.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
11/20/23
Full Review
Rami A
The opening scene is enough to introduce you to what kind of movie you're getting yourself into.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/08/24
Full Review
Sy R
Spoiler Warning, this film review of The Crucible (1996) contains heavy spoilers about characters, plot and story as I will be going through scene by scene and discussing my reactions throughout my viewing experience.
This film begins with the scene in which we see the girls dancing around the fire in the woods, Abigail drinking blood as well as other satanic mischief. This scene already helps build up a tone of darkness that foreshadows later events in the movie. I like that from the beginning we as the audience are directly shown what the girls were up to that sinister night, which makes it all the more frustrating and difficult to watch as the truth of events becomes hidden throughout the majority of the film.
I thoroughly enjoyed the dark and dramatic feeling of this film. The acting of the entire cast was truly captivating. In almost every scene I felt myself getting more and more sucked into the story of the film as the story continued to take unexpected turns and explore concepts of religion and satanic worship, which in themselves are just different versions of light versus darkness, good versus evil. The idea of "the good Christian" is often brought up in this film which made me reflect on my own upbringing within the Christian faith and how even today it continues to be used to spew hateful agendas and ideologies all in the name of "being a good Christian". In a way, much like some of the characters in this film, religion has become the scapegoat for much of the intolerance we see in our world. The scene that certainly struck the nail in the coffin for me that the society we are shown in the film is one centered around faith is when the judge calls on Goody Osborne to recite any of the ten commandments, and because she is unable to do so and the court deems that be enough evidence to solidify their decision that she is a witch. The foolish nature of the townsfolk is shown even more when further members of the town become put to trial. I found it heartbreaking when Mr.Jacobs, who is depicted to be a sweet elderly man, is also put to death because of the girls' tricks and accusations. By this point in the film, I had felt very similar to Martha Corey who outright laughs and mocks the girls in the courtroom as they pretended to be tormented by spirits from the accused. It was as if she was "the audience" who could clearly see right through their deception. And like she says in the film, "What else are fools good for". I found that these concepts of faith and virtue are brought up again during the scene in which Mr.Hale visits the Proctors' home in order to "put some questions as to the Christian character" of their house.
I also enjoyed how the main antagonist of the film, or the villain, is quickly identifiable to the audience. That being Abigail. She is immediately shown to be the "cult leader" of the group of girls, and the other girls very much fear what she is capable of. Furthermore, the extent of Abigail's wicked intent and influence is revealed by her ability to tell convincing lies, manipulate her friends and the entire town, and purposefully send innocent people to their deaths. Now that is not to say the other girls are any more innocent as they too spin their own stories as they see fit, stealing the idea directly from Abigail in order to draw attention off themselves of being accused of witchcraft. Additionally, I also enjoy that the writer gave Abigail a clear motive, and a good one at that. The age old tale of "what I wouldn't do for love" is very much present when examining Abigail's actions within the film and her personal vendetta against Mrs.Procter, which inherently stems from her infatuation and entanglement with her husband. But who is to say that John Proctor himself isn't the true villain of this film? After all, it is his betrayal and adultery that leads to Abigail's obsession and desperation to maintain an innocent reputation in the town. A religious aspect of this theory would suggest that it was his sin that planted the seed of evil in the town which quickly grew and spread amongst the townsfolk. Even leading to the condemnation of his own wife. I found it very ironic when Mr. Hare asks the Proctors to recite the commandments and John remembers all but the one he committed which was adultery. It is also ironic how another one of the commandments is to not bear false witness which is what the young girls of Salem have been doing through the entire film. From the beginning of the film to the very end, John Proctor accompanied by some of the other good men of Salem are depicted to be the voice of reason, but by then they are too late and much of the town has been overcome by madness, distrust and mass hysteria. Even when Mr. Hale attempts to convince to court to think otherwise he is quickly dismissed.
I absolutely screamed at my screen when Proctor's wife lied to the court about his affair in order to protect his good name, which consequently invalidates his story. The irony is that John has stated to the court that she never lies. Ultimately it is the two most flawed characters that feel the consequences of their actions the most. John Proctor is to rot away in prison after he too is accused of dealing with the devil and Abigail has lost the "love of her life" and also becomes judged by the townsfolk who become suspicious of her lies, tainting her reputation even further. During the scene when Abigail visits John and tries to convince him to go with her you can clearly see the remorse she has for her actions but only because it is John who is now next to be hung. "I want you is all," she says to him. Then John speaks the most powerful words of the film when he says to Abigail, still bound to his chains, "It is not on a ship we will meet again, but in Hell". Another powerful scene that stood out to me is when John blatantly says to the people of Salem that "God is Dead". I also think there is a parallel between John's argument with his wife about his affair in which he tells her that her justice cold freeze beer, and the cold-heartedness of the court who also commits their judgment upon him and other members of Salem.
Other characters I wanted to briefly highlight in my review are:
Tituba, the first to be accused, which made the most sense and I found it to be not surprising since her African Roots (being a slave) are often associated with Voodoo. Which is a theme that appears again in the film when Abigail tricks the court into believing that Goody Proctor used a doll to stab her.
Mary, whose character arc goes from being Salem's only potential hope for the truth to be revealed, only for her to once again lie her way to safety once the other girls turn against her. I truly felt bad for her through many of the scenes between her and the court.
And Lastly, Giles Corey, who is tortured and crushed to death with stones after refusing to give any names to the court, probably the most admirable action of any character within this film.
Overall this movie is one that teaches us that mankind can be easily fooled. And ultimately it is much easier for us to turn a blind eye to the truth rather than to admit our own flaws and false narratives. I would highly recommend this movie to any of my friends. Mainly because I believe that the moral behind the story is one that can be universally understood among audiences. That being the fine line between the true righteous and false righteous, the line between truth and lies.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
05/14/23
Full Review
Farah R
While Arthur Miller wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of his acclaimed play and won himself an Academy Award for it, The Crucible's message didn't come through as profoundly as it did on stage. By focusing on the repercussions of John Proctor's lust, the film supplanted the social and political context of the story. The performances and production design were praiseworthy nonetheless, and the film was generally engrossing.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/01/23
Full Review
Robert M
Not even the great Daniel Day Lewis can save this movie. Winona Ryder is a marginal actress at best, but the rest of the cast is really guilty of overacting and trying to force the dialogue into the period of the day. Every sentence has the word devil devil in it and it gets tedious after the first hour. I watched it because I figured every movie Daniel Day Lewis is in has to have some merit. I was wrong on this count. Instead of calling it the crucible they should call it the overacting devil's advocate.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
11/16/22
Full Review
Read all reviews
Post a rating
>
