The Crucible (1996)

A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials.

Director:

Nicholas Hytner

Writers:

Arthur Miller (play), Arthur Miller (screenplay)

Stars:

Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Day-Lewis	...	John Proctor
Winona Ryder	...	Abigail Williams
Paul Scofield	...	Judge Thomas Danforth
Joan Allen	...	Elizabeth Proctor
Bruce Davison	...	Reverend Parris
Rob Campbell	...	Reverend Hale
Jeffrey Jones	...	Thomas Putnam
Peter Vaughan	...	Giles Corey
Karron Graves	...	Mary Warren
Charlayne Woodard	...	Tituba
Frances Conroy	...	Ann Putnam
Elizabeth Lawrence	...	Rebecca Nurse
George Gaynes	...	Judge Samuel Sewall
Mary Pat Gleason	...	Martha Corey
Robert Breuler	...	Judge Hathorne

Storyline

A small group of teen girls in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts caught in an innocent conjuring of love potions to catch young men are forced to tell lies that Satan had invaded them and forced them to participate in the rites and are then forced to name those involved. Thrown into the mix are greedy preachers and other major landowners trying to steal others' land and one young woman infatuated with a married man and determined to get rid of his innocent wife. Arthur Miller wrote the events and the subsequent trials where those who demanded their innocence were executed, those who would not name names were incarcerated and tortured, and those who admitted their guilt were immediately freed as a parable of the Congressional Communist witch hunts led by Senator Joe McCarthy in 1950's America.

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Plot Keywords:

salem | witch | trial | girl | massachusetts | 

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Taglines:

Arthur Miller's timeless tale of truth on trial.

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense depiction of the Salem witch trials

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 November 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Las brujas de Salem

Filming Locations:

House of Seven Gables, Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$62,995, 1 December 1996, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$7,340,103, 21 February 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The open casting call for this movie was held at the abandoned Danvers State Hospital in Danvers Massachusetts, where the movie Session 9 was filmed, the auditions were held in the auditorium of the abandoned hospital which is prominently featured in Session 9.

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Goofs

When John Proctor and Elizabeth are having their private conversation towards the end of the movie, his teeth look normal. However once they return to judge and Rev. Hale, his teeth look rotted and decayed. When he his hanged (the same day) his teeth are normal again.

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Quotes

Rev. John Hale: Do you know your commandments, Mr. Proctor?
John Proctor: Aye.
Rev. John Hale: Would you recite them please?
John Proctor: The commandments?
Rev. John Hale: Aye.
John Proctor: Thou shalt not kill.
Rev. John Hale: Aye.
John Proctor: Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods, nor covet thy neighbors wives, thou shalt have no other Gods before me, thou shalt not use the Lord's name in vain, thou shalt keep holy the sabbath day, thou shalt honor thy mother and father, thou shalt not bare to false witness... thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wives.
Rev. John Hale: You said that one twice, Sir.
John Proctor: ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Undead (1997)

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Soundtracks

The Yanvalou Chant
Provided by Shakmah Winddrum

User Reviews

Powerful telling which uses the camera well to open the play up

The day after Rev Parris finds his daughter and niece dancing in a group in the forest, several of the girls in the village are deep in sleep unable to be wakened. Rev Hale is called in to investigate and Abby Williams speaks up claiming witchcraft and that she and the other girls had been brought into it by the devil himself. As the investigation continues, Abby leads the claims on a twisted vendetta, eventually ending at the door of John Proctor and his family, the man she had an affair with and still loves.

I have never seen this on the stage, although my wife claims we did 2 years ago, and am unable to really compare this to other versions. However the first time I saw this film it grabbed me by the sheer force behind it. The plot is emotive and increasingly griping as it spirals out of control and Abby guides the justice of the court. The script is excellently written – sturdy yet capable of bringing out so much without trivialising or simplifying it. I defy anyone to not get sucked into this story as it is so well written.

Of course this would stutter a little without a suitably strong cast to carry it off. Happily the film is strong in performances and strong in depth. Day Lewis is deceptively light at the start, but the way he brings himself on during the film to his final shot is moving. Allen gives him able, albeit less showy, support. Ryder gives one of her best performances I've seen. Although she is required to be hysterical for much of the film she carries it off convincingly and, when needed, she is as menacing as a black hearted woman can be. Scofield is driven and well pitched but is helped by great support from Campbell and, more surprisingly, Gaynes (better known as Police Academy's Lassard). A rich cast of males in the chief support roles (Jones, Davison and Vaughan) really help – not only do they deliver the goods but their faces give the constant perception of depth.

The direction could easily have treated this as a stage production but Hytner opens it out without ever going over the top. The themes within the book are easily brought out and Hytner never stands in their way – he lets us take what we can from the material without too much flair in the way. Overall this is a fantastic version of the play – it is intelligent, well acted and very moving and involving. It may have the occasional weak link but those are pretty minor. Anyone with a passing interest in very good films should watch this.