THE CRUCIBLE
1/2
Dr T. White
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Screenplay: Arthur Miller (based on his play of the same name)
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield, and Joan Allen Producer: Robert A. Miller and David V. Picker
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Running Time: 125 min.
Rating: **** 1/2 out of *****
The Crucible has the rumor mills buzzing with predictions of Oscars for its stars, Daniel Day-Lewis as John Proctor and Winona Ryder as Abigail Williams. But don't let that scare you; if either of the two win Oscars, it will be for acting, not for the fact that they are starring in a high-brow movie.
Likewise, some of you may be leery of a movie based on a well-known and critically-acclaimed play (I sure as hell am). But if you let that stop you from seeing The Crucible, you will be missing one of the best films of the year (of course, the year has just started....).
The Crucible is about the Salem witch trials of 1692, during which, to save themselves, a group of girls accuse an increasing number of innocent townspeople of cavorting with Satan. Along the way, Abigail decides this would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of Proctor's wife (Joan Allen). It seems that Proctor has scorned Abigail after "knowing" her (in the, ummm, carnal sense; considering what a cold fish his wife is, it's no surprise that he would indulge in a literal roll in the hay with Abigail). But Proctor's conscience gets the better of him, and Abigail is not pleased.
The bulk of the film traces the descent into a hell on earth that takes place in Salem. Good people find it difficult to take the side of the accused, lest they be accused themselves. Fear grips the town, including the girls themselves, who, having started the accusations, find it difficult to control themselves and their own fears, of themselves and one another.
Although based on a play, this is a movie. Even the stage great Paul Scofield, as the judge bent on cleaning Massachusetts of all traces of Satan, gives no sense of being bound by the stage or its conventions. Although despising what he does, we understand why he does it, and have little trouble putting ourselves in his time, place, and situation. Day-Lewis obviously has no qualms about appearing as a completely unglamorous character, with bad teeth, dirty fingernails, and the world's worst haircut. And although Winona Ryder is, after all, Winona Ryder, and can't really look too bad, she convincingly comes off as petty, evil, vengeful, and sexy enough to lure Proctor into the hay loft; and throughout, she is a human being.
Arthur Miller wrote this play in 1953 as an allegory for the Red Scare, with its ringleader Senator Joseph McCarthy (aided by the likes of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan), which destroyed the lives of many Americans, both Hollywood personalities and ordinary people alike. This aspect of the film will most likely be lost on contemporary audiences, especially outside of the United States. But I hope its message will not be. When the innocent are falsely accused, when power is used to destroy and control people, when rule is enforced by fear, it is not the time to simply watch and be silent. It is the time to speak, to take a stand for what is right, for what you believe in. After all... you may be next.
So go see THE CRUCIBLE. I generally avoid movies that have a message or are meaningful, but I'm making an exception with this one.
Dr T. White teaches film studies at the Deppartment of English Language and Literature at the National University of Singapore. Check out his home p age.
The Flying Inkpot Rating System:
* Wait for the TV2 broadcast.
** A little creaky, but still better than staying at home with Gotcha!
*** Pretty good, bring a friend.
**** Amazing, potent stuff.
***** Perfection. See it twice.
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