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The Crucible (1996)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:25
Fresh:19
Rotten:6
Average Rating:7.1/10
Synopsis: The film adaptation of Arthur Miller's classic, fact-based play, which was a veiled metaphor for the "Red Scare" McCarthy Hearings of the 1950s. Set in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts, the... The film adaptation of Arthur Miller's classic, fact-based play, which was a veiled metaphor for the "Red Scare" McCarthy Hearings of the 1950s. Set in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts, the story concerns Abigail, a teenager who once had an affair with married farmer John Proctor. Their relationship comes to an end, however, when his wife Elizabeth learns about it. One night, in the woods, Abigail and a group of girls undress and engage in a ritualistic ceremony, during which Abigail puts a deadly curse on Elizabeth. But when this revelry is brought to light, the shocked villagers come to believe that Satan is in their town. A witch hunt begins, with arrests, trials and burnings at the stake in store for many of the accused girls. Furthermore, the affair between John and Abigail does not escape scrutiny... [More]
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield, Joan Allen
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield, Joan Allen, Bruce Davison, Karron Graves, Rachael Bella
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Screenwriter: Arthur Miller
Composer: George Fenton
Reviews for The Crucible
The movie version reveals the play as what it always was: a melodrama about a married guy who shouldn't have dallied with a vengeful girl.
Arthur Miller's story of hysteria, persecution and social injustice, is classy and powerful with some marvelous acting.
Superb adaptation is as topical as ever, with its trenchant themes of hypocrisy, hate-mongering and political coups d'etat crawling all over each other like worms in a can.
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