The Crucible - Classic play adaptation

Alright, I reviewed a classic book adaptation, now let’s review a classic play adaptation. 1996’s version of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible was an interesting movie for many, and an even more interesting movie for me as I had to watch it for Year 10 English. Let’s briefly revisit it, shall we?

A dramatic retelling of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, which led to many women being hanged over accusations of witchcraft, this version of The Crucible stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Joan Allen, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield and Bruce Campbell among others.

While making this movie, they were clearly trying to emulate the stage play as much as possible, as shown by the heavy use of a single set, the fact that they changed Miller’s play so little that he’s credited as the film’s writer as well, and director Nicholas Hytner had only recently started directing films after a long stage career. This has some positive consequences, but there are also some quite negative ones as well. Let’s start with negative.

If you were watching a stage play, you’d expect the actors to be loud and exaggerated in their movements in order to clearly communicate to the back row what the hell is going on, which is carried forth into the movie by actors Paul Scofield (R.I.P., magnificent actor) and Rob Campbell in this movie. Scofield ends up coming off less like a compelling figure and more like Agent Smith from The Matrix, while Campbell gives a similarly exaggerated performance.

But every other actor in the movie is acting not as though it is a play, but instead as a movie – much subtler and more emotional. This creates a weird dissonance when you have the brilliantly nuanced and raw performances of Joan Allen and Daniel-Day Lewis, immediately followed by Paul Scofield going “Proc-ta, you have been cha-arged with hersy of the high-est or-da” (okay, it’s not exaggerated to the point of becoming Mayor Quimby, but you get the point).

Paul Scofield as Matrix Agent/Judge Danforth.

Add that to director Nicholas Hytner’s preference for close-ups, and you have moments of line-reading in the movie which are almost uncomfortably funny from the serious way they are shot.

However, the direction as though it was a play excels in the courtroom scenes, where the inventive use of the excellent set and the intensity of the visuals and performances shines through under Hytner’s play-like direction. In this set’s context, you’d expect a little more theatricality in the acting, and so the more outlandish line readings can be excused.

Moving on from the more theatrical elements of the film, this is an excellently shot movie, with the rugged and cold New England elements being beautifully captured by cinematographer Andrew Dunn (Crazy Stupid Love). While Hytner’s preference for close-ups is a little distracting at times with the more exaggerated line reading, the camera positioning and framing is mostly excellently done, with easily the best example in the entire movie being the final conversation between Elizabeth and John Proctor by the seaside. Visually cold but beautiful, as well as featuring an incredibly moving performance by Joan Allen as Elizabeth, it’s where all aspects of the filmmaking of this movie peak.

The writing of this movie as well, coming directly from Arthur Miller, is very strong and very well-paced. I don’t really have any complaints about it, as it perfectly sells the atmosphere of paranoia and hysteria that Miller was going for when he wrote the play in the middle of McCarthy’s rampage.

I’ve already mentioned the acting in this movie a few times, but by far, the best performance in this movie is Joan Allen. She is such an amazing performer who even scored an Oscar nomination for her performance in the movie (although she lost to Juliette Binoche for The English Patient), which is emotionally cold under the Puritanical rule in New England, but also moving and sympathetic when she finally gets to speak with John. Daniel-Day Lewis is also really good in the movie, although at times over-the-top, and Charlayne Woodard as the relatively minor character of Tituba did really well given her lack of development compared to others. Everyone else in the movie is serviceable or, like Scofield and Rob Campbell, indulging their theatrical side a little too much.

It’s true that this film is indeed a good movie, but maybe it would be better to see the actual play being performed. Over the years, such actors as Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Saoirse Ronan, Ben Whishaw and Kristen Bell have appeared in it, so it’s clearly very reputable. For the movie, I’m going to give it a 7/10, or a B.

Have you seen The Crucible? If so, what did you think of it? Leave your answers in the comments below.