Crucible Directed by Nicholas Hytner.

¶ … Crucible" directed by Nicholas Hytner. Specifically it will review the film, including a discussion of the film as art. The Crucible is the retelling of the classic Arthur Miller play of the same name, first debuting on Broadway in 1953. This version is skillfully filmed and acted, and could be considered an art film because of the film techniques and storyline. It is an artistic success, but falls short on entertainment for many viewers.

The film concerns Abigail Williams, a young girl living in Salem Massachusetts who becomes embroiled in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Abigail and some of her friends dance in the woods with Tituba, a black slave, and are accused of being witches. They confess they are "possessed," and begin to systematically accuse others in Salem of being witches or consorting with them. As the film progresses, the girl's accusations become more and more outlandish, and they become "possessed" in the courtroom as they accuse the people around them. Some of the people of Salem, like Rebecca Nurse, can see through the girls, but for the most part, the people are swept up in witch fever, content to believe the girls and their allegations.

A major focus of Abigail's denunciations is the Proctor family. She and John Proctor had an affair when she worked for the family, and she is still in love with him. She accuses his wife in an attempt to free him of the woman, but he loves his wife Elizabeth, and will not allow her to stand alone in the courtroom. As a result, both are charged with witchcraft. John has a chance to "confess" and save their lives, but he cannot do it, and in the end, they both hang as witches.

The film illustrates how people who know and respect each other can become caught up in accusations and lies, and it shows the justice system of the 17th century, that was both swift and extremely gullible at the same time. The court basically makes its judgments on the word of a few girls who are afraid and attempting to save themselves rather than stand accused of witchcraft, and it sentences nineteen people to death solely on the word of these girls. The film also shows that some people stood up to the girls and the court, but could do nothing to stop it in the end. Perhaps the most famous is Reverend Hale, who, by the end of the trials is totally fed up with the court and the outcome, and denounces the proceedings as he leaves the town.

The film is a blend or realist and formalist. It is realist in that it follows the action real time and formalist in that it follows the formal direction and action of the stage play it was based on. It also does not attempt to show any witchcraft or other "spiritual" fantasies that the girls make up in their minds, which also makes it a realistic and believable film. The narration is omniscient, as it follows the action between characters throughout the village, leading the viewer from one viewpoint to another. Perhaps one of the things that was disappointing about this film was the storytelling itself. It is clear this is a powerful and moving drama, and the actors helped make it even more powerful. However, the storytelling itself seemed to take a backseat to the drama, and it made the film drag in spots.

It also could have been much more innovative in direction and cinematography. The scenes were rich and full, and the director did use some camera angles (such as above in the church/courtroom), and above again in a scene where Abigail "sees" a spirit above her and collapses in the court. However, for the most part, this film lacked real innovation or unconventional techniques, and I think that was a weakness in the film, and part of the reason it became boring by the end. Since it was based on a stage play, most of the film is dialogue, and without some other kind of action or direction, that can stagnate in a film, and it did that here. Sadly, I think this film could have had much more impact if it had been handled differently. Abigail is not played as a sympathetic character at all, and if there was anything truly evil in this village, it seemed to be her, and the way the people blindly followed her without question. This is a powerful story about religious believes, mob behavior, and lack of questioning, but somehow, some of that message seemed lost in the background of this film, and I think that is a shame. I think Miller's work brought these themes home to the audience, but this work lost them somewhere in the beginning after it established the girls and the court drama that would follow. I believe that is because of direction, and certainly not script or acting. The direction cannot live up to the drama itself, and so it lets the play and the viewer down in the end. The film is certainly artistic, and some of the cinematography is just lovely, such as the scenes of the town with the shimmering bay in the background, and most of the outdoor scenes. However, that cannot make up for direction that lacks real drama and movement throughout the storyline.