The Crucible (1996)
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A group of girls in 1692 Salem falsely accuse their neighbors of witchcraft after a ritual in the woods goes wrong.
The story
Set in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, a group of village girls meet in the woods with slave Tituba to conjure love spells. When Reverend Samuel Parris discovers them, the girls flee, but his daughter Betty collapses unconscious. Believing the children are demonically possessed, the town calls for Reverend John Hale to examine them. To escape punishment, Abigail Williams accuses Tituba of witchcraft. Following Tituba's confession, the girls begin naming numerous other women as witches, including Elizabeth Proctor. John Proctor, seeking to protect his wife and end Abigail's accusations, attempts to expose the girls' lies during the escalating trials.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1692 Salem, girls attempting to conjure love spells are discovered by Reverend Parris, leading to the collapse of his daughter Betty. Abigail Williams uses the situation to accuse Tituba of witchcraft, eventually leading to a mass hysteria where the girls name numerous townspeople as witches. John Proctor, who had an affair with Abigail, tries to stop the accusations by having his servant Mary Warren testify that the events are faked. However, the girls turn on Mary, claiming she is bewitching them. John confesses to his affair to expose Abigail's lies, but Elizabeth lies to protect his reputation. The court turns against the Proctors, and Mary Warren eventually accuses John of witchcraft to save herself. John is arrested, and many are hanged, including Giles Corey, who chooses to be crushed to death. Before his execution, John is pressured by Elizabeth to sign a confession to save his life. He refuses to sign it publicly to keep his name pure and is hanged. Abigail eventually flees to Barbados, and nineteen people are executed in total before the trials end.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Nicholas Hytner
- Writers
- Arthur Miller · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Day-Lewis · John Proctor; Winona Ryder · Abigail Williams; Paul Scofield · Judge Thomas Danforth; Joan Allen · Elizabeth Proctor; Bruce Davison · Reverend Samuel Parris
- Genres
- historical drama; courtroom drama
- Themes
- Mass Hysteria; Reputation; Adultery; Justice; Religious Fanaticism
- Tone and mood
- Staid; Joltingly powerful; Dramatic
- Setting
- Salem, Massachusetts, 1692
- Premise and plot tags
- Historical Drama; Courtroom Drama; Witch Hunt; Adultery; Capital Punishment
- Source material / true-story basis
- Arthur Miller's 1953 play
- Reception
- The film was a commercial failure but received positive critical reviews, with the lead actors earning widespread acclaim.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 71% · review count: 65; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 7.3/10 · scale: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role · British Academy Film Awards · 50th · Won; Best Supporting Actress · Academy Awards · 69th · Nominated; Best Adapted Screenplay · Academy Award · Nominated; Best Adapted Screenplay · BAFTA Award · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film kept many of the play's documented inaccuracies, such as changing the ages of Abigail Williams and John Proctor.; The film fabricates a relationship between Abigail and John.; The film conflated characters, such as featuring Thomas Danforth presiding over the trials.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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