THE CRUCIBLE
A film review by Eric Robinette
Copyright 1997 Eric Robinette
Starring Daniel-Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Joan Allen, Paul Scofield, Bruce Davison Written by Arthur Miller, based on his play Directed by Nicholas Hytner Grade: A-
Now here's a tricky situation. Here's a film I really enjoyed and thought was very well-crafted, and yet something about it somehow still seems to be missing. What could it be? Let me go through the various elements.
The Story and Screenplay: Certainly little if any problem here. The story about religious fervor and wrongful persecution still packs a wallop in this day and age, even though it maintains its Puritan-age setting, as many have admiringly pointed out. That said, I'm not all that surprised it worked; Arthur Miller remains a great writer. Maybe, just maybe, it might have been a bit more challenging if in fact had moved the story to a modern setting and perhaps kept the theatrical acting. Just a thought.
The Performances: Again, solid all around, though again that's not a surprise with these actors. I especially liked Paul Scofield as the imposing judge and Joan Allen as the wounded but strong wife. Winona Ryder is also strong, if a bit overzealous in her role, as the catalyst, Abigail. Only Daniel Day-Lewis is a little bit disappointing. Though generally strong, he seems for the first time to be straining in certain scenes, especially toward the emotionally intense ending. Never a good thing when you can "see" someone acting.
The Direction: Also very good. Nicholas Hytner avoids the "filmed play" trap and very successfully opens up the action, and I especially liked how his swooping camera suggest the "evil spirits." Only complaint: the direction gets a little too busy and cluttered toward the end and confuses the action, especially during that first multi-hanging.
So let's see. As it is, we have a film that's overall very powerful and affecting, with distinct weaknesses in all the major areas. I guess the main problem is the lack of surprises or any fresh devices in this movie. Many have marveled at how effective the play is even in its historical setting, but it always has been and always will be so long as irrational fear and persecution exist. The menace doesn't have to be red, and there's no news in that.
All in all, I expected a good retelling of a good play, and that's exactly what I got. Nothing more, nothing less, and I was glad to have experienced the film. But that lingering question remains--with a cast and crew this talented, something even better might have been achieved.
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