The Crucible (DVD, 2004)

First and foremost, the acting is superb. Danielle Day Lewis shows exactly why he received an Academy Award in "There will be blood" in this movie version of "The Crucible". The witch trials of the the 1600's is portrayed magnificantly that intentionally mirrors the the 1950's McCarthy trials - on purpose I might add by the author of The Crucible Authur Miller. The movie does indeed give a real life adaptation of the 1600 events of the witch trials and does a great job at bringing to life the real characters of Sarah Good, Elizabeth and John Proctor, Goody Osborn, Giles Corey and the rest. In case you do not know, the witch trials did happen in real life in Salem, Mass. in the 1680's and shows what paronoia within their community can do. The characters in the movie/play were real. There really was an Elizabeth Proctor, Goody (Mrs) Osborn, Thomas Putnam etc. You can find this out and see the actual legal court documents from the 1690's on the net, just do a search in Gooogle for "Salem Witch Trials". Movie well done!

Amazingly enough this was originally a school assignment. We read the play, and then saw parts of the movie. It has to be one of my favorite stories of all time. This was written during the 1950's and the time of McCarthyism, where people were terrified of communism. People would point fingers saying that some people were communist, and those people would lose their jobs. It was a very scary time. The writer of the Crucible had his name mentioned, but I'm not sure how much/if any work he lost. He was smart enough to see the exact parallel between McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials. So he wrote this basically to poke fun and try and show people what idiots they are. This is a very powerful play to show how irrational people can be. It is loosely based on a true story; many of the names are the real ones documented. Very powerful and interesting! I highly recommend it!!!!

This film can be used in conjunction with Arthur Miller's play to increase student interest and understanding. Teachers probably want to preview it beforehand. As I recall, there was a brief flash of nudity during the first few minutes of the story (when the girls are caught in the woods). The film follows quite closely, and the tiny changes made in the end can provoke discussion.

It is set in a timely manner. Based on the Salem with triles, and is the witch triles through one mans eyes. After cheating on his wife (which was stupid,) John (I think that was his name) turns his young mistress away. In a act of revenge the young misstress claims Johns wife is a witch and sends them through the triles.

This is a five-star play on film. It doesn’t get any better than this.

About 300 years ago, in Salem Mass., 19 women were arrested on frivolous charges, tortured to extract confessions of witchcraft, and then hanged.

America’s legal system now has centuries of development and maturity. America has learned from its past mistakes. Today our legal system would never permit a man to be convicted of a crime based on evidence obtained by torture.

Well, not unless your name is Bush, and you endorse the Patriot Act.