Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on September
19. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
THE CRUCIBLE
Early one morning in Salem,
Massachusetts some young girls gather in the woods with a West Indian slave
Tituba to cast a love spell on the young men they desire. One girl, Abigail
Williams drinks blood and calls for the death of John Proctor’s wife. They are
found by Abigail’s uncle, Rev. Samuel Parris. Afterwards Betty Parris and Ruth
Putnam will not wake up. Some people suspect witchcraft is involved and the
Rev. Hale, an expert is sent for. We learn that John Proctor and Abigail
Williams had an affair, but he ended it and she tells him no witchcraft was
involved in what the girls did. When Hale arrives the girls blame Tituba and
soon she and the girls are accusing others of witchcraft. Elizabeth Proctor
knows John and Abigail had an affair. Judge Danforth arrives and the girls keep
on accusing people, especially those they don’t like. Elizabeth Proctor is
accused of witchcraft by Abigail and arrested. John convinces his servant Mary
Warren to sign an affidavit that neither she nor any of the other girls had
seen the devil. Giles Corey says that when Ruth Putnam accused Rebecca Nurse,
Ruth’s father was heard to say she had got him a fine piece of land, as the
Nurse’s property could be seized and sold if she was convicted of witchcraft.
Corey refuses to tell who overheard this remark and is arrested for contempt of
court. Abigail continues to say she sees the devil and Proctor finally admits
his affair with her to show Abigail had an illicit motive to accuse his wife.
His wife is brought in to testify. If she testifies she knew of the affair, the
court will believe John. However, not knowing he confessed, she lies to save
his reputation. The girls the accuse
Mary Warren of witchcraft. To save herself she accuses John Proctor. Some of
the accused are hung. On September 19, 1692 [1:38:10 to 1:39:10] Giles Corey is
pressed to death for refusing to name the man who accused Putnam. Abigail tries
to help John escape. Hale, who by now is thoroughly disgusted with these events
tries to persuade Elizabeth to persuade John to confess, so he will not be hung. John signs a confession, but then tears it
up and is hung.
A tale of hysteria and deceit.
John Proctor brought what happened on himself. If he had not had an affair with
Abigail, his and his wife’s position would have been unassailable. His adultery
led to his death.
The Salem Witch Trials by Marilynne K. Roach (St.
Martin’s Press, New York, 2002) at pages 296-297 gives Giles Corey’s death date
Producer - Robert A. Miller and David V. Picker
Director -Nicholas Hytner
Screenplay - Arthur Miller
Runtime – 2 hours 4 minutes
Released – November 27, 1996
Staring –
Daniel Day-Lewis as John Proctor
Winona Ryder as Abigail Williams
Paul Scofield as Judge Danforth
Joan Allen as Elizabeth Proctor
Bruce Davison as Rev. Samuel Parris
Rob Campbell as Reverend John Hale
Jeffrey Jones as Thomas Putnam
Peter Vaughan as Giles Corey
Charlayne Woodard as Tituba
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment