The problem for Tituba is that she is a slave. This fact is the cause of her whipping. As Parris is desperate to save his niece, Abigail, he begins whipping Tituba in a desperate, frenzied attack. We are exposed to a medium close up shot of his face. We see it contorted with anger and this shot shows us just how evil Parris can be and what he is physically capable of and this scene really emphasises how badly the slaves were actually treated back then; it is disgraceful and inhumane. During the whipping we are shown several medium close up shots of Abigail, Mary Warren, Mercy Lewis and Hale. Abigail and Lewis flinch at the sight of the ferocious whipping and really show their utter regret for they know that they have caused something much larger than they had intended and indeed hoped. Warren has tears in her eyes and her expression suggest that she does not want any of this to continue and wonders how she can get out of it all. Hale’s expression is drastically contradictory; his expression is stern and he shows little sympathy for Tituba and believes that what he is doing is righteous. Another point worth noting is that whenever we see the girls they are always in a close, ordered group. They seem very organized and this could reflect their skills in the film; the fact that they are able to control the whole village with a few lies. This scene is particularly good for another purpose too. Many males prefer films with a bit of violence in them (not to mention the nudity in the opening sequence) so even if men don’t take an interest in the historical aspect then they can watch for the violence and the death; the darker side to the story.
Just before the whipping begins we are shown an eye-level medium shot of Mrs. Putnam. After the loss of seven babies at birth Mrs. Putnam is irretrievably desperate to find someone she can blame and get revenge upon. She begins screaming at Tituba indirectly begging her to accuse people of murdering her babies through witchcraft. I think deep down she knows that these people were not to blame yet she needs to accuse someone in order to satisfy herself. The close shots used in this scene gives us a clear insight into what the characters are feeling and give us a hint at what they could be thinking. Just before this we are shown a medium shot of Abigail and she tells Hale what Tituba supposedly does to her. As well as Abigail talking rather quickly and as if under pressure she is always shown in a medium shot whilst the camera continually tracks towards her as she steps backwards. This clever piece of directing makes us see that Abigail is saying all of this out of the pressure on her and she feels cornered. By making the camera track her, the director builds up this feeling of pressure and being cornered, as eventually she steps back into a wooden fence and the camera gets closer to her. This could suggest that she feels that she has nowhere to go or no escape and this could be a reason for her continuing the absurd lie. There could be another meaning behind this though. The fence could represent a visible barrier of Abigail’s feelings. As it is only wooden, it can easily be crossed or knocked down. This could show us that Abigail can stop all of this nonsense by breaking through her own mental barrier (overcoming the pressure). I personally think this is quite a far-fetched idea and that it probably is just to make the setting look realistic, yet the director could have done this for that purpose.
The last piece of action in this scene is when Tituba finally yields to the pain against her morals and admits to witchcraft, despite this not being true. She was tortured into lying by Parris. Once she has made this confession, Hale says ‘He (the devil) has you by the throat even now, doesn’t he?’ As we are shown a point of view shot of Hale to Tituba, Hale ironically has her loosely by the throat as well.
The second scene I have chosen to focus on is when Elizabeth Proctor tells the judges that her husband did not commit adultery, when in fact he did, just to protect him from any legal prosecution. The room is set up in a very ordered way, much like the judges like to think they are, and everything is made from wood as it would have been back then. This set-up adds authenticity. As this movie was directed at people with some knowledge, along with others, then this will make them comfortable with the surroundings and give the movie an older/historic feel. The only sound we hear in this scene is diagetic. The progression of the film is mainly by straight cuts apart from a few exceptions. One of the exceptions being when Elizabeth is first called to the courtroom and the camera is positioned on the doors. We see Herrick open the doors and then Elizabeth standing there in a medium close up shot. This shot only shows us what we would see if we were inside the court room, ‘looking on’. This shot really makes us feel as if we are there and emphasises the pressure and importance of what Elizabeth says next. As she enters and walks to the front of the room everybody is silent until Danforth begins to speak. This reminds me of the green mile. Elizabeth walks very slowly and as it is so quiet the distance seems much longer than it actually is; like walking the green mile. This again really emphasises the tension and importance of the next few minutes. As she walks we see a point of view shot of Elizabeth and from this we see Danforth standing in the middle with Abigail and Proctor, backs turned, standing either side of him. The proxemics here shows a near symmetrical, static composition. More importantly though, one of the first things I noticed was the size of the courtroom. This is more noticeable when just one or two people are being questioned in there. As the hall is so large it makes the characters being interrogated look extremely small and insignificant. This could also make others appear more domineering by showing them in closer shots and by showing individuals who are supposed to be less important or vulnerable in more distant shots. This, again, will add to that sense of smallness and insignificance.
Throughout this scene the camera shows us a medium shot of certain characters during or just before a pivotal line to show us their reaction. An example would be when Abigail is shown just as Proctor delivers the shocking truth about his relationship with her. She flings her head up to look at him with a look of horror on her face and then the camera shows Proctor and his reaction: that of a broken man.
During Elizabeth’s final lines of any real importance, there are many periods of silence when she pauses. This shows hesitation and accentuates how much she is thinking about alternate ways in which to put across what she knows without condemning her husband. As I watched the film I noticed a shot of Proctor early in his wife’s interrogation, the point at which she informs Danforth that her husband is a good man. In this shot, Proctor shows the audience a clear expression of disappointment and that of giving up hope. It suggests that he knows Elizabeth will slip up and lie for him. This part is particularly dramatic and will appeal to the female audience. Many women enjoy films with a sentimental approach and so this romantic addition will capture them. Another aspect of the film women would enjoy is the characters chosen; Daniel Day-Lewis. He could be seen as a ‘heart-throb’.
Whilst Elizabeth speaks there is a continual flow of non-diagetic sound. This sound is composed of many low notes to add to the pressure and add to the feel of danger and importance in what she says. Along with this background music, the camera zooms in on her slowly just before she delivers the crucial lines which condemn John Proctor. The camera slowly gets closer adding artificial pressure on her and then stops momentarily just before the pivotal lines. As these lines are spoken a low drum thud is heard. This to me acts as a representation of his life falling apart or his hope diminishing. Another clever technique used by the director is a beam of light appearing behind Elizabeth whilst she speaks, which connotes a likeness to an angel or good person. This tells the audience that by lying for her husband she feels she is doing the right thing and lies with good intentions. Despite the shots changing though straight cuts they don’t always change as the speech does, which we generally expect.
Overall, I feel that the film was well directed. Each camera technique had a reason and prompted a reaction from the viewer, mentally, if not physically. I think they work because each technique has a connotation into which we read like a book. They give us information without having to physically state what is happening through words, or by acting. We can also be given hidden meanings through the connotations of each technique and these will give us extra information or simply aid your understanding of the film.
I think that this film does do what it sets out to: It definitely creates the historic setting very well, it attempts to portray the language they would have spoken through the characters’ speech, there is some violence implemented to capture some of the male audience, and there is also a romantic and emotional side which most women love. I feel that after viewing the film it contains different storylines which would attract the director’s target audience.
