Critique: With stunning shots of the town and an accurate portrayal of 17th century Salem, Nicholas Hytner captures the essential realism the original play attempted to display, and creates a realistic atmosphere without a doubt. The effective usage of make-up, costume and props complimented the rich storyline and dialogue, written by the original author himself, Arthur Miller. The choice of Daniel Day-Lewis starring as John Proctor and Winona Ryder as Abigail Williams was superb, creating a kind of chemistry that was both dark and beautiful. Day-Lewis was able to portray the strong-willed farmer with great calibre, while at the same time Ryder turns in a beautiful performance as the disturbed and tragic girl. Although some characters were rich and deep, others were deemed as less-important and somewhat unnecessary, creating a little confusion for the audience. At some points in the film, scenes seemed circular somewhat repetitive with the accusations in court. However, the main plot was kept and revitalized by the new film adaptation, and in all was a fantastic rendition of the original play.
Components:
PC 8.7 (B+)
CA 8.7 (B+)
MS 8.2 (B)
DE 8.3 (B)
CS 9.5 (A)
Critical Grade: 8.6 (B+)
Final Word: A well-put drama featuring an intense plot line and in-depth characters that is guaranteed to leave you in awe and demanding answers. I would recommend this film to die-hard drama fanatics and people who are willing to follow a rich and in-depth storyline.
Final Grade: 8.4 (B)
Spoiler Warning: Contents of review may contain spoilers.
Plot/Continuity – 8.7
Originally written by Arthur Miller, the plot is deep and in-depth, making the audience pay close attention so that nothing is misheard or omitted. The storyline creates much suspense and gives a lot of thrill; however at some points scenes were deemed as circular and repetitive. This was noted for many of the scenes involving the court. Scenes containing the girls pretending to see the Devil could have been portrayed better, because at times their whimsical cries seemed more comical than suspenseful.
Character Development/Acting – 8.7
The chemistry between Abigail and Proctor was definitely one of the highlights of the movie. It was indeed suspenseful and struck thrill into the audience whenever these two characters interacted with one another. Also, the two characters shared a unique aura around their interactions, aside from the typical protagonist/antagonist struggle we regularly encounter. Reverend Hale’s portrayal of empathy for Proctor was also well done; the audience was able to follow his train of thoughts and emotions throughout the film which he did an excellent job in displaying. One flaw I would have to pick out from the film would be the accusing group of girls, because the false curses and interactions with the supernatural could have been portrayed better and with less absurdity. Personally, I found it rather amusing to watch the girls pretend they were being haunted instead of feeling goose bumps. If these scenes were improved, maybe it would be possible to feel shivers when I see the girls being ‘controlled’ by Satan.
Music/Singing – 8.2
The music and singing did not seem to stand out much from the entire film. The silent ambience of the scenes would fill the void where music would have been appropriate. Some music added at these appropriate points in the movie would have added a lot more flair and suspense in the movie. The music that was in the movie though was well coordinated with the current situation, such as the ending where the music was solemn to reflect the melancholy of the scene.
Directing/Editing – 8.3
The direction the movie was going towards was well displayed and accomplished. The characters and setting of the film were very well done and contributed a great deal to the director’s attempt at his 17th century atmosphere. The director was able to capture the emotions and action from the play and keep their main ideas intact. Some scenes were viewed as repetitive in nature, especially the scenes involving the courtroom. One of the features of the movie that I liked best was the fact that John Proctor was hanged before he managed to finish the prayer. By doing so, Hytner added to the somewhat dark atmosphere of the play, and I thought this was very symbolic and well-done. The editing was very poor in contrast, and many continuity flaws were exposed during the film, decreasing the professional value in total. After doing some research on the movie, there were several other people who pointed out some continuity mistakes in the film. One of the flaws noticed was after John Proctor runs into the pond outside the church, his hair goes from being totally soaked in one shot to completely dry in the next. Another mistake was when John Proctor and his wife are having a private conversation near the end of the film, his teeth look normal. However in the very next shot, his teeth look rotted and decayed. This was followed by the scene where Proctor is hanged, where his teeth are perfectly white once again. There is also a scene where Elizabeth Proctor is being brought to the court, where the left rear wheel of the cart is not spinning. These flaws, if noticed, bring down the movie’s value by the lack of professionalism.
Cinematography/Special Effects – 9.5
The pictures and scenes shot were absolutely magnificent, and which I thought was what made the movie stand out. By capturing the shots with the livestock and the town, I thought that the true essence of 17th century America was achieved. However, not many special effects were used in the film, which was good in the sense that it preserved the natural setting of Salem, but if added where appropriate would definitely improve the film. Hytner makes up for this with the excellent shots of the town, which I found were quite realistic and believable.
