Drama: A group of teenage girls accuses others of dealing with the devil.
PLOT:
It's the year 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts and Abigail Williams (WINONA RYDER) and her other teenage friends have gathered to cast spells on the boys they like. While not really witches, Abigail intends to do whatever she can to hex Elizabeth Proctor (JOAN ALLEN), the wife of John (DANIEL DAY-LEWIS) with whom Abigail had an affair. She and a younger girl are caught, however, by her uncle, the Reverend Parris (BRUCE DAVISON), and returned home where the little girl won't come out of a mysterious trance. The locals call in Reverend Hale (ROB CAMPBELL), a man well versed in the ways of the devil, to heal the girl. But when she comes to and starts spouting off about her dead mother, Abigail acts like she's seen the devil herself. Soon all of the girls join her in a mass hysteria and the town is jumping with talk of the devil. The girls follow Abigails' lead as she sets out to destroy others, including Elizabeth, so that she can have John back. He's willing to give up his life, however, to save his wife's, and to stand up for what he believes in. And so as the witch trials begin, John must plead his case before the high and mighty Judge John Danforth (PAUL SCOFIELD) who is determined to drive witches and their like from every square inch of Massachusetts.
WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Younger kids won't, and the only reason teens might is to see either Ryder or Day-Lewis.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For intense depiction of the Salem witch trials.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS plays a man who stands up for what he believes is right and risks his own life to save his wife's. He did, however, have sex with Abigail, a young teenager at the time.
WINONA RYDER plays a girl who sleeps with an older man and becomes so enamored of him that she'll do anything to get him back. This includes lying to such a degree that people's lives are destroyed.
As moving and powerful as ever, this filmed version of Arthur Miller's play boasts an impressive cast delivering tremendous performances. Daniel Day-Lewis is superb once again in a role that relies heavily on convincingly delivering dialogue instead of action. Ryder is perfect as the spurned lover who gets wrapped up in her delusion world. And Allen and Scofield are impressive in their respective roles. The movie doesn't seem as confined as some stage play adaptions do and thus the visuals impart as much mood as the somber plot. While the hard-hitting analogy to the 1950's witch hunt of McCarthyism isn't as strongly recognized today as it was then, that in no way diminishes the impact of the story. It would have been hard to have gone wrong with this story and cast and director Nicholas Hytner certainly doesn't. We give this impressive performance a big 8 out of 10.
OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
There isn't a great deal to object to in this film. There's a little nudity early on where a teenage girl's bare breasts and butt are briefly seen. It's implied that John and Abigail had an affair and in two different scenes, Abigail places her hand on John's crotch and later places his on hers. There are several hangings, but they're rather brief and not very graphic. There is a lot of talk about the devil and witchcraft, so those who are concerned with those topics should take note. The movie could certainly be a starting point for discussions about McCarthyism and group hysteria that have occurred over the years. While kids probably won't flock to see this one, we suggest you read through the scene listings if they, or you, want to see this film.
Abigail and the other girls lie about the townspeople being involved with the devil. Abigail does it for her own good, while the girls blindly follow her as their leader.
John had an affair with Abigail when his wife was sick for a prolonged period.
A few of the scenes where the girls act like they're seeing the devil or other evil spirits might be scary to younger kids (due to the panicked reactions of the girls), but the scenes themselves aren't overly scary.
Some people also might find the scenes where people are being hanged as tense.
Abigail and a group of girls dance around a fire as they try to cast spells on the boys they like. One of them gets caught up in the mood and removes her dress. Her bare breasts are briefly seen twice as is her bare butt.
It's suggested that Abigail and John had an affair, but that he's called it off. Abigail still wants him, however, and once puts her hand on his crotch when kissing him, and another time puts his hand on hers. Both times he quickly stops her.
The McCarthy communist trials compared to the Salem with craft trials.
After John is accused of dealing with the devil he says "God is dead" referring to the breakdown of the Church that would allow the witch hunt to go on and accuse so many innocent people.
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