English title: The Crucible
Fictionalization of the Salem witch trials in the 17th century. One of the film's central plot drivers is the case of a woman who covets a married man and tries to frame his wife as a witch. It all begins by the initiative of the local pastor, but things acquire a new dimension when the deputy governor arrives and takes matters into his own hands.
If viewed as an attempt to depict and explain the real events on which it is based, this should not be taken seriously. Both the author of the source play and the screenwriter were more interested in lending the proceedings a leftwing bias. The extensive fictionalization which was undertaken in the script is effective dramatically, but departs considerably from the historical events. Aside from that, there is an obvious (but seldom acknowledged) problem when reading this as an allegory of mccarthyism: communism is a real thing, whereas witchcraft is not.
Rating: 52
No comments:
Post a Comment